Hi Guys,

Last weekend we went to the IMM in Belgium.
Along the way I noticed that the coupe is not very steady on higher speeds (100km/h+)
Have to steer to much to keep it straight.
Also it pulls to the left a bit and the steeringwheel vibrates at certain speeds.

In the last few months I placed Hi-lo's, adjustable tie-bars and rubbers, adjustable lower arms in front and rear, new rear-wheel-locking kits and alligned it as well as I can.
Toe-in total 3mm (1,5mm each) front and rear, camber -1,5°, Castor 5°.

Big question is what causes the unsteadyness. (Is this English?)
I have tought about having the wheels balanced but don't know is that is the cause. (or one of)
I was thinking, maybe there is to much play somewhere.
The Tiebars I placed cant be tightened very hard beacause the thread will collide with the bar in front, see picture below.
How tight should these be? Can this be an issue?
Also, is there an easy way to check if the bearings in the upper arms are still alright?

Most logical maybe would be to balance the frontwheels and have it alligned by professionals.
But first I want to make sure that everything else in the suspension is allright.

Hi Harold,
When the nut is tightened the outer washer will press against the shoulder where the thread ends, so it cannot be tightened any more, if the thread is too long and is touching the bonnet plate in your GTM cut a little off the thread end. if the washer is not pressing against this shoulder the tie rod will be able to move a little altering the geometry as you drive
John

John,

Exactly my thoughts, I will cut off a few mm so it won't touch the bonnetplate
Probably can't do that when they are fixed to the car, so I will get both off, shorten them a little, remount them and tighten them as far as they go.
After that I will check my allignment.

Yesterday I shortened the threaded part of the tiebars by aprox 5mm.
Put them back and tightened the nuts untill the washer hit the shoulder.
I changed the allignment a little, and went around trying it.
On higher speeds it seems more stable now, alltough it still doesn't like tramlining...
On certain speeds the steeringwheel Shakes.
Hopefully balancing the front wheels will cure that.

Is there an easy way to check if the bearings in the upper arms are still allright?

Harold

Hi Harold,
With the wheels on the ground hold the top of the tyre and shake it from side to side if there is any free play you should hear/feel a clack clack, lets hope it is silent
Just come in as the sun is getting too hot and time to watch Moto GP and have a tea break, been fitting braided oil and fuel pipes all with nice Aeroquip anodized fittings and looking shiny.
John

I'll try that, but if there is any movement it can be wheelbearings aswell.
A clack clack sound, Is that the same in Dutch?
Teabrakes are really something british, I'd rather have a cup of coffee.
It's cloudy over here, rains a little now and then, hooray for Holland...

Wheel vibration is most likely wheel balance.

The shortening of the tie bars means you are now using the washer and tie bar correctly.

Top arm bearings are bit tricky. The suspension cone can put a load on the arm and hide things. If you can reduce the load for example by lowering your hilo so the spring is not acting on the arm, then you may be able to feel something with a lever bar.

The only real way is to take off the arms for a look.

When I checked my rear top arms which are a pain to do with the Honda engine, they were in very good condition, which I replaced anyway as I was there. This was after many thousands of miles 70K+, but I regularly grease my suspension. About every 3-4 thousand miles it gets some grease pumped in. proof that regular greasing helps.

Neil

I just tried pulling and pushing all four wheels with wheels on the ground.
On the left Side all seems well.
On the right frontside I hear and feel some clacking sound when pulling and pushing quite hard.
But when I pull with one hand and hold the other one on top arm and subframe I don't feel movement there.
The right rear wheel also has a bit of clacking, but less then in front.
Can I be sure that the top arm bearings had the best of their time or can it, for example, be the wheelbearing or steeringknuckle aswell?

@neil: did you change the entire arm or replaced the bearings?
If you did replace the bearings, is that easy to do?

Cheers
Harold

It could be the top arm bearing, wheel bearings or hub top or bottom ball joints, I think you need a strong helper to make it clack when you are underneath looking for the movement.
John

Top arm rebuild kit, comes with bearings, new shaft and thrust washers, fairly straight forward job, most difficult thing is getting the arms off. Bearings can be knocked out with hammer and drift and new ones fitted. From what you describe sounds like it might be worth checking wheelbearings and the steering knuckles too. GTMs are very sensitive to any wear in the suspension. Hence mine has no bushes only rod ends especially with the power I have available

Neil

@John: I will ask my girlfriend, see if she is up to that
Wheelbearings should be checkable with wheels of the ground right?

@Neil: Getting the arms off should not be a big problem as they allready have been loose when replacing other parts.

I tried to find where the clacking/movement comes from, but it's hard to localise.
My first guess would be the top balljoint.
Where the sound comes from is hard to hear but I see a little bit of movement there when I pull my wheel.
They can be adjusted by taking away one or a few of the thin shims right?
Or should I just buy a new balljoint?

They can be adjusted by removing shims, lossen the big nut holding the ball in its cup remove the ball tapered pin from the suspension arm, remove the nut and remove the thinnest shim and re-assemble, if you can tighten the nut and it can still move you're in luck and can put it back into the suspension arm, I have a load of big nuts, ball pins and shims and can swap bits around untill they assemble well,
If you had a new hub ball kit you will have spare shims and can swap bits round untill you have the correct assembly, It can be done without removing the hub from the car
John

Will have a try next weekend!
Thanks