Cobra swerves when backing off the throttle!!

[FWB]

Originally Posted by commercialcobb

Is there a way to test if the locker has siezed?? Raise it off the ground and turn the wheels or no?? Where did you get the play 3" on the rear axle?? I'lll check my new adjustable trailing arms for lengths and make sure that the axle is square to the frame.. Let me know what you think..

to get replacement springs
you need to identify what brand shocks are on the car. call them start from there, they might not even be the correct shocks for the application, so just be aware as you are researching the springs. 1-relaxed length
2- extended length 3- total travel 4- mounting end type will be the issues to look for. it may be easier to just figure out the specs you need and get a new set of coil overs right off the bat. take them off, get the car to the ride height you want, and measure for shocks.

QA1 has units, at least you can see some on their site and get a taste for cost.
http://www.qa1.net/qa1_motorsports/index.html

[PatBuckley]

This suggestion is a long shot but may help someone else with a similar problem and is easy to check - make sure your rear tires are the same diameter......I had some South American Goodyears on a Kirkham that had about 1.5" of stagger from the factory....needlesss to say it turned anytime I got on or off the gas....


Change the springs!

[Clois Harlan]

Just looking it apears that you have Carrera or QA-1 shocks (maybe) and the bushings do look "tired". Pull the rear shocks and springs off and see what you have for spring weights (I am guessing you are running something like 150# springs). Or another possibilty is that you have shorter springs than your shocks were designed to use. The pn and weights should be etched on the top of your springs. Two bolts on each side (10 minute job).

That might help.

Clois

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by bigmike

Commercialcobb:
I ordered 2 long and 2 short adjustable arms from speed way motors, making my rear axle fully adjustable for tracking and pinion angle. It now handles like a dream, as solid as can be.

Big Mike, could you expand a bit on this issue, please?

Just bought a well made roadster with a parallel 4-bar rear suspension with panhard rod. Hooks up very well, great 60' time, but I have the same problem. I can be cruising at 55, give it almost or full throttle, and when I back off at about 80 it wants to swerve to the right. I'm sure the bushings in the bars are shot, I've already had to Jerry-rig one of them until I can find a source.

I did a google search for Speedway Motors and found their website but they only seem to stock rear suspension bushings for GM factory products. What I need is a source to whom I can provide the measurements (I.D., width) of the link ends and have them find a bushing that will fit my current links.

Would you have any sources where I might be able to find such creative types? Everyplace I've tried in the Houston, TX area says they only sell kits for an entire car, but I have no idea which cars might be fitted with bushings the same size as mine and they can't search by size.

I sure could use some help here.....

TIA!!!

Dugly

[Buzz]

One simple thing to check before you dig too deeply - check to see if you can detect a pull to one side or the other when the car is coasting. It might be very subtle but if you do detect a pull, jack up the rear and see if the rear wheel on the side it pulls towards is stiff or difficult to spin. Anything dragging on that wheel - brake caliper or even a bad bearing - will be overcome by torque under power but will slow the wheel enough when you let off to cause a change of direction. The faster you are going and the more suddenly you lift off, the more dramatic the effect will be. Letting up on the throttle at speed produces the same effect that would occur if you only had brakes on that one wheel and applied them at say, 60 or 70 mph. Could be a bit unsettling, to say the least.

[elmariachi]

Go here and download the pdf catalog and see if they have the suspension stuff you are needing:

http://www.ubmachine.com/downloads.html

[YerDugliness]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I've had the rear end up off the ground now, the brakes on both sides are clear....no drag, no heat checking on the discs (the brakes are decent Brembos).

I did manage to get a lead on some urethane bushings. A friend who is into cycling suggested I contact Energy Suspensions. When I found them on the internet I found out that they do in fact offer the type of products I need and actually list their products in a chart with very precise measurements. Here is a link:

http://www.energysuspension.com/

The only problem is that Energy Suspension does not market directly to the public, but the customer service representative turned me on to this source, which does market their products to the public:

http://www.suspension.com/

According to the customer service rep at Energy Suspensions, Bruce is the guy to talk to at suspension.com. Hope this helps someone else in the future who might be looking for this product, too.

El Mariachi--you have a PM.

Dugly

[Rick Parker]

The long and short of it........KEEP THE THROTTLE DOWN!

[Michael C Henry]

Notice how when we start going away from the middle of the mild to wild thing it starts requiring attention never needed before. On the normal stock open differential, tire stagger was never an issue. I know that tire stagger can make or braek handeling on all sorts of race cars including dirt race cars. NASCAR crews have tire specialist on every crew that every weekend take a stack of forty tires and make ten sets of tires using the demensions of those tires. NASCAR uses locked rear ends because the shifting weights forces would never let a limited slip or open differential get anywhere near the traction needed. Who ever worried about the tires not matching on the old family sedan? I remember being concerned that the tires were about the same air pressures.
I had to drive one old shop truck, an 80s chevey pickup truck with a service box, automatic trans behind a 6.2 diesel. They were four wheel drive but I'd be surprised if it had any limited slip. When you accelerated you had to help the steering one way then when you'd let off the throttle you would have to hold the steering wheel the other direction. That was obviously the rear end shifting on the leaf springs the centering bolt had broken where the housing saddle was located and clamped allowing one side of the rearend housing to shift its location forward and backwards of center causing a sift in the allignment. Ever notice when following in traffic all the pickups that are dog tracking down the road? I rember hearing about horror stories about air lockers breaking an axle while going a planned straight dirrection and making sudden unplaned hard turns. It just keeps getting more complicated doesn't it?