Miata Mailing List: August 1996, Message #152
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   From: dquara@marlins.encore.com (Doug Quara)
Subject: Re: Wandering In Hi-speed righties
   Date: Fri, 2 Aug 1996 11:45:21 -0400

Rob Ebersol, On Aug 2,  9:40am, writes:
> Subject: Wandering In Hi-speed righties
>         Dear Gearheads,
>         My 91b has started a nastie handling habit of wandering in hi-speed
> right hand sweepers. It feels as though the left front tries to toe out
> through the turn in a rhythmic pattern, thus the feeling of wandering. It
> is not a violent action, but very subtle. Unfortunately, it causes the car
> to "track out" prematurely. Here's what I've checked, changed, fixed, etc.:
>         Wheel and tire swap (twice), checked bushings everywhere, tightened
> cradle, replace shocks, fresh alignment, check ball joints in upper arm and
> tie rods, checked rack, checked wheel bearings, checked tolerance in
> steering wheel and column (ujoint) to rack. I think that's it.

Could be, like you said, the steering rack.  Some suggestions.  You mentioned
a bunch of things you've already looked at, but I don't know if you
meant front/rear or both, so I'll mention some things that may have
been on your list.

Check:

- Front swaybar bushings and mounting points
- Rear LSD (happening under acceleration or steady-state?)
- Rear wheel bearings 
- Rear bushings 
- Rear alignment
- Rear swaybar bushings and mounting points
- Rear brakes (a warped rotor in the rear causing periodic drag?)
- Rear shocks
- Rear tie-rods

Of course, you see I have you looking at the rear end of the car.
If the rear, especially the left-rear, is misbehaving, it could
do all sorts of nasty things.

Probably not the answer, but is the engine maybe imperceptibly mis-firing 
on these right-handers, giving an on-off throttle sensation which would
cause a subtle weight transfer front-rear, which in turn would cause
under/oversteer in a cylce?  Fuel pickup on right-handers?

OK, some of these are a stretch, but you asked.  :-)

Doug     1 3 5     Information Systems    INTERnet dquara@encore.com
Quara    |-|-|     Encore Computer Corp.  Ft. Lauderdale, FL (954) 797-5580
         2 4 R     Fundsalo Racing        whoa!nelli  
"Who's Fundsalo Racing?"  "Describes my budget.  Funds are low!"