Corvette turns upon hard acceleration
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 15
Likes: 6
Corvette turns upon hard acceleration
I've got an odd thing going on with my C5 base with 36k on the clock. It's a stick. When I accelerate hard on the freeway, it will turn to the left, enough to change lanes if I keep on the gas. The rear end feels kinda "floaty" and odd. I've jacked it up and everything feels tight and I don't see anything obviously wrong with it, but obviously something is going on. I do like to drive the car pretty hard.
Suggestions on what is causing the issue?
Suggestions on what is causing the issue?
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 15
Likes: 6
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,367
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 15
Likes: 6
I checked, and I still have both front wheels, lol!
No codes. It's not a violent turning, but enough that it makes the car significantly less fun at speed.
Tires are four months old and in great shape.
I did 3700 miles this summer of "Corvette camping" road tripping, with most of those miles in the mountains and pushing it pretty hard in the corners. I'm wondering if the extra weight (2,000 miles was with a passenger and probably 200-300 pounds of gear) and are cornering pushing something out off whack. That would make sense given the 400# GRV. Thoughts?
No codes. It's not a violent turning, but enough that it makes the car significantly less fun at speed.
Tires are four months old and in great shape.
I did 3700 miles this summer of "Corvette camping" road tripping, with most of those miles in the mountains and pushing it pretty hard in the corners. I'm wondering if the extra weight (2,000 miles was with a passenger and probably 200-300 pounds of gear) and are cornering pushing something out off whack. That would make sense given the 400# GRV. Thoughts?
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 226
Likes: 21
is your car lowered? Aftermarket wheels? Correct tire sizes? Sway bar bushings ok? Tie rods? End links? All bolts torqued up correctly? Control arms ok? Wheel bearings ok? Shocks ok?
what did you find during a visual inspection of the front suspension?
what did you find during a visual inspection of the front suspension?
Last edited by Chillo32; Nov 19, 2019 at 06:52 PM.
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Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2019
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Stock hight, stock wheels, OEM spec tire size (Michellen PS3). Don't know about the other things.
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Team Owner
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From: Western NY
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,804
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From: Northville, MI
You might check the right rear camber bolt to make sure it is tight. It sound like the eccentric can shift slightly which would cause excessive right rear camber. This would cause the car to want to pivot to the left.
Drifting
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,552
Likes: 324
From: Mid Ohio
My votes are in order how I'd check:
- bad tire (try swapping rears and see if the problem follows)
- camber bolt slipping / moving under load
- bad ball joint that displaces under load
- Slipping subframe or control arm (maybe a compliance bushing looks good when still. But under a load its allowing too much movement)
- one 1/2 shaft pulling and not the other (very unlikely)
- loose wheel (very unlikely)
- bad tire (try swapping rears and see if the problem follows)
- camber bolt slipping / moving under load
- bad ball joint that displaces under load
- Slipping subframe or control arm (maybe a compliance bushing looks good when still. But under a load its allowing too much movement)
- one 1/2 shaft pulling and not the other (very unlikely)
- loose wheel (very unlikely)
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 110
Likes: 24
From: Siler City, NC
Same here. Had the same issue and replaced outer tie rod ends, ball joints and wheel hubs, then got an alignment. No more darting to the left. I would start with outer tie rod ends and go from there. Of course mine has 130K on it thus the reason for the hubs and ball joints.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,392
Likes: 303
Sounds like an alignment problem to me. Maybe something has come loose, or a bushing has worn out and gotten sloppy, or one of the eccentrics has slipped, etc, etc.
Get the car in the air and wiggle the wheels up/down and left/right, to see if anything has loosened up. Take the wheels off, visually inspect the ends of the A-arms, check for bushings that don't line up right anymore.
Get the car in the air and wiggle the wheels up/down and left/right, to see if anything has loosened up. Take the wheels off, visually inspect the ends of the A-arms, check for bushings that don't line up right anymore.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,421
Likes: 302
From: CSRA, SC
Something is most definitely loose. This happened to me once when my driver's side rear lower control arm bolt got loose. Under hard acceleration the control arm would tweak slightly and cause major toe out on that wheel and it would steer the car. Once I found it I tightened it up and never another issue. It's possible your rubber control arm bushings are past their service life and giving too much.