rv93

im currently brainstorming ways to reduce my car's horrid understeer (i assume its not just mine, since its stock). but seriously, ive driven fwd cars that push less when thrown into a corner hard. i remember reading something about a stiffer rear sway bar helping control understeer. on that same idea, i recently saw something on here about poly sway bar bushings making it act a bit stiffer. and lastly, there was something about removing some rear spring perches to slightly lower the car in the back. anybody have any experience with this issue? or do i just have to start playing around with it?

NJ-LE

rv93:

Removing the rear spring rubber isolators and replacing them with heater hose slipped on the top spring coil lowers the rear ~ 1/2" which slightly shifts weight balance to the rear improving rear traction and reducing front end grip. You'll have more understeer.

(For me (95 Z28) the car was too neutral and I couldn't know in advance which end of the car would give up first. I wanted to have a very small amount of understeer at all times so I did the heater hose fix.)

rv93

that makes sense. but i woulda thought that a stiffer rear sway bar would also produce more understeer, so i wanted to make sure. its interesting that yours didnt have that problem. if anything, your car should have more understeer because of the heavier lt1 up front. im starting to think i should get my allignment checked before i change out parts

UMI Performance

Hey guys.

Adding rear roll resistance via larger sway bar or increased spring rate will reduce understeer, and/or help the rear end rotate, and/or help the car turn.

In addition, a smaller front bar or reducing front spring rate will reduce understeer.

ramey

NJ-LE

rv93:

I have the LT1 up front but it's a 1995 1LE car which means no air conditioning saving ~ 60-70 lbs off the front end.

Here are some specs I found some years ago at "http://www.ws6.com/faq/index.htm" there is some useful and interesting info there :

"4th Generation (1993 - Present)"

"The regular V8s have a 30mm front sway bar (same as V-6 model) and a 19mm rear sway bar. The springs are 292 pounds per inch up front and 114 pounds per inch in the rear. The 1LE and WS6 suspension package has a 32mm front sway bar and 19mm rear sway bar (note, 1993 and early 1994 1LEs got a 21 mm rear bar). The springs are 360 pounds per inch up front and 130-180 pounds per inch (progressive) in the rear (note, 1993 1LEs got the same springs as regular V8s)."

this paragraph is from "http://www.ws6.com/faq/4_5.htm"

rv93

that is interesting. looks like i could swap in a 93 1le rear sway bar or springs. might just go aftermarket tho.

Injuneer

Have you checked the bushings on the rear sway bar and the end links? If they rot or get soft, the effectiveness of the bar is reduced signficantly.

rv93

i remember looking at them a while ago, and they looked alright. i didnt take them out to inspect them thoroughly though. would it be worth getting poly bushings for the sway bar supports i even do anything else? i dont imagine theyd hurt

Injuneer

When I replaced the bushings and end links/bushings on the stock front and rear sway bars with poly, I felt it really firmed up the roll resistance. I never noticed a severe problem with understeer before or after.

NJ-LE

rv93:

"I'm starting to think i should get my allignment checked before i change out parts"

If you've ever clipped a curb or been surprised by a severe pothole or you're the second owner and don't know all that may have happened to your car; having the front end alignment checked is a good idea because I don't think any version of the 4th gen Camaros normally have severe understeer.

rv93

sounds like a good place to start. would you guys recommend getting this done at a dealer, or are other shops ok at it?

NJ-LE

rv93:
A dealer should have the special tools (4th gens don't use shims under the upper A arm chassis mount) and factory instructions but they probably have the highest price and their tech may only do a few alignments a year. I'd be tempted to ask at local speed shops for their recommendations or ask if there is a local Camaro club or SCCA regional club and talk to them. Good Luck ... your car should handle very well when done.

rv93

not that lucky around here. and i do all my own work in general, so ive never taken the car to any shops around. i have experience with 2 from a previous car, and one is terrible, and one did a good job installing a catback exhaust. id be tempted to use them, but im worried about the reaction of minimum wage workers to getting to drive a ls1, esp with the t56. thats the biggest reason id like to go to the dealer

rv93

i just had a bit of an epiphany. ive been trying to figure out how bad this issue really is, and i noticed that while at low speeds, the car will understeer like theres no tomorrow, at higher speeds (35+), it seems remarkably planted. could it be that the change in suspension geometry caused by extreme wheel angles is whats actually causing the understeer?

Wild Willy

My car "pushes" at low speed, running pylons, when I try to get the back end to step out and gas it. I did put on the bigger WS6 front bar, which made it corner flatter, but now I think I need to get a bigger bar in the back. You would think that, on a slightly nose-heavy car that the fronts would bite more, and the back end break traction, but when I goose the gas, I seem to get pretty good weight transfer onto the back. The front unloads, then pushes wide, rather than the back end breaking loose, like I intend.