Help FD front end feels loose
 

Ok, a while back, I spun out my FD and jumped a curb sideways, breaking my 2 left wheels. I couldn't find any other damage other than one of my front sway bar links being slightly bent. So I replaced the wheels and off I went, but the front end seemed loose. I dont really know how to describe it other that it used to feel real solid and tight, and now it feels kind of wishy washy. In high speed corners with bumps or dips it feels like the rear wants kick out all the time and it gets kind of freaky. I have checked everything I can think of. I looked for structural cracks, I've had 3 alignments since then, I told them all what happened and asked them to look for damage, had the car on the rack 20 times looking for something loose or broken but I can't find anything. Also during braking the car feels unstable and gets caught in ruts in the roads. Any sugestions for what to look for? At the same time that I replaced the wheels I also got new tires. Yok A520's. No way it could just be the damn tires could it? I am no suspension guru and I have run out of ideas so please take a guess.

Re: Help FD front end feels loose
 

Replace this links with new ones. Get another alignment. See what happens.

I hope you had a 4 wheel alignment done. It sound like your problem is coming from the back. BTW do you know what you align specs are? Jeff

Yes, I had the 4 wheel alignment. 2 of the 3, including the 3rd one were done by very reputable shops. The specs are at work but I can get them on Monday.
I will try the sway bar link and see if that helps.
I had the car out again today... (it has been like this for over a year now), anyway it feels a little bit like the front floats or its not connected very well to the rest of the car, if that makes sense. It kind of sucks, if I want to race I have to get them in the straights and just over power them, which usually I can do, but any type of turn and I have to slow down or I start getting squirley, which is where I should really be able to take people. Its just something I haven't been able to fix so i have been living with, but now I have most of my other issues dealt with so I really want to get to the bottom of this.
Thanks, I will try the link and any more ideas feel free to let fly.

A bent sway bar link will pre-load the sway bar and feel weird. I went off track in a session (90+ MPH mid-turn oil slick into dirt spin -- fun!) and the car felt like crap afterward so I went home. In switching the wheels back, I noticed that I had bent one of my stock sway bar mounts, which has essentially the same effect that bending a link would have. It was very noticable.

Bad tie rod ends (steering) will make the car feel floaty, as would a loose bushing (cam bolts on front lower arm), or a loose ball joint. It could still be alignment, too, if you had a different alignment before and it is set to different specs now.

-Max

If that turns out to be the problem I am going to kick myself in the ass! All this time I have been driving around with my car all screwed up and it is just some stupid little thing like that. That would be sweet if that all it is...
Gonna get my rims from Rishie, gonna fix my handling problem... cool. Now if I can just get my girlfriend to do what I tell her... anybody got a simple fix for that? :)
thanks again,
Cliff

Damn Cliff, if it had been the passenger side swaybar end link, I could sell you this brand new one that I never installed (got a new swaybar & end links instead).

Are you sure the shocks are OK? Worn out shocks won't damp the springs properly and you'll end up with "float" at the affected corner. Doubt that it would be related to your wreck, but as long as you're poking around in there, you may as well check the shocks.

An engagement ring usually works pretty well-- right up until you get married....

hmm...mine took an engagement ring AND I had to help plan the wedding.... :rolleyes:

Jumping the curb may have also damaged some of the valves in your shock absorbers causing a loss of wheel control. Similar thing happened to me while SCCA road racing (not in my FD). In my case the valves on both front shocks were jammed completely shut. Can you say no more suspension movement...like driving a giant go-cart.

Might try manually bouncing one corner of the vehicle at a time so that you can get a rough test of shock absorber action. Watch for both compression and rebound control. If possible compare with another un-damaged FD using same shocks/settings.

Re: Help FD front end feels loose
 

a broken sway bar mount could make the car oversteer

regards
fabian

Well just an update, I went for the Mazdatrix adjustable links. Installed them last night and what do you know, much much better. The one link was not even bent that bad but I guess it was enough.
While I was under the car I checked the ball joints and bushings. Ball joints were fine but the bushings had some give to them. Nothing crazy or broken and for a 100,000 mile car some play is to be expected. Maybe next time I run across some Jim Lab bushings for sale I will pick them up... any other options for FD bushings?

I'd definitely check your dampers as well. I'm sure you've damaged them in some respect if you cracked your wheels.

rishie

Remove the shocks, remove the uppermount and spring. Then compress the damper. See if it will rebound consistently on the left and right side. If it takes for ever for the shaft to come out of the body, then there's definitely a problem. Kinda tedious but you've probably got something going on there as well.

Rishie, Rishie, Rishie... this is Cliff man, you know you are sending me some new JIC's next week anyway...:)

Good to see it was something simple and thanks posting what you found. I have heard that they are alittle weak but didn't think it would have that much effect.:o:

Oh ya. The check cleared today so I'll be sending them tommorrow.

Peace, Rishie