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sd_iconoclast
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MAY 06, 04:02 PM
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I have an 88 Formula that seems to be experiencing quite a bit of looseness in the steering.
I jacked up the front end and removed the wheels. I found that the ball joints and tie rod ends seem to be in very good condition.
My son and I tried to find play in the steering but could find none.
This surprised me because we are experiencing quite serious bump steer and some wandering.
Could it be the rear suspension?
What should we check for?
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Patrick
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MAY 06, 04:14 PM
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The '88 is notorious for a long bolt on either side of the rear suspension that can get loose and cause severe handling issues. I hadn't tightened up one of mine enough on my Formula after doing some suspension work, and I almost put the car through the fence at autocross due to the dangerous handling. If you can't find reference to the bolts I'm referring to in a Search of the forum, I'm sure someone will come along and better describe where they are.
[EDIT] Found a good thread all about these bolts - Installing Jam Nut on 88 Rear Suspension "Long Bolt"
 [This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 05-06-2021).]
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Will
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MAY 06, 05:03 PM
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Install rod end lateral links and pull the bolt to 80 ftlbs. Problem solved 
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sd_iconoclast
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MAY 06, 06:41 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Will:
Install rod end lateral links and pull the bolt to 80 ftlbs. Problem solved |
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What are "Rod end lateral links"?
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Patrick
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MAY 06, 07:15 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by sd_iconoclast:
What are "Rod end lateral links"?
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They're what you see in the above image.
Just make sure those bolts are tightened to spec. Will's figure is somewhat higher than the factory specs (which are mentioned at my link).
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Blacktree
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MAY 07, 02:28 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Patrick:
They're what you see in the above image. |
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Those are stock lateral links.
Here's what rod end links look like.
It's a nice upgrade for the '88 rear suspension. It's also pretty simple and inexpensive, if you DIY it.
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Patrick
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MAY 07, 02:45 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Blacktree:
Those are stock lateral links. Here's what rod end links look like...
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Ah, I didn't realize Will was suggesting anything more than simply making sure to tighten up the long bolt that holds one end of the lateral links.
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Will
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MAY 07, 09:03 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Patrick:
They're what you see in the above image.
Just make sure those bolts are tightened to spec. Will's figure is somewhat higher than the factory specs (which are mentioned at my link).
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Negative, ghost rider. The photo shows stock links with urethane bushings.
Correctamundo.
It's one of the best bang/buck mods you can make to an '88 for suspension & handling purposes.[This message has been edited by Will (edited 05-07-2021).]
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Will
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MAY 07, 09:07 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Patrick:
Ah, I didn't realize Will was suggesting anything more than simply making sure to tighten up the long bolt that holds one end of the lateral links.
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I was suggesting more than that... if you tighten the bolt to 80 ftlbs on stock rubber bushings, you'll crush/split the center sleeves. The center sleeves in the stock rubber bushings are butted; the center sleeves in urethane bushings are continuous, but still thin wall, in my observations, so they're going to squish a bit and affect bushing friction. The steel balls used in rod ends to do not squish like that, and preserve a good stiffness ratio in the bolted joint to ensure that the bolt does not work loose.
Is the stock spec torque + angle?
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Patrick
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MAY 07, 02:15 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Will:
Is the stock spec torque + angle?
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According to what was mentioned in the link I gave above, yes.
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The torque spec on the nut for this bolt is 37 ft-lbs + 90°, which works out to about 50 ft-lbs.
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Re-tightening one or both bolts might be all the OP needs to do to eliminate the reported "looseness in the steering".
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