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> Suspension Weirdness ..., spungy - sloppy - wobbly
SirAndy
post Feb 6 2004, 03:13 AM
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ok, sooooo, on my way back from Jeffs tonight,
there is this off-ramp (45mph limit) with all new asphalt and nice and all and i decided to push it a bit.

i was going through at a bit over 100mph and the car was sticking well and all, no under- or oversteer, no sliding,

BUT

the front suspension felt somehow wooble-y.
i sort of had to do this (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) (not that extreme mind you)
as the car was slightly rocking.
weirdly enough it didn't feel unsafe as the tires were sticking.

what is that? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

could it be the sidewalls flexing? i'm running 225/50x15 on 7" rims.
shocks toast? (did the push down test which they passed).

comments are apprechiated,
Andy
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ChrisFoley
post Feb 6 2004, 06:20 AM
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Make sure the nut (threaded collar) that holds the shock in the strut is tight. Check all the nuts & bolts holding the suspension to make sure something hasn't come loose.
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JWest
post Feb 6 2004, 07:36 AM
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Push down test only works on '72 Buicks. You can have completely toasted shocks and pass the push down test on Porsches (my experience anyway).
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Jeroen
post Feb 6 2004, 08:33 AM
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Hey Andy,

Can you try to describe it a little better?

Bumpsteer maybe?

How are your susp.bushings?

cheers,

Jeroen
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rhodyguy
post Feb 6 2004, 08:44 AM
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perhaps you simply reached the limits of your setup. maybe 90 mph is a prudent rate of speed in that section.

kevin
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r_towle
post Feb 6 2004, 08:45 AM
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Hey J...
Could be the adjuster on the rear of the torsion bar is a little loose fitting (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
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Don Wohlfarth
post Feb 6 2004, 09:36 AM
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Andy, don't see how it could be your tires. 225's on 7" rim should give you a pretty straight sidewall and you'r got 50 series tires.
Make sure all the suspension bolts are tight. Check for worn rubber bushings.
Could be that Kevin's right, taking a 45mph ramp at 100+ could make a GT3 feel a little strange.
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Jeroen
post Feb 6 2004, 09:53 AM
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QUOTE(r_towle @ Feb 6 2004, 03:45 PM)
Hey J...
Could be the adjuster on the rear of the torsion bar is a little loose fitting (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)  ;)

Nah... if that was the case, he'd hear a clunking noise (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

cheers,

Jeroen
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Joe Bob
post Feb 6 2004, 10:04 AM
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What is your ride height? 914s don't like to be too low.....
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F4i
post Feb 6 2004, 10:05 AM
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I have had this on a different car it turned out to be tie rod ends.
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Mueller
post Feb 6 2004, 11:33 AM
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just guessing here:

too fast, cold ground, cold tires (not evenly heated due to alignment/corner balance or lack of), oil on new asphalt.........take it easy, that car of yours is too damn nice to go getting up close and personal with the guard rails (IMG:style_emoticons/default/MDB2.gif)
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SirAndy
post Feb 6 2004, 02:46 PM
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QUOTE(Jeroen @ Feb 6 2004, 06:33 AM)
Can you try to describe it a little better?

the whole car is slightly rocking left/right like a baby-crib ...

like you're sitting in it and someone is rocking the car by pushing on one side of the roof.

hard to describe, i guess ... <_<
Andy
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SirAndy
post Feb 6 2004, 02:47 PM
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QUOTE(F4i @ Feb 6 2004, 08:05 AM)
I have had this on a different car it turned out to be tie rod ends.

hmmm, that could be it. still have the original 911 tie-rods (not turbo) and original rubber bushings.

they might be toast ...

but, would that result in the described behavior ???
Andy
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fiid
post Feb 6 2004, 02:55 PM
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I have felt the senastion you describe, but not in a 914....

Could it be that your front suspension just isn't super tight - so your shocks are a little soft, and you only have 19mm torsion bars right?? WHat do you have for a sway bar? What springs do you have in the rear?

For street tires, I think you might just be pushing the limits - I usually consider it safe to do double the posted limit for any given bend (bends only) - if you toook that thing at a real 100 - you were probably doing pretty well to make it....?

Did you tap the brakes to plant the nose before the turn?
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SirAndy
post Feb 6 2004, 03:05 PM
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QUOTE(fiid @ Feb 6 2004, 12:55 PM)
Did you tap the brakes to plant the nose before the turn?

it's not a very tight turn, more of a nice loooooong sweeper,

for those who know the area, i took hwy 13 towards berkeley and merged onto 24 towards oakland.

it's the offramp (to the left) off 13 onto 24. nice new asphalt, so no bumps on the road ....

no, i did not tap the brakes, came downhill at about 110 mph, lifted throttle for a brief second, then into the turn with steady gas @ about 100 mph, went through like on rails, just the rocking was a bit irretating (sp?) ....

i don't know the torsion bar size, stock 911 '86 carrera frontend.
stock 911 black (boge?) shocks, 22mm swaybar on fairly soft (about 1" in from the front), 180lbs progressive springs in the rear.

i wasn't accelerating through the corner, just holding it steady ...
the car was NOT sliding, tires stuck like glue ...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) Andy
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fiid
post Feb 6 2004, 07:50 PM
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Have you taken it at that speed in a different car?? Is it really smooth - or is it just smooth at 60?

Was it windy?

I'm clutching at straws now....
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Gint
post Feb 6 2004, 10:28 PM
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Like Fiid said, it could have been as simple as wind at that speed. Or some undulations in the pavement that you couldn't quite see.
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SirAndy
post Feb 6 2004, 11:57 PM
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QUOTE(Gint @ Feb 6 2004, 08:28 PM)
Like Fiid said, it could have been as simple as wind at that speed. Or some undulations in the pavement that you couldn't quite see.

no wind. i would have felt any uneven spots in the road in the steering.
nada, just the car rocking (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

i suspect either worn bushings or something loose in the suspension,
like the tie-rod ends or something.

guess it's time for a suspension weekend,
Andy
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Jeroen
post Feb 7 2004, 05:56 AM
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If you didn't feel it through the steeringwheel, bumpsteer is out
Tie-rods too... you'd felt it on the steering wheel

I think that leaves you either bad bushings and/or bad shocks...

cheers,

Jeroen
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Brad Roberts
post Feb 7 2004, 11:29 AM
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I think he left out the fact that the chassis is cracked at the front control arm mounts. I'm almost 100%+ that the car needs front shocks.

Oh.. James.. the bounce test works on stock 914's (just not as well as a Buick) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)


B
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