relocation brackets in, now car feels more loose???

Ben Ramsden · 04-25-2003, 03:12 PM

Okay guys, I installed my pro kit, shocks, adjustable panhard rod, front 35 mm swaybar, and all my poly bushings last week. Car handled awesome, unbelievable, could make lane changes at 70mph in a snap, take corners atleast 15mph faster than I used to be able to, just great. Today I installed my new rear LCA's and relocation brackets, now the car feels totally different. Now when I make lane changes to compare, the car feels REAL loose in the rear, and I believe as a result of that, it feels all loose in the front too. Is it possible for the relocation brackets and the new angle that the LCA's sit at to make the rear feel this way? I put the LCA's on the lowest hole, would moving them up to the hole above that make my problem any better?
HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM???????
I absolutely DO NOT like the way my car handles now, I'm thinking I should just take the relocation brackets out, what do you guys think?
Please give me any comments you can, thank you.
Ben

WheelmanZ28 · 04-25-2003, 03:15 PM

RLBs are designed to change the angle of the LCAs to give u more bite on a launch and reduce wheel hop. The only time they are truly effective is off a launch. To be honest, I'm not really sure how they would effect handling.

OutKast · 04-25-2003, 03:39 PM

They're going to lift the rear of the car a little under acceleration which may be why you feel loose. If you're on the bottom hole go ahead and move them up top. You launch may not be as sticky but the handling should return.

I hope you took measurements and put them on to spec. If not it's possible that the rear could be out of alignment which would really hurt the handling. Just be sure that you have equal measurements from the front of the wheelwell to the axle tubes.

If you didn't before...you should have them welded in.

Ben Ramsden · 04-26-2003, 01:09 PM

Outkast, I don't understand how the rear could be out of alignment, and am not sure what your talking about regarding measurements. The brackets I used are the bolt on ones.

Ben Ramsden · 04-27-2003, 12:14 PM

TTT

shoebox · 04-27-2003, 12:23 PM

What is stopping you from trying them in the upper hole? You are not getting a lot of feedback, so I would give it a try.

Ben Ramsden · 04-27-2003, 03:53 PM

Well, I have been working all weekend, and haven't had a chance to get up underneath her yet. Plus I have been waiting to see if anyone else has experienced the same problems, since I haven't been getting much feedback I don't know, do I? People post threads and "TTT" on here numerous times, and nobody says anything, I do it once, and someone jumps all on my [edit]. If you don't have any helpful advise, don't reply. I'm tired of people posting replies, and only telling me what the parts were designed to do, I already know what they're designed to do, that is why I bought and installed them.
I don't mean to undermind you Shoebox, I know you hold a certain level of respect around here. I'm just frustrated that everything isn't working out, certainly you and everyone else can relate to this. I was hoping to take her to the track last week, but there is no way I'm going to line her up if her ass is just going to shake the entire way down the lane.
I'm sorry I flipped, its just frustration.
Ben

funina91ss · 04-27-2003, 04:09 PM

what brand did you get? and are the bolts tight? Try the simple things first...Plus I dont see the control arms giving you side to side problems that sounds more like a pan hard bar problem are the bushings the right size?And is everything tight on it too.

And your right shoebox is the man around here.Its better to stay on his good side if you ever have an electrical problem.He's always helping everyone out.

shoebox · 04-27-2003, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ben Ramsden
Well, I have been working all weekend, and haven't had a chance to get up underneath her yet. Plus I have been waiting to see if anyone else has experienced the same problems, since I haven't been getting much feedback I don't know, do I? People post threads and "TTT" on here numerous times, and nobody says anything, I do it once, and someone jumps all on my Sh**. If you don't have any helpful advise, don't reply. I'm tired of people posting replies, and only telling me what the parts were designed to do, I already know what they're designed to do, that is why I bought and installed them.
I don't mean to undermind you Shoebox, I know you hold a certain level of respect around here. I'm just frustrated that everything isn't working out, certainly you and everyone else can relate to this. I was hoping to take her to the track last week, but there is no way I'm going to line her up if her ass is just going to shake the entire way down the lane.
I'm sorry I flipped, its just frustration.
Ben

Me? I didn't jump on anything.

I was just suggesting you try the other setting since no one seemed to have anything to offer. Hope you can find some time to get it adjusted to your satisfaction.

BTW, I don't ask for any more respect than the next guy.

It's not something you can demand from people, it's something they give you.

Ben Ramsden · 04-27-2003, 04:51 PM

I realize the respect you have is most deservingly earned, and like I said, I'm just frustrated, apologizing one more time

I will try the middle setting as soon as I get a chance, and hopefully it fixes everything.
I have the bolt on BMR relocation brackets. I was extremely care ful installing everything, including my BMR adjustable panhard rod. Everything was installed according to the instructions provided and tightened down to the precise torque specifications, using a Sears certified Craftsman torque wrench, hahaha

.
Bushings should be correct size, they came pressed into the parts.

walrus108 · 04-27-2003, 04:51 PM

Hey Ben, was holding off responding to this here but you seem to still need answers so I am. Call me though and I'll give you my 2 cents more in depth. Sounds like either alignment, you should always do all your work suspension wise before you get it aligned since they align the fronts off the rears, or hard or not tightened enough bushings. What exactly do you mean side to side on the track? Are you saying that simply changing the lca's has made your car unsafe to drive at high speeds or did they just change the characteristics of the way it handles? What type and brand of bushings did you use in the lcas? They could be causing bind which would make the rear act like it basically like there is no suspension. Describe your symptoms more indepth and I'm sure alot more people will chime in here also. But if you used all the right stuff and adjusted the parts correctly simply changing your lca's angle back to the correct geometry after lowering should not hurt your stability at speed at all. But then again if you lowered it and were having no trouble with wheel hop you could have done without them. (maybe) Those bolt need to be tightened to like 135lbs if memory serves on the lca's. Did you use a torque wrench. You remembered to load the suspension before torqueing them right? Other then that you shouldn't worry much since you probablly just have some "bugs" to work out somewhere. Hope i at least gave you some leads and maybe some hope! Talk later.

walrus108 · 04-27-2003, 04:58 PM

Hey Ben! We must have been typing at the same time.

Ben Ramsden · 04-27-2003, 05:06 PM

What up dude, don't let Trish see I'm on her computer, hehehehe

I'm gonna read your response now.

Ben Ramsden · 04-27-2003, 05:23 PM

Okay, I torqued everything down, using specifications provided, with a torque wrench. I remembered to load the suspension (was hard to get underneath car to tighten, but managed.
Before I installed the LCA's and relo brackets, I could take corners a lot faster and more precise (easier) being that I installed everything else. Plus, at high speeds (90-100) the car felt very solid, no wobble or vibration. I did not have any wheel hop, but wasn't getting as good of traction as I had been before lowering it.
Now that I have installed the LCA's and relo brackets, if I take the same corners and the same speeds, the back end of my car does not seem to follow the front as easily (feels like there is more body flex back there). Kinda like I turn the wheel and front goes, then rear follows, instead of whole car moving at once. Plus, when I took the car up to 90-100 mph (in a straight line) it felt as if the back end was "fishtailing" from left to right. I slammed on the brakes because I didn't know what the [edit] was happening, this is what I mean by rear end feeling loose.
I have the LCA's in the lower of the two holes right now, I get excellent grip in a straight line when I punch it, before the tires would just spin, now they bite. It is the other problems I don't like.
The LCA's are BMR tubular steal, with poly/poly bushings, properly greased, same for panhard rod. Alignment was done before installing the two parts, and was perfect. I thought about moving LCA's to middle hole, and then taking to alignment shop to check again. If this doesn't fix it, then I'll probably just take the relo brackets off.

cals400ex · 04-28-2003, 12:24 AM

my friend installed some lca's and his car also was loose in the rear. he did not even have the brackets. we thought it could possibly be the poly bushings in the lca's. over bumps they would rattle and clunk. it was annoying. he also torqued them down with a wrench. he ended up changing shocks because his were not new in the first place. the new shocks took care of his problem. it was weird because his rear would not make noise with the factory lca's even with the old shocks. with the aftermarket lca's the rear rattled and felt loose. possibly it was his old shocks or they just needed to be tightened down. also, many times his adjustable lca's would come loose. he ended up putting locktite on the nut that makes them adjustable. hope you find your problem