nopropslaw

so I posted this a few days ago and didn't get to many replies, so I am looking for a little help again. If I drop my car 2 inch, I read on this forum you need to correct the steering geometry or I will get terrible tire wear. Is cc plates the only way to do this, cause I heard bumpsteer kit and offset rack mount bushing will do the same...So whats the difference in the 3 besides pricing, cc plates being most expensive and bushings being least expensive....Thanks in advance for the help.

Emann0007

you will need the caster camber plates to properly align your car with a 2" drop. You will also need a bump steer kit. For detailed info call the guys at STEEDA. Toll free, and they can answer any possible suspension question you can imagine for FREE! You will also need new shocks and struts...

04BlueGT

Honestly, I can't tell you anything about C&Cs. I'm told they are best for those who do road racing, because they allow the broadest range of adjustments.

There is an explanation of bumpsteer on this site (somewhere) and on the Steeda site. They are basically just adjustable tie rod ends. This is from Steeda:

Definition of bumpsteer: Bump-steer is a change in toe* angle caused by the suspension moving up or down. Bump-steer is built into the geometry of the suspension and steering system, and has nothing to do with turning the steering wheel. The effect of bump-steer is for the wheel to toe-in or toe-out when the suspension moves up or down. This toe change or "steering" occurs any time the suspension moves, whether it is from body roll, brake-dive, or hitting a bump in the road. Bump steer is undesirable because the suspension is steering the car instead of the driver.

Cause of bumpsteer: The front wheels do not move directly straight up or down when the car hits a bump. Instead, the wheel follows an arc, or curving path, that pushes the wheel slightly inward (towards the centerline of the car) or outward (away from the car) in response to vertical wheel movement. The outer tie-rod (which connects the steering rack to the wheel) also moves in-and-out in an arc as it moves up and down. If the rate which the outer tie-rod arcs in or out does not match the rate the wheel moves in or out, the wheel will be turned by the tie-rod. This is bumpsteer.
The center point of the arc traveled by the wheel (known as the instant-center) is controlled by the location and angle of the moving suspension links. This point moves as the ride height changes. In contrast, the arc of the outer tie-rod is controlled by the position of the steering rack, which is fixed. In order to eliminate bumpsteer, both the length and the center point of the two arcs must be the same. However, since the instant center moves with ride height, bumpsteer cannot be eliminated throughout the entire range of suspension travel. Therefore suspension designers concentrate on minimizing bumpsteer within the range of movement closest to factory ride height. Changing the ride height or other suspension components may move the suspension outside this narrow "optimized" window.

To fix a bumpsteer problem, you need to alter the height of outer tie-rod relative to the steering rack. Small changes in this relationship can be made with offset rack bushings. Making big changes requires adjustable tie-rod ends, also known as a bumpsteer kit.

* Toe: Toe-in or Toe-out describes the alignment of the front wheels relative to each other, the same way you would describe your feet. For example, toe-in means they are closer together at the front than the rear


I have the aluminum off set bushings. They simply raise the rack and pinion up to a better angle. I had an alignment afterward and they were able to easily get the front back in alignment. However, my 2 inch drop is not 2 inches after all. My front only dropped about 1/2 an inch. Once I get new struts, I may have an issue, but I'm not too worried. My buddy has used off sets on his 2 inch drops without issue.

Luck to you.

04BlueGT

Yeah, Emann0007, I didn't get the struts and now I'm pissed at myself. I'll be doing that in the spring. Might as well do the CAs, too. Which CAs are you installing this week, E?

BTW, pretty girl, nice car. That picture looks like it was taken at a place I know in Merritt Island.

codyss

CC plates adjust only Caster & Camber thus being called CC plates. They will be needed espcially with a drop of 1.5 or more. There isn't enough adjustment in the stock mounts to make up for the drop.

As for offset bushings for the steering rack, all they doo is make sure that close to perfect steering geometry is kept. As you drop a car the angle of the tie rods is increased the bushings eliminate this.