Ok so I installed hedman headers and the drop bracket for the power steering ram. Headers are great, steering works ok....BUT when I hit a bump I change lanes. The power ram is no longer parallel to the center link so it is most likely the cause of the bumpsteer. I know I am not the only guy who has done this swap. Other then holding the steering wheel tight what have others done to fix this ?? -Removing power steering or headers is not an acceptable answer Thanks Sean
Make sure that your drop bracket is not flexing. Have someone move the steering wheel back and forth while you lay on the ground and watch the bracket. If it moves back and forth, that might be the cause of your bump steer.
I had a problem with the bushings at the lowering bracket wearing out very quickly. check to see if they are still intact
Yea, make sure the bracket is tight. I had one pull out of the frame mounts once..it was kinda scary and fun all at the same time....
If you can hold the steering wheel and it prevents the side travel it is NOT bump steer. what you describe is an alignment problem or worn parts.
BUMPSTEER is a change in alignment angles(usually toe) when the suspension compresses or rebounds. The ram being aligned only affects the assist, not geometry of the suspension. I would check the ball stud for looseness in the valve and the bushings at the drop bracket like the others mentioned. Frank posted the procedure on another thread for adjusting the ball socket in the valve and greasing it will help also. Wider tires will make it much worse as well. Any other changes than the headers? Sounds like there is a little more going on than the ram relocation.
Lots of changes were done at the same time. disc brake conversion from a 75 Maverick, Addco front sway bar, headers, drop bracket, etc. Since the brakes came from a P/S V8 Maverick so I can rule that out. Tie rods were for a 75 and I saw no difference in the linkage when I had the cars side by side. Front end parts are tight, I did the alignment myself and went 1/2 degree more on the camber. Strut rod bushings, ball joints, front springs and shocks are new. I hear you about the frame nuts pulling out. I had the same problem and welded a piece of 1/4" plate to the frame. Overall height of the drop bracket did not change since I already had a 1/4" spacer above the bracket to get it to clear the headers. The p/steering control valve was rebuilt last year, no play in the ball socket. The P/Steering ram is unknown age but the socket to the center link is tight and I have new rubber bushings where it connects to the drop bracket. Thanks for all the suggestions guys Anybody recommend a different header that clears the P/Steering?
Why more camber - the usual settings for good handling use less camber. It sounds like you should have the alignment checked by a professional.
all of them I know of require the ps ram to be dropped with the exception of shorties. What did you end up with on camber(+/-), what size tire are you using, and did you lower the car at all?
Q & a mercgt73 - The bracket is solid. That 1/4" plate I put in with new bolts is rigid. Injectedmav - Front 205/70R14 on 14" rims, 7.5" wide - approx 24.5" tall. Rear G60-15 M/T Sportsmans on 15" rims - approx 26" tall. I used Hedman Headers 88306 and they clear everything else ok. I put a Drivers side motor mount BK602-1091 in last year with the new motor. PaulS - I started working in a garage in 1986. BMW/MINI Master Certified. ASE A1-A8, X1, L1. I think I can set an alignment if given the spec. Now automatic transmissions...thats a different story and I definately defer to you Here are the specs I have and what I set the car to: Spec is caster -1/2 +-2, i'm at +1 1/2 Spec is camber 1/4 +-1, i'm at +1/2 Spec is toe in 3/16 +- 1/8", i'm at 5/16" I went with more camber because everyone is going for the shelby drop and more camber is the goal. I set the caster more postive to help with directional stability on the highway. Thats what I was taught. If zoomzoomguy is right it sounds like I have my caster at the wrong end of the range. ThinK i should set it more on the negative side? Won't that just make this worse? Thanks again for all the help/suggestions. Sean
I used to set my own caster/camber when I was building stock cars and you always went positive on the caster. In racing it would only be 1 degree + on the left front and as much as 6 degrees + on the right front. Just in my mind, anything negative I don't think of as caster at all. I look at a tool box being pushed down a garage floor and the 2 wheels that steer trail nicely behind their mounting point as in positive caster. Try to push it with the caster wheels held in the negative position - they always spin around to positive.
My camber is slightly negative at -.5° and I have a slight pull when I hit lines in the pavement or grooves that run in the direction of travel. It gets better when I tightened the ball socket preload spring in the valve and when I grease it, but it never goes away. I think that since the wheels tend to pull when the outside edge of the tire hits a section of pavement that is at a different plane than the other it tends to induce a camber pull and the entire assembly moves from the ball socket to the tie rods. My front end is very tight, the only give is in the valve ball socket and the angles are more aggressive than the ones you just posted. My caster is 2.5° pos and toe is about the same and I'm running a 245/50R16 tire. If you find a solution, I'd be happy to hear it. As I tighten everything up and get rid of the factory induced understeer I have noticed that problem has gotten more noticeable. I've just gotten used to driving it so I don't notice it as bad as when I change back from another vehicle.
Mav1970 - So you agree with me and going positive with the caster should make it more stable. Injectedmav - Going negative on the camber makes the car more squirly. I noticed a huge improvement in vehicle stability and reduced understeer once I had the front and rear sway bars in with positive Camber and postive Caster. That said I still have the bumpsteer problem. Thanks again for all the help/suggestions. Sean
Absolutely On your bumpsteer, if your steering cylinder is on a much different angle than your center link, and you hit a bump and compress your chassis, that cylinder, as it quickly swings up or down, will change length from it's point A to point B until it is level with your center link. Until it hits that level point it will either push or pull your center link to the right or left. Only for a quick moment but you would feel it. With stock cars, my bump steer situations were more at the length of the outer tie rod ends vs. the lower A-frame length from it's mount to the center of the lower ball joint being different. The same deal - bumpsteer is bumpsteer
