77 bump steer
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,126
Likes: 15
I am no expert on this subject. What I have seen the guys talking about lately is that the lower control arm must be parallel to the tie rod end. mike...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-pavement.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-pavement.html
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
I am no expert on this subject. What I have seen the guys talking about lately is that the lower control arm must be parallel to the tie rod end. mike...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-pavement.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-pavement.html
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
I would NOT ask any typical alignment shop to correct the bumpsteer on any car.
If your C3 is lowered to between 1" to 1.25" front Z height and you're not looking to perfect bumpsteer, you can simply buy and install commonly available bumpsteer blocks from many a C3 specialty shop for a vast improvement. If it's outside of that Z height range, you'll likely need custom blocks for a similar amount of correction, as I don't know of a source who still carries different height sets.
If you seriously need to optimize your bumpsteer and also have the Ackerman where you want it for hardcore racing, there's a good bit more to it than just getting the tie-rods level with the CA's at static height.
If your C3 is lowered to between 1" to 1.25" front Z height and you're not looking to perfect bumpsteer, you can simply buy and install commonly available bumpsteer blocks from many a C3 specialty shop for a vast improvement. If it's outside of that Z height range, you'll likely need custom blocks for a similar amount of correction, as I don't know of a source who still carries different height sets.
If you seriously need to optimize your bumpsteer and also have the Ackerman where you want it for hardcore racing, there's a good bit more to it than just getting the tie-rods level with the CA's at static height.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,886
Likes: 9
Yes. The bumpsteer blocks change both the Ackerman angles (increases) and the bumpsteer (decreases). The stock steering geometry is almost parallel. If you imagine lines drawn from the lower ball joints and through the stock tie rod ends on both sides, the lines would intersect each other well behind the car. After the bumpsteer kit is installed, the lines intersect much farther forward. An alignment shop will call this "toe out on turns".
Make sure nothing in the suspension is bent. Look everything over carefully, and compare the left side to the right.
My car had a bent steering arm when I bought it. On the alignment rack, the car showed perfect numbers. On the road, it was squirrelly. I spent a bunch of time and money chasing the problem (for longer than I am willing to admit) until I noticed the tie rod end on the right side was much closer to the wheel than the left. The PO had hit something hard enough to bend the arm. The alignment guy just cranked six turns on the tie rod end to reset the static toe! A new steering arm and having the toe reset improved the "feel" of the car more than any of the other things I had tried.
Make sure nothing in the suspension is bent. Look everything over carefully, and compare the left side to the right.
My car had a bent steering arm when I bought it. On the alignment rack, the car showed perfect numbers. On the road, it was squirrelly. I spent a bunch of time and money chasing the problem (for longer than I am willing to admit) until I noticed the tie rod end on the right side was much closer to the wheel than the left. The PO had hit something hard enough to bend the arm. The alignment guy just cranked six turns on the tie rod end to reset the static toe! A new steering arm and having the toe reset improved the "feel" of the car more than any of the other things I had tried.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,666
Likes: 289
From: Spring Park MN
Just thinking a little here, but it seems that installing bump steer blocks with a Steeroids system would allow one to increase the Ackerman. Lack of ability to setup Ackerman seems to have been one of the complaints seen here on the forum. With the bump steer adjustable with the Steeroids outer tie rod end, I would think there would be plenty of adjustment on a lowered car.
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Instructor
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 113
Likes: 5
From: Dwingeloo Netherlands
Yes. The bumpsteer blocks change both the Ackerman angles (increases) and the bumpsteer (decreases). The stock steering geometry is almost parallel. If you imagine lines drawn from the lower ball joints and through the stock tie rod ends on both sides, the lines would intersect each other well behind the car. After the bumpsteer kit is installed, the lines intersect much farther forward. An alignment shop will call this "toe out on turns".
With the stock steering geometry being nearly parallel, I assume you mean that the steering levers are nearly parallel, causing the intersection of the lines thru the steering levers well behind the car?
Another question: could someone show a picture of (installed) bumpsteer blocks?
I have never seen or heard about this
Thanks,
Cor