steering and suspension Steering Slow To Return To Center After Rebuild

[backtrail69]

I finally started to put some miles on my '02 after several of years of sitting and a refresher over the winter.

 

Things that I have done to the Front Suspension:

Bilstein Sports

New Strut Bearings (Washer stacking was installed correctly)

IE Fixed Camber Plates

IE Stage 2 Springs

Rebuilt steering box (Checked adjustment to ~8-10inlb at column w/o pitman arm attatched)

New Track Rod/Tie Rods

new Ball Joints

New Control Arms/Bushings

New radius arm bushings

New idler arm bushings (Torqued to idler arm to spec *Roughly 50-60 ftlb, don't remember off hand*)

IE Anti-Roll Bar

 

One thing I noticed was that the Idler arm seemed to be rather tight. and the bushings were rather tight when they were installed. Is this the source of my difficulty? I was thinking that it would initially be tight and start to wear in. I only have ~100 miles on the suspension rebuild.

 

Thanks

Isaac

Edited June 17, 2013 by backtrail69

[M3M3]

is it steering stiff when front end is jacked up?  if not, then recheck the washer stack on top of the struts.

 

what is front toe set at?

[c.d.iesel]

x2  ALIGNMENT  measurements :

 

Front Toe ___________________

 

Front Camber_______________

 

Front Caster_________________

[backtrail69]

I currently have only roughed in the alignment with some toe plates. I will get it aligned more properly and see if that helps (I assume that it will).

 

Thanks

Isaac

[M3M3]

you can get toe aligned perfectly with toe plates.....

 

caster and camber are a different issue.  but those are not adjustable on a 2002.  unless you assembled something wrong or the car was in a bad accident in its life, those should not be the problem.

[backtrail69]

you can get toe aligned perfectly with toe plates.....

 

caster and camber are a different issue.  but those are not adjustable on a 2002.  unless you assembled something wrong or the car was in a bad accident in its life, those should not be the problem.

 

I did an alignment to near zero toe with the first steering box It had (was worn out and wasn't happy with it)  and haven't rechecked the toe since then, but I didn't touch the tie rods so I *assumed* it was still ok, but it may be out. 

 

I am still a little worried about the idle arm bushing it is normal for that to be VERY stiff when new? With the old bushing the idle arm was fairly "loose". 

[FB73tii]

I had a stiff new idle arm bushing and I ended up reducing the torque a bit to free it up. I remember a post a few years back about different idle bushings for different years, but I don't think that was my issue.

 

While fixed camber plates are not technically "adjustable", they may have a bit of caster built into them. More caster increases self centering and high-speed stability, at a slight increase of steering effort. It is possible to install the plates incorrectly (switching left and right), but that would decrease caster and lighten the steering feel, as well as reducing negative camber when you wanted to increase it.

 

FWIW

--Fred '74tii & '69 DCOE

Edited June 18, 2013 by FB73tii