1 inch drop/ bumpsteer

[Norm Peterson]

With a strut suspension, you have to re-install the strut, minus the spring. Even more of a PITA.


Norm

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[timd38]

Here is a great explanation of bump steer off of the American Muscle website.

Bump Steer is a change in toe angle caused by the suspension moving up or down. Bump Steer is built into the geometry of the suspension and steering system, and has nothing to do with turning the steering wheel. The effect of bump steer is for the wheel to toe-in or toe-out when the suspension moves up or down. This toe change or "steering" occurs any time the suspension moves, whether it is from body roll, brake-dive, or hitting a bump in the road. Bump Steer is undesirable because the suspension is steering the car instead of the driver. To fix a bump steer problem, you need to alter the height of the outer tie-rod relative to the steering rack with adjustable tie-rod ends, also known as a bump steer kit

 

[dontlifttoshift]

Waits for an actual chart from someone that has accurately measured the bumpsteer on this car.

 

[Terminator2]

Especially when lowered, Raising the electric steering rack (if possible on this car) could help as well as it will flatten the tie rod angles out which will reduce the magnitude of toe changes as the suspension is cycled. I had them on my Cobalt SS Turbo and they definitely helped. If they can be done they are very inexpensive and usually an easy install.

 

[Sixth]

Isn't bumpsteer just when driving over bumps and it would steer you? My car does it with stock suspension. My old stang did it too but when I bought aftermarket non adjustable bumpsteer kits it didnt do anything...was still there...

 

[dubster99]

First, you have to remove the spring and shock, then you need the equipment to do it with. You have to articulate the suspension to see the rate of change as it goes through the cycle and then move the tie rod center point up and down.

Please don't take this personal, but it sounds like you have no clue what you are getting yourself into.

Considering I've never adjusted or installed a bumpsteer kit, that's why I asked the question. I've done quite a bit of things, but never that. Everything I read about was done on a rack with a winch compressing the suspension. Not doable in a home garage. Thanks for your concern.

 

[jbailer]

Here is a great explanation of bump steer off of the American Muscle website.

Bump Steer is a change in toe angle caused by the suspension moving up or down. Bump Steer is built into the geometry of the suspension and steering system, and has nothing to do with turning the steering wheel. The effect of bump steer is for the wheel to toe-in or toe-out when the suspension moves up or down. This toe change or "steering" occurs any time the suspension moves, whether it is from body roll, brake-dive, or hitting a bump in the road. Bump Steer is undesirable because the suspension is steering the car instead of the driver. To fix a bump steer problem, you need to alter the height of the outer tie-rod relative to the steering rack with adjustable tie-rod ends, also known as a bump steer kit

That is correct, it has nothing to do with turning the wheel yet it's when you turn the wheel and hit a bump that the problem is pronounced. I had the Steeda bump steer kit installed and properly adjusted with alignment and it made a big difference.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Isn't bumpsteer just when driving over bumps and it would steer you?

Not exactly.

Bumpsteer is the relation between "vertical" suspension movement (which can be in either the 'bump' or the 'rebound' direction) and individual toe (which is steering). Everything in a suspension moves in arcs rather than straight lines, and when those arcs aren't perfectly consistent with each other (the usual case) you get induced effects like this. It helps a lot if you can visualize or think in 3-D or to simultaneously picture both the front and top views to "see" what's happening.

Hitting real, physical bumps also involves other effects such as camber thrust (side forces from the tire being cambered and/or changing its camber as the suspension moves) that tries to push or pull that end of the car sideways directly (think sliding) rather than by any steering effect.

My old stang did it too but when I bought aftermarket non adjustable bumpsteer kits it didnt do anything...was still there...

If it truly was a bumpsteer matter in your old Mustang - which isn't at all clear - it's no wonder that a nonadjustable kit didn't fix it. Bumpsteer kits have to be tuned (adjusted) to suit by trial and error; anything else is no better than a semi-wild guess. If it wasn't a bumpsteer issue, a bumpsteer kit wouldn't have fixed it anyway.


Norm

 

[Jetboy]

Basically, as the wheel moves vertically, the wheel will steer left or right.

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