Steering numbnest upgrade?

[Mikamaro]

Hi,
so if i wanted to reduce the numbnest and the unconnected feeling to the wheels in my SS steering, what type of upgrade should I do?

[Ventmaster]

Look at Pedder's radius arm bush inserts (what I did and like alot- easy DIY) or full bushing replacement.

[5thGenCamaroKid]

Pfadt radius rod bushings.

Contact Jordan at JDP Motorsports...I know he was working on a package with these bushings already installed in the front trailing arm, which would speed up the install, or you could DIY (not really that bad of an install).

[L99CAMA2011]

Steering rack bush also helps big time and don't forget sway bars.

[PfadtRacing]

There are a few different things that will help improve steering feel, the easiest being sway bars. With a bar set with an increase in front roll rate you can improve the overall responsiveness of the front end without compromising ride quality. An added benefit to sway bars is you will also receive a rear sway bar as well, which will allow you to tune the overall balance of the vehicle with the rear sway bar. Not only are sway bars a nice upgrade for steering feel, but for overall balance of the vehicle as well.

An often overlooked piece of the equation that can really help steering and braking feel are Front Trailing Arm Sphericals. Unlike using a replacement poly bushing or insert, our unique front trailing arm spherical allows the front trailing arm (also commonly called the Radius rod) to articulate on multiple axis without binding. Using a street oriented spherical bearing allows the arm to travel like it should, with minimal binding and much less friction. You will immediately feel a difference in steering feedback and braking performance.



Lastly, a great alignment is absolutely necessary to get the best steering response. Our street alignment specifications are a little more aggressive and require more attention to detail to dial them in correctly than with the OEM specs, but the effort is well worth it. For street users we recommend using our Performance Street specification. It will offer a nice combination of good tire wear for your street tires, and increased performance over your stock alignment. Keep in mind that an alignment is only as good as the tech performing the work, so make sure that you're very comfortable with the dealership you take your vehicle for alignment or use a alignment shop in your area who is used to working on performance vehicles.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by Mikamaro

Hi,
so if i wanted to reduce the numbnest and the unconnected feeling to the wheels in my SS steering, what type of upgrade should I do?

The numb steering feel is created by three elements of your 5th Gen.

1. Rear end step out
2. Fluid damoed radius arm bushes biased to smooth and quiet
3. Alignment

The best place to get a good understanding of these topics is THE Book on 5th Gen Suspension. The short version is, that sub-frame and radius bush movement allows a wide range of dynamic changes in alignment leading to an overall sloppy feel. Couple that with a loose specification alignment and you have 'numb' steering.

The solutions range from inserts to full bush replacement and a more driver oriented alignment. Using Pedders sub-frame and radius bush inserts limits the range of motion. Limiting the range of motion translates directly to reduced dynamic alignment changes and a more precise steering feel.

Some bushes have minimal impact on steering feel. The front lower control arm bush from the factory is excellent and should not be replaced on anything short of a dedicated race car. Take a look at this cut-away.




The steel barrel rides on a thin layer of rubber within a steel jacket. It is one of the best OE bushes on any vehicle at any price. By deign, it provides excellent stability. If I were to build a race car I would replace this bush with a large monoball that is bolts in place.



Alignment

Factory alignment green light ranges are very wide. One front wheel could have -.4 degrees of camber while the other has -1.4 degrees of camber. A Pedders tight spec alignment is dialed down to a 10thn of a degree in accuracy or less. A dead nuts on tight spec alignment will improve the feel of a bone stock Camaro. The feel can be further improved using these specifications.

Front
Caster -- No Adjustment from the factory
Camber -- -.75 degrees per wheel
Toe -- ZERO

Rear
Camber -- ZERO
Toe -- In -.17

These alignment specifications will reduce understeer, improve turn in and the on center feel of the steering. Add inserts and the 5th Gen feels like a different car. If you have more questions, feel free to ask

[garcmol]

Originally Posted by Ventmaster

Look at Pedder's radius arm bush inserts (what I did and like alot- easy DIY) or full bushing replacement.

Those inserts changed the entire feel of the car! Excellent upgrade.

[Bruce@raymondsperformance]

The Pedders street 1 kit makes a great improvement to start with or maybe you would like to go with someything more,it just depends on your budget and what you want out of your car.Either way the bushings are the foundation of the car and are a great bang for the buck.