04 convertible 41k miles, all original.

When I am driving straight the car handles fine. No pull, no vibration, no issues. When I am in a turn the car handles great, and sticks to the road like the line. The problem comes in the transition from straight to hard turn. If I am exiting and it is a loop, the transition is a bit unnerving, but once I am in the turn I can accelerate through and there is no problem.

Ideas?

 

While I'm far from an expert I had the following done to my 2000 vert.

Z06 shocks and sway bays added with metal end links. A new tunnel plate with abs heat coating and lastly the car was lowered on stock bolts.

This may help????

Good luck.

 

What brand/style/age are your tires?

At 41K, I doubt that your suspension is worn out. Could also be an alignment issue.

 

Well dont do a hard turn.

Brake in straight lines, make your turn, and as you noted, accelerate through the turn.

Or beloved corvettes are notorious to under steer, especially with the stock alignment.

it IS an alignment issue. an aggressive street alignment is just START to cure that problem.

need a track / road race alignment, but that will suck on normal roads and streets.

Good NEW sticky tires, T1 or better suspension and corner balanced the car.

So just get it close and you will be fine

 

Not to be an azzhole but learn to drive. Spend the money and attend a minimum two or three day driving school. Do some low speed auto cross events and learn how your car handles on the tires and suspension you use every day. You won't be driving back and forth to work on sticky tires and track alignment.

 

Possibly too late for that. I KNOW how the car handles, I don't LIKE how the car handles. I have been driving Corvettes for 29 years.

If I suspected it was my driving, I would not be asking the question. I have driven other C5s without this issue.

For those with constructive questions or input, maybe this will offer more insight.

The tires have less than 1000 thousand miles on the rears and probably 6000 on the fronts. Tire wear was even all the way accross the old rear tires.

It is neither and understeer or oversteer issue. It is very momentary; Almost like a load shift in the azz end. Once I am a half second in the turn, it sticks. No tire squeal, no chatter, no torque steer. It is ONLY in the fraction of a moment that the transition from straight, to turn happens. Aside from this small moment in time, the car is very tight.
There is nothing in the cargo area and all the rear bushings are in perfect condition. Both rear hubs are recently replaced.

 

I thought I've read threads about balancing the fluid in the locking rear end. I don't know enough about it but it has to do with how stiff the rear end locks up in the differential. It's a little over my head and my c5 is very smooth in the transition but my 05 Duramax occasionally shutters noticeably in a corner especially if you're putting some power to it on entry.

Someone with a little deeper knowledge should chime in and I could be way off base, It wouldn't be the first time.

 

Didn't mean to offend. Your original post didn't mention your driving prowess. From what you describe nothing in the suspension or tires jumps out to me as being a cause for the issue. It sounds like the car is doing what we refer to locally as taking a "set"; that is, loading the outside
tires and then you are driving on through the turn.

 

Meh, not offended. All good. . I switched from Hankooks on the rear to Falkens after running over a chunk of metal, but it did it with the Hankooks too so I can't blame the tires. I had runflats on it when I bought it but I never pushed them because they were the original tires and being that old, I was not going to push them. I don't think it is sidewall roll, but oddly it does resemble underinflation. That fraction of a second where i feel like I am not controlling the car, is a bad sensation. It passes quickly, but the attitude of the car upon resolution, is not predictable.

In my old C3, I had a similar sympton and it was trailing arm bushings. Since this isn't the setup on the C5, I'm puzzled. I bought it with 13k, so within reason, I know what the car has been through and how the majority of the miles were put on it and it has not been stressed. There are two exits I enjoyed diving into now and then, but until I figure this out, I am taking them real easy. I go in light and after the "shift" in the rear, I can hook it hard and accelerate. On a long sweeper, this does not happen because the transition is extended / longer / more gradual.

Edit: running 30psi.

Edit 2: I DID discover the stuffers still in the car after jarring my organs loose for a few months. Is it possible this caused some damage to the shocks and that is the possible cause?

 

Sounds like the rear tie rod end(s) might have some play. Just a little play there gives the car that unsettling rear steer during transition.

Might want to disassemble and see how loose they are. They are cheap enough, when in doubt, replace and re-align.

Tip:
See if you can have the car aligned while you sit in the drivers seat.

 

It does act that way, but they look like new and I have had someone load and unload the suspension with the floor jack while I was under it trying to move them. They are tight but I imagine 3000 lbs moving laterally has a little more force than twisting them with my arm.

I DREAD taking this car for an alignment. I just don't trust anyone to do anything the right way.