Now that sounds like a fun weekend playing with cars!!!

I think the SCCA accidentally stumbled on something really cool with their Time Trial program. It is kind of like the CAM classes in their autocross program. They didn't really want to do it, but once talked into it has taken off with huge success.

I can't wait to try one myself.

Congrats on the hardware. Basher said he had a great time at that deal.

I don't think it was an accident at all. They need help drawing in more participants to the track and this was a no brainer way to do it.

Totally agree. Although pretty lightly attended. There was only 60 cars entered in but it made for great unclogged sessions, just not sure its enough revenue to keep them going.

If its done right and gets some attention it could be huge.

Thanks man, pretty fun times. Basher was at a Track Night in America, another great event and very, very well attended. The fun thing about those is you get great seat time on a friday night so you dont have to give up an entire weekend like the Time Trials.

Not much to report here.

Still brainstorming on the front suspension situation.

I did however manage to get the racepak 100% functional for the first time last night. Went through and programmed in all of the gears so that the gear indicator on the dash works. I am shocked at how well it works too considering its going off of mph and rpm. Pretty cool though.

https://i.imgur.com/m8c6rCfh.jpg

No more track days or autocross planned for a bit now. Going to dig into the lower control arms and see what I can come up with there first.

Probably going to dive into a stereo in the next few weeks though, headphones are getting old.

Sean

Well, I am getting to the end of my proverbial rope with this thing now.

Continue to be impressed by the killer stuff these guys have helped me out with on this car. Huge shout out to STS Machining's Scott and Taylor for helping with my idea.

I was having issues with the rear rubber bushings on the lower control arms. I hatched the idea of a delrin bushing for the rear that was captured in the cup, Taylor made the first set, a 2 piece design that would not be able to be pulled out the front of the cup.

Here is what the end result is. A 2 piece delrin bushing, the cup welded into the actual bucket that bolts to the car. For the first time I can without a doubt tell you that this is not moving around at all.

Getting machined

https://i.imgur.com/nW4DPWqh.jpg

Parts cut and fresh out of the freezer ready to be installed.

https://i.imgur.com/oiZJFlRh.jpg

This cup was cleaned and welded in place so that it cannot get pulled out.

https://i.imgur.com/CyJHFIuh.jpg

Assembled

https://i.imgur.com/gvLKvf8h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VJpCBy6h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xcWrBfCh.jpg

When I took these current bushings out, the one on the drivers side had come out of the cup so far that the flange on the backside was not even holding it in any longer. The passenger side had started to pull the cup out of the bucket.

No its not the Fancy Sellholm arms, maybe those can go in someday in the future.

SO now I have lower control arms that are not moving around, great should be problem solved right.....wrong.

Still does the same ****.

You can center the steering wheel, go out for a drive and it will move from left to right depending on what you are doing.

It seems to be getting worse. If I go hard on the gas, the steering wheel will be off center to one side, if I go around a hard turn, brake or something then it will be off center to the other side.

I checked all the front crossmember bolts and they were not crazy tight, drove it again this morning before work and same problem.

I installed new hardware on the steering rack when installed. Considering that it changes on hard launches, I am leaning towards something loose in the rear suspension.

Might have time to look at it over the weekend but have graduation activities from this afternoon through Sunday.

Any good opinions I am all ears.

Sean

Sean, now that you know you have a solid bushing in the front, how easily do the arms move up and down before connecting them to the knuckle? If you don't have much stiction there, and you're positive the rack and pinion isn't moving, then something in the rear could still be adding to the situation. Seems like everything you've done up to now has been a necessary upgrade.

Totally agree with you, its what I was leaning into last week and didnt get a chance to go through it till the weekend. Thanks for chiming in. Totally worth the upgrade and the stuff I did needed to be done I agree with that.

Well, only had about 2 hours to work on the car this weekend with 2 Graduations to attend. One in Seattle on Friday, another in Portland for our Steamfitter apprenticeship program and then a bbq on Sunday for the Neighbor who graduated Friday night.

Got a little time to work on the coyote swap for my neighbor though, just about ready to set the motor in for the first time one night this week and I can finish up the motor mounts that I got started on.

I went through the entire frontend Saturday afternoon. I cleaned, torqued and put paint pen marks on every fastener. The only thing I found that even remotely budged was the 4 bolts on the Driver side steering arm. I got maybe 1/4 turn from 3 of the 4 bolts, but that was it. Not enough to cause anything to move.

I torqued all of the motor mount hardware as well as every nut and bolt on the crossmember, and all steering stuff. Nothing in the front is moving so its time to head to the rear.

I got the car up in the air, frustrated still..

I checked every nut and bolt on the rear axle, panhard bar, shocks, upper and lower links at the axle, nothing was moving. I reached up and put a wrench on the chassis end of the upper control arms and it wasnt more than hand tight.

I continued to find 4 loose bolts for the fronts. Uppers got torqued to the proper spec. I found the lowers loose as well. They had stover nuts on them but the stover nuts were not really tight.

I purchased new washers for the bolt, new stover nuts and installed with Blue locktite.

I took it out for a trip around the area to see what I had. For the first time ever the steering wheel was in the same spot the entire drive. I was hard on it too, accelerate hard from a dead stop, hard braking, steering left and right abruptly.

I paint marked all the hardware on the body for the rearend to see if it moves at all moving forward.

Never did I think that the rear suspension moving around could cause that bad of an effect on the steering. I am really curious to see what it feels like on track now. It feels so much tighter than it every has.

Live and learn right?

So, working out the little bugs now. I have a shake in the steering wheel at about 62 to 70 mph. I think its a front hub issue, but going to tear into it this week and start measuring things out with a dial indicator to measure runout.

Gave the old girl a bath yesterday and enjoyed it being mostly trouble free for a day :oogle:

https://i.imgur.com/VPRKnoGh.jpg

Looks pretty meaty sitting there.

Happy Monday and thanks for those who have provided help and feedback on this thing along the way, its much appreciated.

Sean

Glad to hear you found the culprit and got it squared away. Always a nice feeling of accomplishment to knock out the stubborn issues.

Daniel

Killin it man! Way to persevere through the bugs. Its such a good feeling to go for drive and feel things improve!

Rest sometime man. Geez, I get tired just reading what you accomplish in any given weekend haha!

I'm learning more and more that to fix one end, you need to start at the other. This seems like just another example of that. Hope this proves to be the fix Sean...

No joke. Its been a struggle with this stuff but I guess I have learned a lesson here.

Totally a good feeling, to finally have a change was awesome. Yeah, I dont really do the rest thing at all. I work a fair bit, and dont like to sit around at all. So I go work on stuff, sometimes it gets exhausting I will admit to that.

Totally, guess this is how you learn right? Seems to be, I have about 30 miles on it with zero change in steering wheel position. I dropped it off this morning for an alignment again. Hope this is my last one for a while.

I am going to need a tire sponsor....... About due for 2 new kicks already. I guess that means I am using it though right?

Sean