 
     |
| still overheating and being weird (Page 14/16) |
|
82-T/A [At Work]
|
AUG 12, 12:42 PM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by Additivewalnut:
Honestly incredibly likely it's an alignment problem. I've never had my headlight doors open on me but I've heard of it being a problem (possibly weak door springs?) but MAN my car does NOT feel good at 120. Any steering input at all and it wants to just shoot across the road at mach 10. It feels floaty and a little squirrely... that's gotten better with the stiffer springs and shocks but it's still not confidence inspiring by any stretch! |
|
What year car do you have? For the most part... based on what you're describing, the things I'd consider are likely ball joints or a failed steering damper.
Worn ball joints can lead to a car feeling floaty since there's a lot of play in them which can literally lead to changes in camber and caster while you're driving... this can exacerbate any steering issues. Rubber bushings of course can also fail, but I've found that ball joints create more of an issue than anything.
I mention the steering damper too... because if you've never changed it out, these are basically shocks that dampen the effect of steering. Without one, a small rock or pothole can jerk the steering wheel out of your hand. The steering damper is primarily meant to resolve this... but it can ALSO dampen the effects of worn tie-rod ends (again... which are essentially ball joints).
When my Fiero was at its peak, it was rock-solid on the road... I mean, it went exactly where I wanted it, and floaty was the furthest concept from how I'd define that car's characteristics.
|
|
|
|
Additivewalnut
|
AUG 12, 03:24 PM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
What year car do you have? For the most part... based on what you're describing, the things I'd consider are likely ball joints or a failed steering damper.
Worn ball joints can lead to a car feeling floaty since there's a lot of play in them which can literally lead to changes in camber and caster while you're driving... this can exacerbate any steering issues. Rubber bushings of course can also fail, but I've found that ball joints create more of an issue than anything.
I mention the steering damper too... because if you've never changed it out, these are basically shocks that dampen the effect of steering. Without one, a small rock or pothole can jerk the steering wheel out of your hand. The steering damper is primarily meant to resolve this... but it can ALSO dampen the effects of worn tie-rod ends (again... which are essentially ball joints).
When my Fiero was at its peak, it was rock-solid on the road... I mean, it went exactly where I wanted it, and floaty was the furthest concept from how I'd define that car's characteristics. |
|
I have brand new shocks, springs, upper and lower balljoints, poly bushings on every control arm. Only things left are the STOCK steering damper and inner + outer tie rods. I don't feel any play in the rod ends, so I'm sure it's the damper being 38 years old. To rockauto I go!
|
|
|
|
1985 Fiero GT
|
AUG 13, 08:16 AM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by cartercarbaficionado:
? that's not normal at all. the 88 formula and even the 84 fully revved out (160 and 120 respectively) |
|
Mph or kph? The 2.8l Fieros had a top speed of 125mph, 200kph, top gear is geared to that speed, close to redline, so no way it's doing 160mph without a different engine and transmission. On the other hand if it's only hitting 160kph, your Fieros lacking some power there!
|
|
|
|
82-T/A [At Work]
|
AUG 13, 09:17 AM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by Additivewalnut:
I have brand new shocks, springs, upper and lower balljoints, poly bushings on every control arm. Only things left are the STOCK steering damper and inner + outer tie rods. I don't feel any play in the rod ends, so I'm sure it's the damper being 38 years old. To rockauto I go!
|
|
Oh yeah, your damper is totally shot. It's providing absolutely no support whatsoever. Honestly, when you replace it, your car is going to feel like nothing you've ever experienced... it legitimately feels like a brand new car because the feedback is totally different.
Respectfully though, if you have any real miles on the car (to the point that you felt the need to rebuild the suspension), then your tie-rod ends are definitely shot. They won't feel like they have play if they are pulled tight... but at speed and when steering, it reduces the slack on the wheels and can dramatically affect the behavior of the car. Your failed steering damper merely "exacerbates" the feeling from the worn tie-rod ends.
If you replace them one at a time, (and mark length of each), you likely won't have to get an alignment.
|
|
|
|
Yellow-88
|
AUG 13, 10:58 AM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by Additivewalnut:
I have brand new shocks, springs, upper and lower balljoints, poly bushings on every control arm. Only things left are the STOCK steering damper and inner + outer tie rods. I don't feel any play in the rod ends, so I'm sure it's the damper being 38 years old. To rockauto I go!
|
|
You need an alignment. Do it yourself or find someone who understands what modifications you've done .
Please, do your high speed testing someplace other than public roads.
|
|
|
|
Yellow-88
|
AUG 13, 11:06 AM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by cartercarbaficionado:
with all respect due to you.
all of those were just out of the shop. only time they have ever and will ever be in one.
the tire shop tried telling me the gtp needed brakes and I had put them on 4 hours before getting tires so I tell em I'll look. so I get in the car to leave and my pedal hits the floor. so I check and they loosened my rear bleed screws to try to sell me brakes which they got reported for since I don't touch the bleed screw when doing pads
or the toyota needing the timing chain recall done so they completely do it wrong causing it to break the new guides and clog the pickup within 20 miles
every shop for a 500 mile radius are crooks around here and cannot even do a simple fluid change without damaging the vehicle. they hit a wall with our perfect high mile cb7 and tried saying it looked like that.
and the focus? custom suspension shop installed h and r coilovers that weren't even installed remotely properly. how do you forget to install the shocks with more than one bolt or not tighten the locking collars.
they ended up going on a different focus thats been fine minus the random issue caused by the coilovers not having slow enough dampening to properly soak up bumps
|
|
Something interesting going on here.
Always bad new parts, and now "... every shop for a 500 mile radius are crooks ...".
Do you have a mirror that you can look in? I know it's wicked scary but .....
|
|
|
|
Additivewalnut
|
AUG 13, 05:11 PM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
Oh yeah, your damper is totally shot. It's providing absolutely no support whatsoever. Honestly, when you replace it, your car is going to feel like nothing you've ever experienced... it legitimately feels like a brand new car because the feedback is totally different.
Respectfully though, if you have any real miles on the car (to the point that you felt the need to rebuild the suspension), then your tie-rod ends are definitely shot. They won't feel like they have play if they are pulled tight... but at speed and when steering, it reduces the slack on the wheels and can dramatically affect the behavior of the car. Your failed steering damper merely "exacerbates" the feeling from the worn tie-rod ends.
If you replace them one at a time, (and mark length of each), you likely won't have to get an alignment. |
|
I work at an alignment shop so it shouldn't be an issue to just realign it after everything. I only rebuilt the suspension because the control arms were dry rotted and I mangled the ball joints trying to separate them from the spindle, probably would've been smart to do tie rods at the same time but they looked the least terrible. I'll get stuff on order, only reason I didn't replace the steering damper already was because I read some ancient post here saying without it the steering effort is decreased with wider tires. Whether that's true or not really doesn't matter because it's a safety feature at the end of the day and I don't feel like dying in a Fiero.
| quote | Originally posted by Yellow-88:
You need an alignment. Do it yourself or find someone who understands what modifications you've done .
Please, do your high speed testing someplace other than public roads.
|
|
Don't be like that, I refuse to sit here and believe you've never opened any car up on the interstate to see what it does. At least I'm not "4 wheel drifting a grand prix." I go to the track every other weekend, I'm doing my best keeping testing off the street. Besides, my speedo ends at 85 so I've only ever gone 85 
jokes aside I don't feel like dying so I don't think this car has made it past 100 with how it feels currently. And it's been aligned several times for racing, so I'm sure the extra camber and toe isn't helping it on the street but unless someone wants to buy me a trailer, that's how it has to get to the track.[This message has been edited by Additivewalnut (edited 08-13-2024).]
|
|
|
|
Yellow-88
|
AUG 14, 12:24 AM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by Additivewalnut:
Don't be like that, I refuse to sit here and believe you've never opened any car up on the interstate to see what it does. At least I'm not "4 wheel drifting a grand prix." I go to the track every other weekend, I'm doing my best keeping testing off the street. Besides, my speedo ends at 85 so I've only ever gone 85
jokes aside I don't feel like dying so I don't think this car has made it past 100 with how it feels currently. And it's been aligned several times for racing, so I'm sure the extra camber and toe isn't helping it on the street but unless someone wants to buy me a trailer, that's how it has to get to the track.
|
|
If it's set up to be a race car, then it should be comfortable at speed. Some one maybe feeding you misinformation about alignment.
Do you Autocross or Road Course.
|
|
|
|
Yellow-88
|
AUG 14, 12:28 AM
|
|
Yes I have. But not with a chassis that can not go straight or stay comfortably in it's own lane.
|
|
|
|
cartercarbaficionado
|
AUG 14, 04:55 AM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by 1985 Fiero GT:
Mph or kph? The 2.8l Fieros had a top speed of 125mph, 200kph, top gear is geared to that speed, close to redline, so no way it's doing 160mph without a different engine and transmission. On the other hand if it's only hitting 160kph, your Fieros lacking some power there! |
|
mph. it's the high geared 4 speed and I've had a GPS and laser tell me how fast I was going.
I also left a subaru in the dust without realizing it since they couldn't keep up at the top end
|
|
|
|