Bumpsteer racking my brain
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 741
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From: East Coast, Burke, NoVa
Also to add on in case anyone thinks it's my rear. I do not believe it's my rear because everytime I get aligned the rear barely changes from my specs camber and toe wise. The steering rack was replaced years ago because my previous one had EPS trouble. The eps would disconnect when i turn on the car and re-engage if I'm parked on a hill. The steering rack was installed by a master tech and aligned. I didn't have any issues with bumpsteer or alignment till this past May.
Joined: Jul 2013
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You could check the tie rod ends, or the compliance bushing if you're certain it's the front. If you can easily move the tie rod ends with your hands they may be loose. The only thing that can cause your bump steer feeling is a change in toe, so you have to isolate everything that can affect toe on the suspension. Ball joints, bushes, and arms, all toe is, is the wheel turning in or out during the motion of the control arms. Old worn out bushings deflect more under dynamic circumstances. Your car isn't pulling 1.2g's under braking while it's getting an alignment so you're static alignment may be fine but under load the worn bushing will allow the control arm to move over an extra mm changing toe.
You'd be surprised if you drove a car with old worn out bushings and then drove that same car with completely refurbished bushings, the difference is night and day.
You'd be surprised if you drove a car with old worn out bushings and then drove that same car with completely refurbished bushings, the difference is night and day.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 741
Likes: 6
From: East Coast, Burke, NoVa
I just drove out in the rain getting some food. The car was not stable at all. It was a bit scary, I was only driving about 35-40 MPH and the car kept going left and right. Not drastic left and right, but still a scary feeling. The most noticeable one was when I switch to the right lane, the car jerked right to left.
Joined: Sep 2014
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I just drove out in the rain getting some food. The car was not stable at all. It was a bit scary, I was only driving about 35-40 MPH and the car kept going left and right. Not drastic left and right, but still a scary feeling. The most noticeable one was when I switch to the right lane, the car jerked right to left.
What were you looking for when you replaced the OEM parts? You modify the EPS?
Thanks!
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,760
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From: Nor Cal (Humboldt, Ca)
That jerking to left or right is bushings or overly worn ball joints, and if its been awhile there's a chance its both. You need to go and inspect the ENTIRE front end. Shouldn't take long. That jerking means a component is worn pretty well and should be fairly easy to spot. My guess is bushings, and in the front of the car.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 741
Likes: 6
From: East Coast, Burke, NoVa
Originally Posted by youngcow' timestamp='1458416552' post='23913562
I just drove out in the rain getting some food. The car was not stable at all. It was a bit scary, I was only driving about 35-40 MPH and the car kept going left and right. Not drastic left and right, but still a scary feeling. The most noticeable one was when I switch to the right lane, the car jerked right to left.
What were you looking for when you replaced the OEM parts? You modify the EPS?
Thanks!
Yes the car has been stable in the wet before all of this non-sense. I agree with you on the bad things. The EPS was not modified.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 741
Likes: 6
From: East Coast, Burke, NoVa
That jerking to left or right is bushings or overly worn ball joints, and if its been awhile there's a chance its both. You need to go and inspect the ENTIRE front end. Shouldn't take long. That jerking means a component is worn pretty well and should be fairly easy to spot. My guess is bushings, and in the front of the car.
Thank you so much I will check it out and report back. The upper ball joints I last checked were good but there is a chance they have gone bad.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 741
Likes: 6
From: East Coast, Burke, NoVa
Inspect them, there's a little rubber tab on the bushings, if they're torn you'll see that tab no longer be alinged with the rest of the rubber. If they are bad, then yes replace them. Stay away from polyurathane bushings, as a personal suggestion, go hardened rubber, like Spoon, Mugen, or Hard Race. The upper bushings can be bought from the dealership. The dealership only sells AP2 bushings however, they'll work on the front if you have an AP1, but not in the back since the AP1 and AP2 upper control arms are different, they also use different pick up points on the subframe. So if you want to change the upper arms in the rear with an AP1 you have to go aftermarket, or find used arms with good bushings and transfer them over to your arms.
Why would you recommend Hardened rubber? They are a lot more expensive X_X I was thinking Energy or powerflex bushings.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 741
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From: East Coast, Burke, NoVa
Driver side Lower:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=E802F7D237FF946A!179958&authkey=!AHmJH h_g4rm-dNU&ithint=folder%2c
Driver side upper:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=E802F7D237FF946A!179962&authkey=!AABOH bEdQYv0Lyw&ithint=folder%2c
Passenger side Lower:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=E802F7D237FF946A!179959&authkey=!ANSqU rlngEjuzFw&ithint=folder%2c
Passenger side upper:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=E802F7D237FF946A!179961&authkey=!ANTNV pQw_DXv8_s&ithint=folder%2c
It looks like the upper driverside bushing is messed up and some cracking in the driverside compliance bushing.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=E802F7D237FF946A!179958&authkey=!AHmJH h_g4rm-dNU&ithint=folder%2c
Driver side upper:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=E802F7D237FF946A!179962&authkey=!AABOH bEdQYv0Lyw&ithint=folder%2c
Passenger side Lower:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=E802F7D237FF946A!179959&authkey=!ANSqU rlngEjuzFw&ithint=folder%2c
Passenger side upper:
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=E802F7D237FF946A!179961&authkey=!ANTNV pQw_DXv8_s&ithint=folder%2c
It looks like the upper driverside bushing is messed up and some cracking in the driverside compliance bushing.