TCP MANUAL rack user problem question

R100RT · Apr 29, 2005

I have a problem with this rack. I am getting a steering wheel osolation. Not an "up and down" type of vibration, but a "side to side" one. At about 60 is starts to show up. If I let go, the steering wheel will osolate back and forth moving about 5 degrees. As speed goes up, the frequency of the osolation goes up. Putting my hands on the wheel dampens the osolation but you can feel the wheel trying to move.

I have tried everything I could think of including, tow alignments and complete inspection of rack and related components.

Looking for more ideas,
Thanks!

tomstir · Apr 30, 2005

Have you checked front wheel balance?...maybe a weight fell off

grego37 · May 2, 2005

I had the same exact problem.
I have a 67 Shelby clone with all Global west parts, and a TCP manual R&P.
finished the car about three years ago, and when ever I get around 60mph Id get a L-R shimmy of the steering wheel, and when I went faster , it got more violent. Everyone kept saying your tires are out of round,For the past three years Ive been replacing parts, went through 2 sets of tires, 2 sets of wheels , 8 balance jobs, 3 alignments, new brakes, rotors, tie rods, ball joints, etc. etc. etc. you name it, I replaced it,drove me crazy.
If you go to the TCP website theres a link for Tech. support, a guy named Lino runs it and was very helpful. We emailed each other many times a day on different things to check and test and adjust.

I eventually found my problem myself. I found Pro-Motorsports.com and read about bump steer and the kit they offer. In a nutshell, From the factory early mustangs have some bump steer issues, but when you lower a mustang, or lower the upper control arms,and install an aftermarket rack and pinion, you change the geometry (angles) or the upper arms and tie rods.

I installed a bump steer kit, that lowers the outer tie rod end 1" (where it connects to the spindle) Did a temporary alignment job in my garage.
and no more shimmy at highway speeds!!!!!! I was finally able to unleash the beast.
I still have to get the car professionally aligned. The only place that knows how to align these cars is Marlos Alignment in chatsworth CA. And Ill be making the 2Hr journey soon.Make sure you Align it to TCP reccomended specs.

TCP should address this issue in their instructions and make a bump steer kit of their own.For some reason they dont.
Im not saying this is your problem, but from what it sounds like, I experienced the same exact thing, and by installing this bump steer kit sloved it.
good luck

jerry S · May 2, 2005

grego37 said:
TCP should address this issue in their instructions and make a bump steer kit of their own.For some reason they dont.
Im not saying this is your problem, but from what it sounds like, I experienced the same exact thing, and by installing this bump steer kit sloved it.
good luck

TCP does sell an eccentric eliminator kit and Mustang Depot includes it with the 67-70 racks. But your bump steer kit has nothing to do with steering wheel shimmy. Bump steer is only if you hit a bump. You did not describe hitting a bump but a shimmy at a certain speed. Does it go away if you speed up or is it there at 60 mph and all speeds past that? What you are describing is a balance problem, not a bump steer problem. Could be the rotor, wheel, or tire, but bump steer is not the solution. Now you have described that it was fixed when you installed the bump steer kit, but your problem might have been fixed by something else.

grego37 · May 2, 2005

What the does the eccentric eliminator kit have to do with a bump steer kit?? These are for locking in your camber setting,... thats it. Has nothing to do with tie rod angles, bump steer etc...

Sorry you think the bump steer kit has nothing to do with my shimmy.
everything that I adjust or change I follow up with a test drive. New rotors (test drive) new calipers,(test drive) new tires (test drive) new wheels (test drive) New tie rods (test drive) alignment (test drive) new ball joints (test drive) etc...... When I installed the bump steer kit my problem went away. My shimmy started approx 60mph and got more violent as I went faster.
My angles of my tie rods must have been so far off that just the imperfections of the highway at 60mph+ set my shimmy in motion.

Believe me, my problem sounded like a balance problem, and 90% of the time it is a balance problem or out of round wheel or tire. But when you spend over 150.00 in balance jobs with various Hunter road force machines, and they say these are balanced perfectly. I even put these tires/wheels on my brothers car, (no vibration, no shimmy) thats when I ruled out the tire/wheel combo.

I know a bump steer kit is for bump steer, but it solved my problem.

Do yourself a favor,
Take your wheels/tires off , put them on your buddy's car, see if he has the shimmy. and vice versa , put his wheels/ tires on your car see what happens.
Then you can either rule out the tires/wheels or focus on them.

(Jerry S)
Im just telling you my experience, the bump steer kit solved MY problem,
and now I can drive the car the way it was meant to be driven.

jerry S · May 2, 2005

grego37 said:
(Jerry S)
Im just telling you my experience, the bump steer kit solved MY problem,
and now I can drive the car the way it was meant to be driven.

Perhaps it did but in theory, your problem was not bump steer and the bump steer kit should not have corrected it.

At least you got a satisfactory outcome.

R100RT · May 2, 2005

Sorry Guys for not checking back. Thanks for all the ideas. I have checked with Lino and the guys over at VMF. The problem is an osolation, not a vibration. I would exspect that a wheel issue would cause an up and down movement in the steering wheel. This problem is a side to side osolation. It starts with a slow frequency at about 60 MPH. Increasing speed, increases the osolation. I have had two wheel inspection/balances done.

It would be a good idea to swap wheels and rule this out but this bump steer solution may also have merit. My gut tells me its geometry related. Sometimes the osolation is there and then it goes away. Smooth road, rough road, it doesn't matter.

I had it aligned to TCPs specs, twice! LOL

Lino is a great guy and a big help, we just haven't figured this one out yet.

R100RT · May 2, 2005

grego37 said:
I had the same exact problem.
I have a 67 Shelby clone with all Global west parts, and a TCP manual R&P.
finished the car about three years ago, and when ever I get around 60mph Id get a L-R shimmy of the steering wheel, and when I went faster , it got more violent. Everyone kept saying your tires are out of round,For the past three years Ive been replacing parts, went through 2 sets of tires, 2 sets of wheels , 8 balance jobs, 3 alignments, new brakes, rotors, tie rods, ball joints, etc. etc. etc. you name it, I replaced it,drove me crazy.
If you go to the TCP website theres a link for Tech. support, a guy named Lino runs it and was very helpful. We emailed each other many times a day on different things to check and test and adjust.

I eventually found my problem myself. I found Pro-Motorsports.com and read about bump steer and the kit they offer. In a nutshell, From the factory early mustangs have some bump steer issues, but when you lower a mustang, or lower the upper control arms,and install an aftermarket rack and pinion, you change the geometry (angles) or the upper arms and tie rods.

I installed a bump steer kit, that lowers the outer tie rod end 1" (where it connects to the spindle) Did a temporary alignment job in my garage.
and no more shimmy at highway speeds!!!!!! I was finally able to unleash the beast.
I still have to get the car professionally aligned. The only place that knows how to align these cars is Marlos Alignment in chatsworth CA. And Ill be making the 2Hr journey soon.Make sure you Align it to TCP reccomended specs.

TCP should address this issue in their instructions and make a bump steer kit of their own.For some reason they dont.
Im not saying this is your problem, but from what it sounds like, I experienced the same exact thing, and by installing this bump steer kit sloved it.
good luck

Thanks, I have contacted them and I will probably give this a try. I don't see any negative possibilities besides the cost.

grego37 · May 2, 2005

Your symptoms are identicle to mine.

A wheel that was bent would also cause
(lateral runout)

Play in steering assy, worn or wrong tie rods. (but im sure you've considered these possibilities allready)

good luck.

65 fastback · May 3, 2005

Have you had your frame checked for square?

Just another idea.

Tim

66HertzClone · May 3, 2005

If you have the styled steel wheels they must be balanced using the lug centric method. If the tires were balanced incorretly you would indeed pick up a vibration starting at about 60mph.

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