Struggling with Steering!!

[1BLWN/LE]

Does anyone else find the steering of a 1LE a little much to keep straight?
It seems when I'm on normal roads I have to constantly grip the steering wheel like I'm fighting to stay going straight. It seems like the car kind of just wants to veer off in either direction if I'm not firmly grasping the wheel.
My car has roughly 3400 miles on it and has never been hit or anything.
I don't know if this is normal characteristics of the good years tires just warming up or just it's natural track oriented characteristics cause it does seem to be less noticeable after driving for some time.
All's I know my daily driver is a 2013 Nissan frontier and I don't have to fight not even a little to keep that thing straight like I feel I have to with the 1LE .

I think I'm having trouble putting into words what I'm really meaning here but I would love to know if anyone else feels the steering in these cars is a bit more challenging then say an everyday car.. Also when I had my 2012 SS L99 I didn't feel this was present like I do in this car...

Thanks for your feedback..

[1BLWN/LE]

Also I would like to add the car handles like a dream around turns and twistys, so no problem there, just when it's straight it seems like a fight to keep it straight.

[CrystalRedTintcoat]

The 1LE has little understeer. You're probably not used to a point and shoot car. ;-)

Stay alert my friend. I notice the same thing with mine. It's the track setup.

[ss1letx]

Its probably just normal fell of the car. I don't notice it that much but coming from the cars you are use to its a big difference. The reason it dos it is just the 285 width and super soft tires tracking with the road surface more than anything. I have always had cars with wide tires so it is something that I am use to, but I could see how if you are not use to it, it would be very different.

[CrystalRedTintcoat]

Toe



Perhaps the easiest concept to visualize is toe. Toe represents the angle derived from pointing the tires inward or outward from a top-down view – much like looking down at your toes and angling them inward or outward.

Correct toe is paramount to even tread wear and extended tire life. If the tires are pointed inward or outward, they will scrub against the surface of the road and cause wear along the edges. Sometimes however, tread life can be sacrificed for performance or stability

Positive toe occurs when the front of both tires begins to face each other. Positive toe permits both wheels to constantly generate force against one another, which reduces turning ability. However, positive tow creates straighter driving characteristics.

Typically, rear wheel drive vehicles have slightly positive tow in the rear due to rolling resistance – causing outward drag in the suspension arms. The slight positive toe straightens out the wheels at speed, effectively evening them out and preventing excessive tire wear.

Negative toe is often used in front wheel drive vehicles for the opposite reason. Their suspension arms pull slightly inward, so a slight negative toe will compensate for the drag and level out the wheels at speed.

Negative toe increases a cars cornering ability. When the vehicle begins to turn inward towards a corner, the inner wheel will be angled more aggressively. Since its turning radius is smaller than the outer wheel due to the angle, it will pull the car in that direction.

Negative toe decreases straight line stability as a result. Any slight change in direction will cause the car to hint towards one direction or the other.

Source: http://yospeed.com/wheel-alignment-e...er-caster-toe/

[JimE]

I notice the first time I drive it after not having been in it awhile, I will over correct the steering until I get used to it.

Also, the tires wander in cold temps.

[1BLWN/LE]

Thanks a lot guys for all the information.
I park this car 5 ish months out of the year or so. That could also be a reason I'm not so use to it. This is not my first muscle car though, I come from a long line of mustang's, including a 2010 Shelby.. that too had a 285 on the back and I just don't recall this kind of feel. Then again maybe it's just that, me not recalling it.
Like I said the car seems to do it a LOT less after driving it and the only two times I've driven it now has been right around 40 ish degrees out, so I am really buying into the hole tire thing , how are tires hate the cold as the main culprit.
Anyways today is my big day and my car goes to New Era Performance for it's Cam, Blower/supporting mods and lowering springs install, so shortly after that I will have the car aligned again and see if that in return shall help as well.
I'll keep you guys posted over the next week or Two.
Overly overly pumped about my day today, can't wait!!!
Thanks again for the info and others that post I look forward to reading more about your feedback.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Monte Mac]

I noticed that a bit as well but its primarily the roads around here. They get dips from all the traffic and big trucks and so the WIDE tires tend to try and follow the dips/grooves even if they aren't where you want to drive. Enjoy the car and keep a grip on it.

[1BLWN/LE]

Originally Posted by Monte Mac

I noticed that a bit as well but its primarily the roads around here. They get dips from all the traffic and big trucks and so the WIDE tires tend to try and follow the dips/grooves even if they aren't where you want to drive. Enjoy the car and keep a grip on it.

Thanks
and Yes I agree!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Fraxum]

Originally Posted by CrystalRedTintcoat

Negative toe increases a cars cornering ability. When the vehicle begins to turn inward towards a corner, the inner wheel will be angled more aggressively. Since its turning radius is smaller than the outer wheel due to the angle, it will pull the car in that direction.

Negative toe decreases straight line stability as a result. Any slight change in direction will cause the car to hint towards one direction or the other.

Source: http://yospeed.com/wheel-alignment-e...er-caster-toe/

Does the 1LE standard alignment from the dealer/GM have negative toe compared to the standard SS? Does anyone here do track favorable 1LE alignment mods? I have not tried this.

I think at least part of that stock wandering has to do with the SS front bushings which are a little soft and loose IMO, even in the 1LE. And the very loose rear bushing compliance can add to this effect also IMO.

I have a set of Pedders HD Radius Rod inserts I pulled off my old SS and put them on my 1LE. This improved my 1LE tracking from my seat of the pants observations, but not so much to be nervous. On my old SS I never did all recommended bushings in the front, but did them all on the back with polys. My old SS felt tighter overall than my 1LE. But the 1LE feels like a better compromise and is quieter. To me more BMW like.

Wheelhop is a big problem sometimes even though I have installed BMR Trailing Arms and outer TA bushings. Might add Toe rods next even though the 1LE/ZL1 rods were deemed acceptable by Justice Pete. He did have a good point about how aftermarket toe rods and other aftermarket suspension braces and parts can cause additional damage to the car in the event of an accident or hitting a huge pothole. But when we start modding we take risks.

Sorry if I digressed.

[sengli]

When I switched the stock goodyears out to the Invo's I have on the car now, that steering issue went away.

[Dropspeed]

Originally Posted by 1BLWN/LE

This is not my first muscle car though, I come from a long line of mustang's, including a 2010 Shelby.. that too had a 285 on the back and I just don't recall this kind of feel.

The 1LE tracks something terrible on certain roads which is a combo of the tire width, tires and alignment settings.....As soon as I get into my car I press the traction control button so that I can enjoy the (electronically controlled) lower ratio feel. There is more feedback and it does not seem to "dart" as much.

Your 2010 Shebly had 255s on the front stock so it is not apples to apples. The 30 extra mm per side (just over an inch/side or two total) can be just enough to sit above the grooves in the road.

-Matt

[DaemonGPF]

The tight suspension, type of tires, and road surface will play in big time. These cars feel every little change in consistency on the road. I noticed on my 500 mile road trip this weekend in the 1LE that everywhere a road repair had occurred, the tires just wanted to track along with the new material, requiring constant correction. My Jeep Cherokee on the other hand with large sidewalls and much harder tires and soft suspension just floats over these same areas. It's the nature of the beast. My EVO behaved much like the 1LE but was set up in a very comparable manner.

[SimpleGreen]

The Goodyears drive the car all over the road. Mine was downright crazy at times. Got rid of the tires. Way mo betta now.