Handeling problem?

[Wildman95GS-T]

I recently replaced my struts, front control arms and had the wheels aligned, got new 17" wheels and 215/45zr-17 tires. I also have strut bars upper and lower, with all this i would think my car should feel like it is riding on rails, but when i change lanes or turn the wheel from side to side slightly it feels like i have flat tires, rear end wants to sway like a fat woman or if you ever drove a stationwagon and did the same . Anyone have any idea what could be wrong

 

[Locke]

Check that your stabilizer bar links aren't broken.

 

[Wildman95GS-T]

Thanks, sorry forgot to mention that i stripped one side out, so i replaced both swaybar links on the front. I did not replace any suspension parts on the rear, except the shocks.

 

[Talesin]

1) Proper tire inflation. I ran 5 under for a long while to get a bit of extra grip in technical cornering (and reduce understeer a bit), and it actually ended up more hurting than helping matters. With properly inflated tires, the car wanted to turn a lot more easily.

2) Assuming that you mean a strut tower bar and a front swaybar? Stiffen the front to reduce oversteer, stiffen the rear to reduce understeer. This could be a problem.

3) Do you have an alignment sheet from the shop that set your wheels? They may not have gone with factory numbers, but rather an arbitrary value that they set all cars to that come in for alignment. Not enough front camber (and our cars do come with a degree or two from the factory) and you'll start to plow pretty good.

4) I'd take a good close look at your back end. If you've modified the front but barely touched the back, and the back is having problems...

 

[Wildman95GS-T]

Thanks for the info, Please help me out here, i am not up un getting a car set up for better handling. I know the frontwheel drive GS-T has on of the other understeer or oversteer, not sure witch one. I added the strut brace bars to stiffen things up but did not think about one counteracting the other. I have a front upper strut brace bar and rear upper and lower strut brace bar. I did not replace the sway bars, they are stock. I had to replace the front sway bar links and all four control arm due to worn out bushings or stripped out studs. I am running 40psi front and 37psi rear in my tires, they call for 44psi max. I am going to jack the rear up today and look all the suspension parts over. The local tire shop did not give me a print out, last time i got it done at Big-10 they did and explained everything to me what they had found and adjustments that were made. That shop keeps changing mechanics and managers like people change underware. just a bunck of good old boys working there now, so i took it to a family run shop. Please let me know if i need to remove one of my strut braces to improve my handeling.

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

Whats struts did you get, and your on the stock springs ?

 

[Wildman95GS-T]

KYB GR-2 on stock springs

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

well since your on a basically stock suspension with just strut bars I dont think you should be anticipating you car is going to feel like its on rails. Its still at stock height, the Gr-2's are something like only 5% stiffer than stock and some people wonder why strut towerd bars that arent triangular are used.

If you looking for alittle better feel, match up some nice shocks and springs or even an upgraded shock only and go from there.

 

[Wildman95GS-T]

I removed all wheels, all my work was tight except drivers side L shaped control arm bushing to hub, could tighten two turns. This was tight as i could get it when i replaced them and this is what i found:
(1) Rear strut bar bushings are worn they no longer support the bar tightly, i could slide the bar back and forth about half inch.
(2) Both L shaped control arm had torn boots going into the steering hub.
(3) Drivers side sway bar link was twisted causing the boot to tare.
The L shaped control arms and swaybar links were bought on e-bay due to cost, straight control arms were oem. I have pictures but have to many attachments on other posts and not enough memory, how can i deleate them or get more space ?

 

[Cs4g63]

Getting diferent springs is what is going to affect the way it feels the most. If you are riding on soft worn out springs than no matter what else you do its not going to be as good as you want it to be.

 

[Talesin]

FWDs (and most AWDs) suffer from understeer. It's when you turn the wheels, but they break free and you keep going straight... in severe cases causing a 'lawn dart' effect into parked cars on the outside of the turn you're trying to make.
Oversteer is the opposite... the car turns too far, usually resulting in a spinout, or crash into oncoming.

The rear lower brace bar is a GOOD thing. It adds structural rigidity. The front strut tower bar.. well, usually I'll tell people to unbolt one end and take a few hard turns. If it was installed properly, the difference is huge. A FWD will corner much more effectively, unless the suspension has been set up for the added body rigidity... at which point the driver usually will tell me not to touch it, and be able to explain why it's there, and have a good reason.

And yeah, with that setup it's not going to feel like it's on rails. You'll need a LOT more suspension work.. stiffer springs and stronger shocks to control them, a rear sway bar (only, no front), possibly a number of replaced body bushings from the sound of it. Tossing on some new struts and stiffening the car a little isn't going to do much for you. The extra rigidity from a properly installed roll cage (with sprues to each of the strut towers) would make a difference. Three extra bars, placed in generally-accepted spots isn't going to do too much for you, and as noted, could actually hurt performance.

 

[Wildman95GS-T]

Should i than remove one or all to improve the handeling. I did not want to go with adjustables, iheard they were very stiff, car rode rough enough with stock shocks and did notwant to get into the differant springs, all i could find were lowering type then you got into the camber correction kits and finding someone to do a propper alignment or you wore out your tires all the time.

 

[Wildman95GS-T]

Here are a few pic, the damaged link is from the drivers side it was twisted, pasanger side link looks like when i installed it a few months ago. Both control arm boots look the same, what did i do wrong ? or what went wrong ?

 

[Wildman95GS-T]

Does anyone know where i can get replacement control arms cheeper than Rockville Mitsu $165.00 each ?

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

Ebay you can get all the arms and links for like 250

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-Lo...3QQihZ014QQcategoryZ33580QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

THis is good too http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/6-Co...8QQihZ004QQcategoryZ33583QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Wildman95GS-T]

The second link is where i got the control arms and sway bar links from that are on car now with the torn boot's, they are only a few months old