Just bought this 87, it wanders
Thread Starter
7th Gear
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Just bought this 87, it wanders
Just got this nice 87 Convertible. It runs good but it seems to wander.
At slow speeds it seems the steering wheel does its own thing
and at high speeds is seems unsafe.
Had a prepurchase inspection done and it was very basic ( no alignment test or anything) but they took it on a low speed drive.
Only real thing they mentioned was the tires. Rear at 60% front at
15% . So the fronts need to be replaced but can that really cause
The steering to be off and wandering ?
At slow speeds it seems the steering wheel does its own thing
and at high speeds is seems unsafe.
Had a prepurchase inspection done and it was very basic ( no alignment test or anything) but they took it on a low speed drive.
Only real thing they mentioned was the tires. Rear at 60% front at
15% . So the fronts need to be replaced but can that really cause
The steering to be off and wandering ?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,131
Likes: 5
From: Illinois/Wisconsin Line
Put a floor jack right under the lower control arm and lift the wheel up off the ground. That way all the weight off the car is on it.
Then grab the wheel at 12 oclock and 6 oclock and with ur hands forcably try and move the wheelin and out and at the same time have someone else look at the upper and lower ball joints.
Any movement at all is real bad and dont drive unless u replace
Then grab the wheel at 3oclock and 9 oclock and forceably move it back and forth.
Now u will be looking at the tie-rod ends and the rest on all the front end components
See whats bad and replace them
Good luck
Then grab the wheel at 12 oclock and 6 oclock and with ur hands forcably try and move the wheelin and out and at the same time have someone else look at the upper and lower ball joints.
Any movement at all is real bad and dont drive unless u replace
Then grab the wheel at 3oclock and 9 oclock and forceably move it back and forth.
Now u will be looking at the tie-rod ends and the rest on all the front end components
See whats bad and replace them
Good luck
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,735
Likes: 412
From: WV
To answer your question...Yes , the tires could be causing it to wonder..If your roads are rutted, this can also make the problem worse.. When my tires get down to there "end of life" I notice a big difference with my 89...Put on new tires, get a 4 wheel alignment, and I'll bet the problem goes away, as long as there are no worn parts in the front end... Most shops will check the front end for worn parts before doing an alignment, they will let you know if you need anything replaced....WW
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,228
Likes: 698
From: Clifton Park, NY ............Clearwater, FL ... 85 Original Owner
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,228
Likes: 698
From: Clifton Park, NY ............Clearwater, FL ... 85 Original Owner
Just got this nice 87 Convertible. It runs good but it seems to wander.
At slow speeds it seems the steering wheel does its own thing
and at high speeds is seems unsafe.
Had a prepurchase inspection done and it was very basic ( no alignment test or anything) but they took it on a low speed drive.
Only real thing they mentioned was the tires. Rear at 60% front at
15% . So the fronts need to be replaced but can that really cause
The steering to be off and wandering ?
At slow speeds it seems the steering wheel does its own thing
and at high speeds is seems unsafe.
Had a prepurchase inspection done and it was very basic ( no alignment test or anything) but they took it on a low speed drive.
Only real thing they mentioned was the tires. Rear at 60% front at
15% . So the fronts need to be replaced but can that really cause
The steering to be off and wandering ?
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Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,751
Likes: 276
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Right on!
35-38 psi is the sweet spot, lower tire pressure makes the car wander with uneven road surfaces.Get some new tires a wheel alignment and the suspension checked again, adding more positive caster helps center the wheel and give more stable high speed feel.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 3,660
Likes: 22
Unlikely IMO when the rears are at 60% and the fronts are at 15% left...
Knowing this is a RWD car where the rears are getting grinding torque applied at every stop lite, unless he is driving a road course at high speed the fronts should be the set with the 60% left..not the rears.
When I drove daily and everything was "right"....I always trashed the rears first if I failed to rotate properly.
Thats been my experience on a C4...just my thoughts and experiences with tire wear.
Knowing this is a RWD car where the rears are getting grinding torque applied at every stop lite, unless he is driving a road course at high speed the fronts should be the set with the 60% left..not the rears.
When I drove daily and everything was "right"....I always trashed the rears first if I failed to rotate properly.
Thats been my experience on a C4...just my thoughts and experiences with tire wear.
5th Gear
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Hatton Washington
Put a floor jack right under the lower control arm and lift the wheel up off the ground. That way all the weight off the car is on it.
Then grab the wheel at 12 oclock and 6 oclock and with ur hands forcably try and move the wheelin and out and at the same time have someone else look at the upper and lower ball joints.
Any movement at all is real bad and dont drive unless u replace
Then grab the wheel at 3oclock and 9 oclock and forceably move it back and forth.
Now u will be looking at the tie-rod ends and the rest on all the front end components
See whats bad and replace them
Good luck
Then grab the wheel at 12 oclock and 6 oclock and with ur hands forcably try and move the wheelin and out and at the same time have someone else look at the upper and lower ball joints.
Any movement at all is real bad and dont drive unless u replace
Then grab the wheel at 3oclock and 9 oclock and forceably move it back and forth.
Now u will be looking at the tie-rod ends and the rest on all the front end components
See whats bad and replace them
Good luck
Pro
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 509
Likes: 8
From: Livonia Michigan
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Reading Pa
In 1988 the suspension geometry was changed to reduce scrub radius to 0. 84 to 87 corvettes chase the ruts more than 88 and newer because of this. I was a master tech at chevy when these cars were new and actually saw chevrolet buy 2 cars back for this. It's really not a problem, the cars just grab the road ruts a little more than others. My 07 Z4 was much worse. This car is 25 years old and tires may have been changed 2 at a time so nothing can be inferred from front to rear comparison. I would be much more suspicious on a corvette owner that says he never spun the rear tires. You need 4 new tires and an alignment anyway.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,139
Likes: 482
From: H-Town Texas
Good starting point. It really is amazing how these suspensions react to worn tires. As was said, when you get the alignment, you'll get a fair diagnosis on your suspension. If they don't offer the information when you pick it up, just ask about it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,228
Likes: 698
From: Clifton Park, NY ............Clearwater, FL ... 85 Original Owner
Thread Starter
7th Gear
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
I have the tires but have run into another problem.
I CANNOT get to a Corvette specialist for a few weeks
and so I must have the tires put on at the local Chevy dealer. My question is, are these modern day Chevy dealer young punks going to know how to lift my 26 year old fibreglass beauty?
anybody out there experience this (almost mon existent jacking points)
I CANNOT get to a Corvette specialist for a few weeks
and so I must have the tires put on at the local Chevy dealer. My question is, are these modern day Chevy dealer young punks going to know how to lift my 26 year old fibreglass beauty?
anybody out there experience this (almost mon existent jacking points)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,139
Likes: 482
From: H-Town Texas
I have the tires but have run into another problem.
I CANNOT get to a Corvette specialist for a few weeks
and so I must have the tires put on at the local Chevy dealer. My question is, are these modern day Chevy dealer young punks going to know how to lift my 26 year old fibreglass beauty?
anybody out there experience this (almost mon existent jacking points)
I CANNOT get to a Corvette specialist for a few weeks
and so I must have the tires put on at the local Chevy dealer. My question is, are these modern day Chevy dealer young punks going to know how to lift my 26 year old fibreglass beauty?
anybody out there experience this (almost mon existent jacking points)
