Handling Woes

[nugget68]

I just put some newwheels and tire on my 68 coupe and had it aligned to some specs that I found on here...1/8 toe, -.5 camber, and I cant remeber exactly the caster...when in a turn my car wants to over steer. especially when shifting, right whn my trans shifts and the load is off the engine my car pulls to the inside. what do i need to do to correct this?

 

[nugget68]

anyone?

 

[rbohm]

we need to know the rest of your suspension set up, but for alignment specs i recommend;

+3 degrees caster
-0.5 to +0.5 degrees camber
1/16" toe in

 

[oscart]

Have you installed a bump steer kit? Your car is very low in the front and this could cause darting around if the tie rod geometry is off. Best bet is to take the car to a good front end specialist who can check everything out. You do have a front stabilizer bar installed don't you?

 

[nugget68]

those alignement specs sound like what i used, i found them on here....

only thing i have changed on the front end is the shocks with a factory replacement, they probably have about 3-4k miles on them...

 

[CraigMBA]

Does it do it if you aren't hard on the gas?

This problem started after you changed tires, correct?

 

[rbohm]

nugget, i would recommend upgrading the rest of your suspension then. a 1" front sway bar, 540in/lb front springs, 200in/lb rear springs(5 leaf), subframe connectors, and a bumpsteer kit as suggested since your car is rather low.

 

[jb1dsl]

isn't your pic a photochop?

 

[nugget68]

it does it mostly in corners at speed, but it also does it going through corners at regular speed. It also does it sometimes if I hit a bump or hump in the road...yea...the pic in my sig is a photochop...

 

[65 fastback]

My guess is the alignment shop set the car to the stock alignment specs, regardless of what you requested. Find your alignment printout and give us the Caster setting. Your symptoms sound like a lack of positive Caster, to me.

Tim

 

[CraigMBA]

About ten years ago, I borrowed my Mom and Dad's 1990 C4 convertable Corvette and took it to a family lunch. I left a stop light and made a left hand turn, while feeding throttle gently. I had the car almost full throttle and almost straight when it shifted from first to second. When it shifted, it shocked the tires and I spun it out. I was neither in the middle of a high G turn nor was I screwing around. I didn't hit anything and drove off very gingerly with an important lesson learned - 45 series tires have minimal sidebite.

I think it's the same problem with your car. From looking at your pic, I think this is something you're going to have to live with because of the razor short sidewalls you have on your car.

 

[CraigMBA]

My guess is the alignment shop set the car to the stock alignment specs, regardless of what you requested. Find your alignment printout and give us the Caster setting. Your symptoms sound like a lack of positive Caster, to me.

Tim

I disagree. He could put 10 degrees of caster in that car and it would do the same thing. If it wandered in a straight line, I might agree with you, but OP never mentioned it.

I think it's the tire (size).

 

[nugget68]

thanks guy for all the input...i think maybe that its a combination of old worn suspension parts and no monte carlo bar or subframe connectors...i guess i will just have to save up and replace that stuff, if I am still having the problem I will hav to go further in to it...