zedevan Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 is this something Arizona Z Car makes a correction for too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Zedman240® Posted January 22, 2009 Moderators Share Posted January 22, 2009 I have seen the AZC version but it incorperates a spacer with it. Its not in the pic zedevan (hidden by the tyre). Would the AZC be a good one? Heard it speeds up steering response too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZeder Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 is this something Arizona Z Car makes a correction for too? He does not fix the issues with his part you are thinking of. Most of the US guys are still doing the same thing - move the LCA and or spacers between the steering arm and strut aka Roll Centre adjusters (don't call them bumpsteer spacers as they really alter the roll centre and a side effect is a lower end of the control arm = you have to move the arm more to get bumpsteer but the issue is still there if you can more the arm enough while on the road or the track. My point is don't move the problem - fix it. After moving the LCA on my car I installed rose joints & small spacers on the end of my steering arms per attached. Reasonably priced and my car has absolutely no bump steer. Drives like a normal car! The car is now safe to drive on those rough raods without running off into the bushes or gripping the wheel like my life depended on it. you know what i mean. Yes you have removed the bumpsteer you can feel I can also tell you that looking at the pic of your result it will still be there it is just so high up in the suspension travel that you will never find it unless you run without springs. Again the same point don't move the problem fix it. My mates race car has the same setup as you ie rose joint and special tapered bolt and we thought we had it when the setup looked like yours. However the end result was very different as we found with the setup like yours bumpsteer was still there in the upper part of the travel. Do a google on how to make a quick and dirty tool to measure the bumpsteer. Make the device, remove the springs from your car and using a jack while someone is in the car holding the steering wheel locked in the straight ahead position (this is key to a good reading from your home made device) and move the suspension through the travel and monitor the changes in toe both in and out aka bumpsteer. Now have a play with your rose joint location with a number of different size spacers etc moving the steering arm up and down and record your results - I think you will find some unexpected results like we did. As stated we thought we had it when the setup looked like yours but it can be improved on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevo_gj Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Wiki says: "Excessive bump steer increases tire wear and makes the vehicle more difficult to handle on rough roads." Isn't moving it so that you can't feel it about as good as getting rid of it entirely? I must be missing something... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.A.R. Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 My only concern with the steering arm mod Mike mentions is changeing Ackerman slightly, but that might not be of much concern... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
620Z Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I am a bit with you Stevo. I won't be bothering going any further on my steering apart from installing a (Power Steering) Rack which I have at home. I don't feel any movement or wondering anymore. To me problem solved. I guess I might be offering some readers a slightly cheaper and less sophisticated fix. You might be right that it might not be perfect Nzeder. But if I had bottomless pockets etc I would be going down the double wishbone set up etc. But I think I would just get a new car before going down that route. Besides if I did do the DWBone fix I would be lucky to pick up half a second around the track. 10K or more for a possible half a second. Hmm Not high on my priority list at the moment. Just view my set up as an alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZeder Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I re-read my suspension book and moving the LCA does have some benefits. This relates to the length of arm and how it changes as it move up and down ie appears to get longer thus changing the toe and camber settings and thus bumpsteer - the steering arm mod also as the same effect on the toe issue but no so much camber. This all gets complex and ackerman is very complex. I recall one local zed racer told me he never had any bumpsteer issues on his car every with no mods at all. However he was running 600lb springs in the front = suspension was not moving much = never causing issues anyway. Not a road car I might add. For a road car the LCA and spacers are the most affordable solution. Next step is the setup like ZZZ8 with a rose joint and new tie rod setup that allows you to move the point of the steering and tie rod join. The new steer arm is the most $$ and can get the same result as ZZZ8 solution. I have gone the arm method as the local road rules don't like rose joints on the steering - it can be done but there can be too much paper work and hoops to jump so I have gone this path for now. Who knows I might end up with the ZZZ8 mod depends if I change the purpose of the car from road part time track to track and part time road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevo_gj Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 For a road car the LCA and spacers are the most affordable solution. Just want to check you mean LCA OR spacers, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZeder Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Just want to check you mean LCA OR spacers, right? yes OR not both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBZ 260 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 im still waiting for this top secret thingy. now theres lot of do's and don't or mask's etc..... in simple terms please! dont get it whats the big secret but anyway: The best solution the steering geomoetry to be parallel to the lower control arm? YES/NO (not asking how its done just whats the ideal) I had this issue while my Z has power steering and different hubs etc....... geometry was close or bit better than stock (what the wheel alignment guy told me) but it still bumpsteered madly till i replaced the front tyres with new ones and the problem gone away totaly. now did it mask it or the issue from day one was dodgy tyres? Even though it drives nice now this being my first and only z i ever driven im not sure how they handle. to me handles fairly good for the suspension i got comparing it to my s14 200sx. But maybe its not as good as it should be. hence the interest in this topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZeder Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 no big secret you stated that answer already - just different ways of getting there and each with different merits. Some changing other things for the better others for the worse - and it does depend on what you are willing to compromise on remove bumpsteer and upset the front to rear roll centres (and what that brings) etc. Basically we are trying to fix issues that are in the design of the factory setup that you find only when you lower the car. Maybe the ideal solution is remove the McPherson strut and spend $$$ and install a custom double a-arm/wishbone setup but that is a lot of work and engineering for how much gain? I see guys spend lots of time and $$ installing S14 or R32 rear end into a 240z (sorry Gajin) when the issue is not the rear suspension setup in the 240z the front has more issues than the rear + why add all that extra S14/R32 (whatever) weight? Sorry I don't get that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBZ 260 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Nzeder thanks for clarifying that. im kinda the black sheep since i have mazda rx7 hubs and front struts with few other tricks to make it all work. initaly i thought that was the main issue for the bumpsteer but the geometry seemed fairly good to compensate for all that. though the car is not super low but it is lowered a fair bit. the steering arms and control arms are almost parallel when sitting on flat ground. if bit lower it would be perfectly parallel. my steering guy sugested to change my dodgy tyres and it most probably disapear. which it did. at the moment is very good to drive. i can drive it fast on rough roads and still go straight. Before that anything above 75kmh i had to wrestle with it. thanks for pointers so i was on the right track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reverendzed Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I really had enough of this whole 'bump steer' issue which was made even worse after doing some front end work on the springs, everytime there was even the hint of unevenness in the road my Zed followed it every time...I just had to hang on for the ride. I was about to fit some bump steer spacers that Sulio had given me to try and while I was looking on the net at exactly how to fit them I noticed some info from a guy that said most of the time bump steer issues can be corrected or at least made tolerable by getting an 'old school' wheel guy to do an alignment and adjustment. well I know one of these guys so I took the car to him and picked it up 2 hours later with bump steer problem 98% fixed! He said that the guy who had aligned it before didn't get it right which was causing the issues...now it drives where I tell it to drive! No spacers required! Rev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cdr Zero Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Now isn't that amazing... Geez you wonder how much dodgy auto guys end up costing you in the end hey... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
620Z Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Shit loads! I've met plenty over the years. Good to hear the car is driving a lot better Rev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xa1973 Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Shit loads! I've met plenty over the years. Ditto!! And some real fine weasle stroppers at that......... Thank flock I can do 90% of my own stuff........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toecutter Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Rev, you should post his details here. I'll look him up soon! Sulio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
620Z Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Yeah Sulio get yours done before the Grampians drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toecutter Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Yeah Sulio get yours done before the Grampians drive. just what I was thinking mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cdr Zero Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 I really had enough of this whole 'bump steer' issue which was made even worse after doing some front end work on the springs, everytime there was even the hint of unevenness in the road my Zed followed it every time...I just had to hang on for the ride. I was about to fit some bump steer spacers that Sulio had given me to try and while I was looking on the net at exactly how to fit them I noticed some info from a guy that said most of the time bump steer issues can be corrected or at least made tolerable by getting an 'old school' wheel guy to do an alignment and adjustment. well I know one of these guys so I took the car to him and picked it up 2 hours later with bump steer problem 98% fixed! He said that the guy who had aligned it before didn't get it right which was causing the issues...now it drives where I tell it to drive! No spacers required! Rev. Well I got new tires and a wheel alignment yesterday from Jax Quickfit tyres in Belconnen, and it's almost like a new car! No bumpsteer at all, it's phenomal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodie Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Im dreadging here a bit, forgive me! This thread is very confusing. lol! Anyways, after reading through this basically the whole idea is to get a good wheel alingment and if the issue still exists due to be lowered beyond the limits of the standard suspension geometry then get a set of shortened steering arms?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZeder Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 if the issue still exists due to be lowered beyond the limits of the standard suspension geometry then get a set of shortened steering arms?! Not quite - basically the fix is relocating the steering arms and or the lower control arms. The spacers move the lower control arms so the geo is almost back to the factory location however this does alter the roll centre which might be fine on a road car but a race car might have issues with this. The other fix is relocating the lower control arm mounting point. This as the same effect as the spacers - back to almost factory location but again roll centre altered. The other and more costly fix is new or altering (as in cut and weld) the steering arms which relocates the steering connection point (ie where the tie rod joins and thus changing the relationship with the lower control arm but not altering the roll centre) Other have fixed the issue with custom tie rod ends using rose joints (might not be road legal in Oz but here in NZ it is ok with an engineering cert) and relocating the steering arm via a threaded tapered thing - not sure what they are called but here is pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodie Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Dont suppose you have a picture or diagram of the cut and weld required? You also mentioned a company back up a bit that makes a billet set, dont have there info do you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZeder Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 Not sure about the cut and weld - I did not like that idea anyway Stewart Wilkins Motorsport in NSW is the company in question - I have purchase a number of parts from them over the years and they are good to deal with. Here is a link to there site. http://swmotorsport.com.au/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodie Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 cheers for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.