Steering question

[Eman]

Just about every S or SS 3rd gen has one, the others will have one if they wheelstand. As stated there is a problem on those cars cracking the frame behind the steering box and the frame rails flexing. There is actually a factory piece and it's sold aftermarket also that ties the L and R rails with a bar between the sway bar mounts to stop flex.

[Ed Wright]

Wonder what makes the 3rd gen cars shimmy at landing without one? My 4th gen never has. This is the first I've heard of this. Interesting.

[PozQB14]

Up until this past weekend I never really made enough power to even bring the front wheels off the ground. So it definitely surprised me when the steering wheel went nuts for a quick second. Probably going to go with the Quay damper and see how that works. I think it has to be welded on.

[MR DERBY CITY]

Originally Posted by PozQB14

Up until this past weekend I never really made enough power to even bring the front wheels off the ground. So it definitely surprised me when the steering wheel went nuts for a quick second. Probably going to go with the Quay damper and see how that works. I think it has to be welded on.

2 small brackets need to be welded......

[Signman]

Check your steering completely!
Had violent steering wheel shake out of the blue one weekend at Atco a few years ago.
After it left and picked the wheels up steering wheel started shaking and got worse until I stopped the car on the track. Went back to the pits checked what I could tried again same thing.
Tie rod ends and steering box were tight did the standard check on the ball joints for vertical movement but on further inspection there was ball joint movement front to rear.
Replaced the ball joints and added the damper from Pete Z for safety in the future. Pete mentioned tightening the large nut on the bottom of the idler arm if OEM will act like a damper.

[PozQB14]

Originally Posted by Signman

Check your steering completely!
Had violent steering wheel shake out of the blue one weekend at Atco a few years ago.
After it left and picked the wheels up steering wheel started shaking and got worse until I stopped the car on the track. Went back to the pits checked what I could tried again same thing.
Tie rod ends and steering box were tight did the standard check on the ball joints for vertical movement but on further inspection there was ball joint movement front to rear.
Replaced the ball joints and added the damper from Pete Z for safety in the future. Pete mentioned tightening the large nut on the bottom of the idler arm if OEM will act like a damper.

Yikes, that can be scary. Once I landed the car ran smooth the rest of the run. I just want to eliminate that initial shimmy when it lands.

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

Wonder what makes the 3rd gen cars shimmy at landing without one? My 4th gen never has. This is the first I've heard of this. Interesting.

Ed, I would say then, that the camber and toe in changes are more radical on the 3rd Gen. cars.
After all , they weren't designed to recover smoothly from a wheelstand.

Anyone ever try to fix that, or are you stuck with a band aid solution?

[Signman]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Ed, I would say then, that the camber and toe in changes are more radical on the 3rd Gen. cars.
After all , they weren't designed to recover smoothly for a wheelstand.

Anyone ever try to fix that, or are you stuck with a band aid solution?

Mine never shook before and has not since replacing ball joints, put the damper on for safety.

[Eman]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Ed, I would say then, that the camber and toe in changes are more radical on the 3rd Gen. cars.
After all , they weren't designed to recover smoothly for a wheelstand.

Anyone ever try to fix that, or are you stuck with a band aid solution?

I'd say the only true fixes would be to stop wheelstanding or replace the complete frt. chassis/suspension which wouldn't be feasible for a stocker. 4ht gens have a different geometry.
You have to experience it to really understand how violent it can be. I'm 240lbs and couldn't hold the wheel to get the car back under control when it happened. Spectators thought I broke something badly on the car. My car isn't a stocker and doesn't wheelstand very high.

[Rory McNeil]

[QUOTE=Eman;522057]I'd say the only true fixes would be to stop wheelstanding or replace the complete frt. chassis/suspension which wouldn't be feasible for a stocker. /QUOTE]

You never know, with enough complaints and lobbying, maybe NHRA will allow Stockers to replace the stock front suspension with a Chrome Moly, round tube clip, with lightweight Lamb struts and brakes. All in the interest of "Safety", of course!!