Red06

Thanks for the update GT Bob. I'll have to wait and see what drama unfolds at the dealership when I take my car in this spring... Not having gone lock to lock as you did has me scratching my head as to why mine may have gone bad.


Hey RodeoFlyer, I work with Defense Contractors so I know all about SWAGs I have <10K miles so even with excessive steering input, it seems like an early failure to me. I'm hoping my friend gets his alignment rack set up in his shop this springso maybe we can work on the bumpsteer. He's had to much frame work to justify the time to set up the alignment rack. I guess being too busy to branch out is a good thing.

Thanks,

Joe C

Norm Peterson

Have you clipped any curbings or gone agricultural?


Norm

Red06

Hi Norm,

Track curbing and rumble strips yes,street curbing no. I've had one or two wheels off but so far I've left the fields to the farmers (knocking on wood).

Thinking this through, going over track curbing is more like going over a (large) bump with most of the weight off of the wheel. How much stress would this put into the steering rack? Running/sliding into street curbing is hitting a stationary object with most of the weight on the wheel. Definitely stressful on the rack if you hit at any angle.

There is only one track I run that uses lots of curbing and is pretty tight. Igo over the curbing coming out of the esses afairly often (inside wheels).The effect seems to be more like a large bump rather than an impact given track curbing has a fairly flat slope andthe speed is not all that high. The track line is late apex in most of the curves so when one does get a wheel off, it is on the outside of the corner rather than the inside (at least for me) and that could put some stress into the rack. The outside wheel has most of the weight and goes from lots of grip to very little grip when the wheel goes off. This would also transfer lots of stress to the inside wheel all this happening while the car is turning. This all goes the other way when the outside wheel comes back on the track. This shouldn’t over-stress the rack as there is no sharp impact (like sliding into a street curb) IMHO.

I’m glad you mentioned it as I think of how to explain the situation to the dealership, i.e. what details to “leave out”. Hopefully I’ll get lucky like GT Bob and get it covered under warranty… Probably should take it in before I put the brackets on for brake ducts eh?

RodeoFlyer

"I've had one or two wheels off but so far I've left the fields to the farmers (knocking on wood). "


you will. you can't truly run on the edge until you've found it. twice.

GT Bob

No Fields or curbing for me either. Closest thing I have come to offroad with the car is a cobblestone street, which I took at whatever speed idling along in 2nd gear would give me for the 3 blocks I was on it... and no, the drivers behind me did not like me that day

I now have the car back. Took 4 days, mostly waiting on parts. I am now starting to suspect that the rack has never been right since I took delivery of the car, because the steering has never been this precise and tight. Feedback is instant and direct and I swear its like driving a different car. I wish I had paid more attention to the exact placement of the steering wheel in certain turns, because I almost wanna say that the steering ratio seems different too... but unless they used a different type of rack thats not really possible... Anyone know if the Gt500 racks (or any other for that matter) are any different as far as steering ratio and if they are interchangeable? I have a very good relationship with the dealership and it's not impossible that maybe they ordered me a different rack, seeing how I had modified the car and trying to give me an "OEM helping hand".

I dunno.. the main thing I am trying to account for is the complete changin in how the steering feels. It's never felt this tight and direct before... Going to let my brother drive the car. He's driven it before and knows how it handled before. If he thinks it's different then I will certainly chalk it up to more than just me being happy to have Vera back and keep digging.

Red06

Hey GT Bob,

Interesting thought... I don't remember reading the GT500 having a different steering ratio but it is certainly possible and something I probably wouldn’t have paid too much attention to. I’ll have to look into whether or not the GT500 unit “heavier duty” than the GT one especially if they won’t replace mine under warranty. Assuming, of course, it is the problem with my car.