ok ive had the bearings replaced, all tie rods, and balljoints checked and replaced. my alignment was done, both toe and camber. So when i drive down an uneven road why is my truck all over the place? it drives perfect on nice flat roads, but whenever the road has crowns or dips in it my L pulls hard into them!! Ive had two different mechanics check the front end and everything was tight!! would this be a problem with my steering rack? any thoughts?

 

This is a common problem with Lightnings. There is a preferred set of alignment specs which help alot but a steering stabilizer will help even more.

Lightning Owner Preferred Specs:
Caster Left 6.7
Caster Right 7.2
Camber Left -0.5
Camber Right -0.5
Toe Left -0.05
Toe Right -0.05


Stock Factory Lightning Specs:
Caster L. 6.9 +/- 1.0
Caster R. 7.4 +/- 1.0
Camber L. -0.5 +/- 0.7
Camber R. -0.5 +/- 0.7
Toe L. -0.05 +/- 0.15
Toe R. -0/05 +/- 0.15

 

so your saying the preffered specs work better? what kind of stabilizer would i use and where to find one?

 

Yes, the preferred specs work better but the stabilizer works best. I use the fabtech FTS8019 with the FTS7000BK boot.
I don't remember where I got mine but a search for fabtech stabilizers will produce several vendors.
I just remembered I got mine in a group buy from a NAPA dealer.

 

What is done to your front end from a mod standpoint.

 

my entire truck is stock

 

i just did a search on that prouct and the price is around $100, which seems rather reasonable. did you install it yourself or did you have it installed?

 

two questions.
Does a steering stabilizer help prevent bumbs on the road not move the steering wheel and is it hard to install (my truck is completly stock suspension wise)

can anyone give me some pics?

 

It's a simple install and yes it helps tame the steering wheel.

Here's a how-to with pics.
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums...d.php?t=361865

 

As someone who has done a ton of suspension work, here are a few things to keep into consideration:

-Spring drops will only make your bump steer problem worse.

-The Lightning preferred specs work great. The key is to keep the variance down as low as possible without a + or -. It takes more time to do this and some shops won't. Offer to pay for the extra time, its well worth it. I got a perfect alignment and it works really well.

-Check all your bushings and consider replacing with poly including the control arms and sway bars. That will tighten things up.

-the condition of your tires could make things worse. Many are changing to V or even H rated tires. They have softer sidewalls which will make your ride more sloppy. The GoodYear F1 Z and Y rated are still the best tires for the street IMO.

-Larger wheels and tires can also make your problem worse.

-Another thing I have noticed is that an overly stiff rear will also give the impression of greater wandering or bump steer.

My suspension is rock solid and about as stable as can get especially considering its a truck.

Hope this helps.

 

wow that mod looks pretty easy!! thanks for that post!!

 

sounds like your sway bar end links are worn.

how does it handle going around corners?

 

it is really sharp going around corners

 

And would that be oversteer or understeer? Is it turning late, ploughing, or swinging out the rear.... What does "sharp" mean? There are tons of performance people here that can give you advice, but you gotta help us out a bit

 

i would say that it would be oversteer, i will enter turn fine and then it will pull even harder on its own