bump steer

[t3intercooled]

I have heard the term before, but what does bump steer mean and what does it feel like?

 

[johnnyttype]

when ever i refer to bump steer im talking about hitting a bump or pot hole and the wheel follows the contour of the road rather than the input from ur hands! the bump is steering the wheels, which steers the steering wheel, instead of the prefered u turn the wheel which then turns the wheels! hope that makes some since!

ever parked on a gravel patch and then backed out onto a higher paved patch and had the wheel ripped out of ur hands and to the lock? that would be a good example!

 

[turbofabricator]

Bump steer referes to the arc differences between the lower control arm and the steering arm. As the suspension travels in an arc, the steering arms (inner and outer tie rods and adjusting sleeves) also travel in a different arc. The difference in the arcs creates a steering condition. When the bump steer is increased so is the drag and instability under acceleration and de-celeration.

 

[turbows6]

Hitting an edge of asphalt isn't typically referred to as bump steer. Bump steer is caused in a suspension if the steering arms don't swing in the same arc as your control arms and it makes the tire toe in or out when you hit a bump. That's why a steering arm will usually be about the same length as the lower control arm and will be close to parallel to the lower control arm from a front view. Your stock suspension won't have much bump steer in a g-body, I wouldn't get too concerned about that issue unless you have made some major modifications to it.

 

[Kevin87TurboT]

Bump steer doesn't have anything do bumps in the road. The technical definition is the change in toe as the suspension goes from full bump to full droop. Here's something that I found on-line at a circle track website that has a good description of bump steer.

Bump steer is the toe-in or toe-out of the front wheels as the suspension goes from normal ride height through full bump (suspension system moves up) to full droop (suspension system moves down). Measurement is usually limited to 3" up and 3" down from ride height. It is specified either by a graph or measurements at 1", 2", and 3".

 

[johnnyttype]

so thats what it really is, thanks for the lesson guys