I have a 1970 BB, and it seems like the car over steers.

When I I turn the steering wheel a little, the car turns more the I desired.

I am not the original owner, and I do not know what has been done in the past. But since I have owned this car I have had all of the front end bushings replaced. I also had the front springs replaced too.

I do not recall whether the car over steered as much before the front end work was done. I do not recall.

I would like to correct this issue. I have to be careful when I drive this car, and I would l enjoy the drive more.

Any suggestions?

 

Does the car have power steering? The inner holes on the steering knuckles are used by PS cars. Non-PS cars can also use them for "fast" steering. The outer holes are the factory settings for standard steering cars.

 

This car has power steering. The PS pump is located under the alternator, and the PS assist rods are connected to the inner holes on the steering knuckle. The outer holes appear to be plugged from the factory, and has never been removed.

 

put mo air in d front tars

seriously, ensure pressure is right ... maybe add more caster.

 

Yes Sir; I just spent 3 years looking for an answer that would correct my problem in my steering. I replaced every thing in the suspension front & rear. I started replacing some of the factory system, which I had just put on, with Heavy Duty parts. With the suggestion of some of the forum members, I went back to the Frame shop & instead of complaining, I asked them to recheck my Alignment, When they did, they found that three years before, they had made improper adjustments to my system. Why did I fight this for three years?? Something needs to be corrected in your system, Get it rechecked & if they don't find a problem, go to another frame shop. Have a great Father's day. Gene

 

Caster would be a good thing to check...on the other hand, HOW MUCH BB is in the car...the needed adjustment may be in the drivers right foot

 

the rear also affects the way the car steers.rear strut bushings made a huge difference in the way my car handles.all the wheels must be aligned for it to steer properly. good luck

 

Without having any more information, I believe what you are really experiencing is not what is classically referred to as oversteer but rather TOE steer. C3 rear suspension has rather simplistic geometry that causes the outside rear wheel to steer outward as the car leans or 'rolls' in a corner, and this is most noticeable on inital turn-in. When you turn the steering wheel to the left (for instance) the initial leftward turning motion causes the car body to lean or 'roll' in the opposite direction, making the right rear wheel travel upward relative to the car body. Since there is no upper link in a C3 suspension to prevent it the wheel rotates around an arc whose axis is diagonal to the car's longitudinal centerline, essentially 'steering' outward from the rear and giving you the feeling you describe. Without making major structural changes to your car's chassis (And there are some very interesting-looking C3-to-C4 suspension transplants out there) there really isn't anything you can do to eliminate this behavior, and it does tend to worsen over time as the car ages and the frame corrodes and weakens, BUT you can NEARLY eliminate it by stiffening up the rear spring and either adding (if you don't already have one) a rear swaybar or increasing the diameter of the existing one. You'll also want to make sure your frame is in decent shape, since C3 frames are flexi-flyers to begin with and the toe-steer condition is only made worse by an excessively flexible (read:rusted) frame, and as others have stated already make sure your alignment is on the money.
BTW, "oversteer" is the tail-out condition you see when sprint cars are cornering, also referred to as "loose" in many racing circles with the opposite being known as UNDERsteer or "push" where the car tends to steer inadequately.

 

My first thought after reading your post was "don't turn the wheel so much...." But then I thought "what exactly does he mean by that?" Does the steering rate increase as you turn the wheel? Or is the rate still linear, just quickened up? If the rate is still linear, it may just be that you got used to the sloppy suspension and steering, and now that it is correct, it feels weird. Not saying this is your problem, but it's something to think about


Scott

 

This is a fun thread, not meaning to make light of your problem, because this kind of stuff can be agrivating and rob some of the pleasure of driving your car, but it's almost impossible to diagnose without the car sitting in front of the technician. On the other hand to the owner of a '66 Big Block Roadster, the terms "Big Block and Oversteer" in the same sentence sound more like the punch line to a joke than an "actual" handeling issue.

There are some good suggestions on here from frame and component inspection to actual front and rear wheel alignment...other questions to ask are
1. How aggressive are you driving the car?
2. What kind of Tire/Wheel package is on the car?
3. When does the "loose" condition occur?
a. initial turn in (on or off the brakes)
b. mid corner
c. corner exit
4. Does it do the same thing turning left and right?

The questions are endless and the answer may not be found on a TDS (technical data sheet) Either find someone that is well versed in the operation of these vehicles (AND STICK WITH THEM) or start researching.