Pretty sweet task this weekend. I installed toe eliminator bushings, trailing arm bushings, and a camber kit from Racingbeat. It was a big fight but heres the results!

The car steers totally different. I thought I was steering my buddy's mustang!! Before it was all loose and sometimes uncontrolable (wipe-outs) and now it seems so tight. Almost as if the car had a solid axle (exaduration). I actually dont know if I like the feel. Doesnt feel like "my car" anymore. Amazing how 4 bushings and a camber adjuster feels. I set a slightly less negative camber. Gotta play more with that one.

I also adjusted the rear toe slightly. Seemed to me the rear wheels were toe'd in too much. I adjusted each side by 2 notcches (I guess it will match my camber). I should go get an alignment!!

I'll let everyone know how these goodies do at the next autox!! I bought these cause I kept plowing like a fwd car because the rear was too sticky (negative camber) and loosing control exiting a turn due to the rear steer.

 

im interested in how it does on the track. ive heard both good and bad about the rear-stear eliminator kit. some folks i talked to said it made the car extremely twitchy at the limits. others have said it makes the car handle 10x better. ive been tossing up the kit myself. so i wanna hear how it works out for you.

 

I guess it all depends on how you like your car.. responsive or slow. loose or tight..

 

FCD, I've never heard that the Toe Elim bushing makes the car twitchy.. More the lack of.

On my RX-7, the rear end is dead on stable, no worries about the back end stepping out, I can feel it going and correct before it does, no problems.

PaulC

 

a few people i talked to said that when the rear-steer is eliminated the car becomes twitchy and a bit unstable at the cars absolute limits. i have no idea if this is true, ive never driven an FC with the eliminator kit.

 

That would make sense. Trailing arm suspensions naturally goe to toe-out on the outside wheel under cornering, which can feel twitchy. The high-load part of the DTTS (the part that the eliminator bushings control) is designed to toe-in the outside wheel under heavy cornering to combat this.

I personally LIKE the way trailing-arm suspensions handle (very throttle steerable) and the fact that you're not being distracted by the monkey-motion of the high load side of the DTTS is a big hefty bonus.

 

Spelling not withstanding, are you saying you _like_ the feeling of the mustang solid axle rear end?

If it was 'all loose and uncontrollable', may I suggest you try autocross, so you can learn your car's limits in a controlled environment? That way the wipe-outs you speak of take place where there are safety precautions taken and the public is not put at risk.

edit: sorry for jumping to conclusions about where you are wiping out, I'm assuming you don't currently autocross on account of you not mentioning classing concerns or what measurable gains you hope to get out of the change.

 

Im in ASP

 

I love those bushings. I have the F/R control arm bushings waiting for a rainy day also, which should turn out well. Getting rid of joints controlled by rubber, is ALWAYS a good thing when looking for performance.

 

I drove my buddies fc with the toe eliminators, if the car isn't set up correctly the rear end does feel very unstable, the car responds much faster but at speed (80+) it's scary, a hair movement in the wheel makes the car feel like a snake.

 

i like the quick action feeling at higher rpms

 

Yes yes, but if you ever in first gear and at WOT try not to move the steering wheel the slightest I can always feel the rear go out before it does and I have time to correct, I just got back from autoXing on sunday, and ****, I did better when I had the rear toe, but I was doing some nice difts, only nocked 2 cones with the front, and like 8 with the rear (hehe), I really suck and autoX, but its fun so I don't care, all three runs I had I got a DNF, hehe

 

Is all this down to the set up of the Suspension? i would have thought it would be more predictable with the anti toe bushings.

What do the race boys use? do they keep the stock bushings or anti toe?

 

At autocross today I maintained full control of my vehicle. Only lost the rear end slightly but maintained momentum and corrected the drift.

 

SAABGUY if you eye balled an alignment an added toe-out that may explain any twitchyness you'd feel at speed. You need to get the thing aligned!

Chris

 

Actually, I'd say that the different "feels" people were getting was due to the amount of NOT alignment....
...I think proper alignment would make a significant difference....

 

Monkey motion, I like that.

I have the RB delrin bushings and am quite pleased with the improvement...much more predictable at limit. Anybody that says they're twitchy hasn't gotten everything tuned to work together (i.e. - sway bar diameters, shock/spring rates, tire pressure).

It's not the bushings...

P.S. It's DTSS - for "Dynamic Tracking Suspension System" http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...-1&q=rx-7+dtss

 

There are hash marks on the toe adjustment. I just pulled both wheels out 2 hash marks. I believe thats only 2 degrees. Eyeballed nothing. I can let go of the wheel on the highway and the car will drive straight for about 1/2 mile before I have to correct it.


Come to think of it, I did feel a lot of vibration on the lot yesterday while autoxing. I cant really say the bushings are the cause, cause it is a pretty rough lot. If anything my shocks are worn out cause its a bit bouncy.

 

Just like you said "I beileve thats only 2 degrees". You don't know and 2* is a ton of toe. Usually measured in 1/10th of a degree. Toe out at the rear will cause some serious issues during the daily commute. Do yourself a favor and take it to a reputable shop and have a four wheel alignment done with the car at "race weight". That means you need to be in the car.

Chris