350 miles in with general handling questions??

[craig]

Right I have done about 350 miles in my car now and have played with the wheel alignment quite a bit now and it has improved things slightly......

I can now get up to about 55mph cruising but would not dare go any faster unless accelerating hard and then braking quickly.

I have slight toe in at rear and slight toe out at front but what I have noticed is that when I accelerate the car veers left and when I back off it veers back right. This is most noticable if gently dabbing the throttle on and off as the whole car moves left then right when you back off.

I am thinking this is caused by my front wheels (offside front) and have adjusted the steering arm right from top to bottom but the car still does the same thing!! Tried moving nearside aswell but car still veers left!

Ideas please what to change?

Cheers
Craig

[alackofspeed]

Craig, perhaps you have more bumpsteer in one front wheel than the other, resulting in a net steer left under braking, and right under power. Have you tried measuring your bump steer?

Lifted from a website:

"To measure bump steer, support the end of the car you are measuring with a jack and release the springs and shocks so the suspension moves freely. With the steering wheel locked in the centered position, measure the front and rear wheel rim offset (just like measuring for toe) at the extreme up and down positions of the suspension and compare them to the dimensions you got for the normal resting position. Any differences you note will have a steering effect on the car as the suspension moves."

[limpabit]

Hi Criag.

Have you tried lowering the tyre pressures?

I had the same problem. Different wheels and pressures sorted it.

Ian has played with a bit of toe in on the front (Not the norm as per mid engined cars). But seems to make a hell of a difference (better).

If you can get the car down, I'm sure Ian would help out with he's bump steer alignment gauge.

[eaa53]

Craig

Another check you should do is the movement of the rear cross frame to chassis/engine beams.

If you have not welded it on or fitted bolts in additional 'non slotted' holes there may be some rear end movement.

Simple checks are fill the slotted holes in the frame with car body filler or just some candle wax. After a short sprint check to see if the 'tell tales' have been compromised.

You know the solutions if you find movement.

[craig]

I have not measured front bump steer but tried moving the arms slightly then driving, moving then driving etc and car does not change.

I know it's not the rear cross members and exhaust section as they are solid and top mount is solidly fixed to both sides of chassis.

I'm no expert but it defo feels like the car movement is caused from the front (mainly) anyway.

Im starting to wonder about front springs and shocks being partly to blame as my ride height is at it's maximum setting (ie coller on shock is on the last 2 threads of the shock, my front springs still need to be on 26 clicks and the front arches almost catch the wheels

[bigrich]

If that is 26 clicks in (ie zero being minimum damping, 40 being max) then I'm not surprised the car's twitchy.

Springs should definately not be that far down the shocks......

As a guide my damping is set at between 3 clicks and 6 clicks in on the front....anything above 12 and it starts getting skaty.

Tyre pressures...go for approx 17 - 18 psi.

Rich

[craig]

Rich,

I know it's obviously wrong but it was what came out of the lucky bag from marlin.

Gonna have to buy some new springs!

It is the same with only 3 clicks and tyre pressures are 18 all round but to be fair they did not have any affect