What causes the rear to sway out on cornering? I find it over 50 MPH and when I'm cornoring on the highway. When I take a long and somewhat tight corner, I'll hit a bump and the rear sways out and then comes back. Is that due to a stock panhard bar and bushings??

I've allways noticed this w/ both the F-bodys I've owned. How can I calm this down w/out making the cart looser than it already is. It's not bad, I'm just wondering what causes this.....

 

The rear wheels are momentarily unsettled by the bump and loose grip; as a result, the rear end will try to align itself witht he front end. The front is less likely to do this because the upset felt by one wheel is not transferred to the other like it is with the live axle on the rear.

 

It's not loosing traction, it's more of a suspension sway. If I were doing 80 and it lost traction, I'd be in some serious trouble. It's like the tires keep traction but the rear suspension is swaying due to inertia.

Has anyone else noticed this?

JANNY- I'm not dismissing your diagnosis or concept, I'm just saying that it feels more like a swaying than anything else. I believe it COULD break traction if I were going fast enough and had a sharp enough curve.

 

What you describe sounds just like the rear giving up a bit of grip when getting unsettled. In my experience in auto X and lapping on road courses, as long as you don't back off the throttle the rear end will come back. Back off the throttle abruptly and it wil go around rather quickly.

Other than that, the panhard bar keeps the body centered over the axle. Lose or worn bushings might allow some sway. I suppose it could be lousy shocks, or soft springs. It has been so long since my suspension was stock, that I don't know what that feels like anymore, but like I said my rear will sway out some on turns just because of the nature of the beast.

 

Solid axles depend greatly on good shocks or dampers to keep the tail planted. Sadly, GM chose to not put good dampers on the F-body (or most of the trucks for that matter).

Any bump you hit with one tire transmits through the whole axle to the other tire. If the bump is sharp enough and/or the shocks junk enough (pretty much the case with new stock ones even) the result you get is a skip from the rear of the car as it gets tossed.

Better shocks not only suck up the road imperfections better, but also make the car more stable after hitting a bump in the road (again the stock shocks are very bad at this, which is the floating motion you likely feel).

 

There you go. You've got advise from one of the best in the business. Follow it! I get almost all my advice and parts from him. 8-)

 

Cool, thanx y'all! I will replace the PHR+bushings when I get around to it. Eventually I will do the shox too. Like I've said before, the rear stays planted but the body sways out....