FlatBlack Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Are you guys running the stock valence? My car felt 'floaty' on the interstate at anywhere 80+ with the stock valence and bumper on. Kind of scary, really. I put the MSA type 1 [with brake cooling ducts] on and the car felt much more planted at speed. I didnt do ball joints or other suspension work for a while after that so i know that wasnt my problem. Sounds dumb but i'd thought Id throw it out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z!!! Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 Are you guys running the stock valence? My car felt 'floaty' on the interstate at anywhere 80+ with the stock valence and bumper on. Kind of scary, really. I put the MSA type 1 [with brake cooling ducts] on and the car felt much more planted at speed. I didnt do ball joints or other suspension work for a while after that so i know that wasnt my problem. Sounds dumb but i'd thought Id throw it out there im running the stock valance and stock bumper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsun723 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Are you guys running the stock valence? My car felt 'floaty' on the interstate at anywhere 80+ with the stock valence and bumper on. Kind of scary, really. I put the MSA type 1 [with brake cooling ducts] on and the car felt much more planted at speed. I didnt do ball joints or other suspension work for a while after that so i know that wasnt my problem. Sounds dumb but i'd thought Id throw it out there yea, same here. stock, stock, stock...lameeeee. I really don't think I'll be even considering bumper mods until I'm out of college and can put the Z off as a project and not a dd. Interesting about the valence though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slow_Old_Car Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 just keep in mind the faster you go on a stock nose Z, the more it's like driving an upside down shovel. scoop that air all up! be safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 You might want to check the steering shaft u-joint. It's at the bottom of the shaft just before it enters the rack. A bad u-joint will cause the problem you describe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZR8ED Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 You mentioned you had 14" rims, so I will assume that your tires are less than 225's (section width) This doesn't apply directly to you, but it is another thing to consider when troubleshooting wandering steering. Wide wheels. Our cars are pretty narrow, and driving on the highway with truck grooves (lanes are slightly rutted from heavy trucks) our cars will "hunt" back and forth, as we drive with one wheel in a groove, or up on the "hump". This is even more pronounced with wider wheels. I have a full body kit, belly pan, lowered with upgraded suspension, and wide wheels, and mine will wander in the lanes. When the road is grooved, my car wants to wander and follow the grooving (when they prepare the road surface to be repaved) On the track, zero issues. I just have to live with it. Scott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z!!! Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 You might want to check the steering shaft u-joint. It's at the bottom of the shaft just before it enters the rack. A bad u-joint will cause the problem you describe. i was gonna check that as well...cause i was reading the factory manual yesterday and that was one of the diagnosis but where would i get a new u-joint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 im gonna get the rest of my suspension parts together and do it all at once...im gonna need spindle pins(so i can put in the rear poly bushings), tie rods inner and outer and lower balljoints and probably go ahead and do the wheel bearings while im at it then get an alinment...i planned on doing this in incriments but looks like ill be doing everything all at once which is gonna make it easier... You sound like you know what you're up against but just to be sure... you have read about the spindle pin and what a PITA it is to remove? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z!!! Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 You sound like you know what you're up against but just to be sure... you have read about the spindle pin and what a PITA it is to remove? i know ive taken them out before...it was easier to just cut them then install new ones...i dont want to go down the long road of trying to take them out without breaking them again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 i know ive taken them out before...it was easier to just cut them then install new ones...i dont want to go down the long road of trying to take them out without breaking them again Fair enough. The pullers work pretty good for saving the pins. There is a guy on http://www.classiczcars.com who sells them, I think he might be here too but I'm pretty sure his handle over there is v8z. I had to cut one and never was able to get the old pin out of the strut housing. I did 3 others with a puller and had no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowCarbZ Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Lower strut support rod bushings? I had a bit of a wander which turned into a vibration of the wheel above 55mph. Turned out to be the rod bushing on the pass side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsun723 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Thanks for all the information guys. I'm only running 205's atm as well with the 14's. I'm really surprised that Z's with suspension, body kits, and wider tires and wheels still wander I'm just glad that I live in southern California where the roads aren't all that bad unlike other parts of the country where snow and other weather just tears them up. I'm definitely going to check that u-joint as well now. So many parts, so little cash flow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8INtheZ Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Get an alignment. And doesnt cast affect your straight line tracking and if the car wonders or not?? 0 caster is like a hospital gurney/shopping cart wheels. When they get going they wobble around like crazy. Having either negative or positive caster fights this problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z!!! Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 well my steering u-joints are perfect...and from what i can tell my wheel bearings are ok....but my stearing rack looks like hell...its got fluid all over it and the boots are ate up and the tie rod ends dont look good either....and the lower ball joints are really really stiff and look ate up also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsun723 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 well my steering u-joints are perfect...and from what i can tell my wheel bearings are ok....but my stearing rack looks like hell...its got fluid all over it and the boots are ate up and the tie rod ends dont look good either....and the lower ball joints are really really stiff and look ate up also lol, my balljoints look like hell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 well my steering u-joints are perfect...and from what i can tell my wheel bearings are ok....but my stearing rack looks like hell...its got fluid all over it and the boots are ate up and the tie rod ends dont look good either....and the lower ball joints are really really stiff and look ate up also Get the outer tie rod ends and the ball joints first. When you're changing the outer tie rod ends you can check the inners without the suspension connected and you'll have a much better feel for how tight the joints are. In my experience the inners don't go bad nearly as often as the outers. Of course you should replace the rack boots too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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