Re: [Amc-list] Strut rod eliminators

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

The way an AMC suspension is set up (and a Mustang II) ANY hard part on the end of that strut rod introduces a LOT of shock to the body. I mean it's VERY noticeable in some bodies, might be a little less in others. The control arm takes almost NO shock from hitting a pot-hole. What it takes is in tension -- the arm is pulled outward when a wheel hits a pot-hole. The strut rod takes all the compression force since the tire is pushed backwards. The upper arms take almost no force at all, they just keep the wheel from flopping over. 

I can tell you that a lot of bump steer will DEFINITELY make the driver more fatigued, mainly because you have to concentrate on driving more. My car had a lot of bump steer when I first put the rack and pinion in. I've recently done some calculations and should have most (if not all) of it out now, have to quit for the moment as the wife planned a vacation for us this weekend -- I'll be gone from early tomorrow morning through Tuesday evening. 

Factory steering has little to no bump steer unless something's wrong. Leave the stock suspension the way it is and there should be no problem. Engineers spend a lot of time going over the arcs in the suspension and the effects bumps have. Remember, if a stock car is hard to handle no one buys it! Most of the "erratic" steering in old cars is caused by worn suspension and steering components, not a design flaw (with a few exceptions -- such as early Mustangs). 

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Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 19:44:09 -0500
From: "Armand Eshleman" <aje1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Maybe this setup is a bit rougher ride than all rubber, but unless you're
changing the entire suspension to late model corvette or something, you're
not going to get a fantastic cadillac ride with Porsche handling. The
benefit is the front wheels won't always be searching all over the road for
their ideal direction like they do with the all rubber setup. Bumpsteer is
what the seller of the part is talking about. That's the issue that occurs
to make you constantly adjust the steering wheel for every little deflection
caused by a bump in the road, which throws the alignment out of whack and
causes false steering inputs (ones not initiated by the driver). Wouldn't
the rubber in the upper arm and lower arm mounts to the chassis still take
up a lot of the road shock? It isn't the strut rod bushings that take all of
this shock. I think this guy has it correct. Less bump steer equals less
driving fatigue.

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)

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