i m working on the front end om my 92 rs, thanks for the help on the springs i'll attack it this weekend.

what is the bumpsteer kit (mentioned in a lower post) when rebuilding the front end ?

also, my chiltons book shows a "c clamp" style seperator for
the tie rods, i can only find a two pronged "fork" at the local
parts store. any difference ?

thanks
john

 

A bumpsteer kit is used only with a car that has been lowered from stock height. What happens when you lower the car is the steering geometry changes.

If the stock angle of the tierond links fron the centerlink to the spindle is at lets say a -1* angle, as the car hits a bump and the suspension compresses, the tierod link angle moves up through neutral to +1* angle. This is the normal range of operation.

Now if you lower the front of the car, the tierod link angle will be aprox neutral to maybe even +2*(Lets use +1* for the example). now if +1* is the starting point, then when a bump is hit the angle can now go to +3*.

So insteed of -1*to+1* travel/ you now have +1*to+3* travel. the higher the tierod link arms travel from neutral angle the shorter the distance from the centerlink to the spindle becomes. This causes your toe setting to change (basically the distance between the front edge of the two front tires- you want them to track paralell on straight roads and corners) and causes the tires to fight eachother as to which dirrection they want to go.

A bumpsteer kit will lower the outer mount position of the tierod link putting it to more of a -1* to +1* travel setting and keeping the toe intact.

This is as basic as I can explain it--however it gets more complex than this. (ex. just from hitting a bump with one front wheel can cause unwanted left or right steer of that wheel if the angle is not correct)

Soory about the novel- Check out Baer's website for info on the kit. You can buy them cheaper at Scroggin-Dickeys.