i have done a couple searches and found no information regarding the steering issues with these SS's. just slammed my ss/sc with some sportlines along with the strut tower brace from modern performance (GREAT SERVICE!!) and i'm overwhelmed with the quality of the products along with the significant upgrade in suspension performance. now with that said, my car is alot stiffer except for the sloppy steering which is very noticeable now that everything else is solid. is there any possibility or talk of a steering stabilizer that will be made to help control the over abundant power issue with these fwd cars. i mean if you look at the rinky dink tie rod ends and steering rods you will see why these cars act the way they do: god forbid if you hit WOT on uneven pavement with one arm on the wheel.

the capabilities these 2.0's have with horsepower increases up to 300+ hp, how are we (GM) going to control the front end (power control issues) with these cheap assembled set-ups?? i understand that the electronic controlled assisted steering makes it feel alot softer and easier to steer but it's almost unbearable now with only 220 hp!!!...some type of steering stabilizers would help out this issue but not solve huge potential steering / traction problems. i love GM and i love these Cobalts...but i feel they failed to consider these issues...lets build a great car with great power and use cheap parts with cheap set-ups to transfer all this power to the asphalt. I rather have better traction right now with 220hp than a 300+ hp fwd cobalt that can do a one wheel burnout through 1st and 2nd around a curve. i hope most of you understand and can relate to what i am talking about and i hope in the near future there will be some kind of steering / chassis upgrades that will help us plant this power to the ground. any imput??

 

Did you get a full alignment after you installed the springs?

 

that's a must

 

wheel alignment is a must but not a factor with the setup we have...if you install new springs and mark your struts prior to installation you shouldn't have any problems with the alignment, this topic has been approached before. the steering control issue was noticeable BEFORE the sportline installation and has become even more evident now that the chasis is more solid. i am sure most ss/sc owners can understand and aggree with this issue....????

 

I would like you to look into something called TORQUE STEER. (GOOGLE IT)



A FWD Car not equipped with an LSD will have this.

High HP FWD Cars not eqqupped with an LSD Will have this alot.

You Will find the root of the problem is not the steering components, it's more in the drivetrain.

Wider Tires will make for a better launch but amplify the problem once traction starts to break.

 

I'd still get your alignment checked out. Even if you did mark it or whatever, it's usually free to check, and if it's out, then you pay like around $60 for the front and back.

But if this was a little noticeable, An LSD would also help too, should have waited for the G85 package. But, if wheel hop is a major culprit, check this out... https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/show...=weapon+damper

 

you still need an alignment $64.99 Sears Auto 6 month 6,000 mile warranty.

 

sorry for the noob question, but this has been bothering me? what is WOT? lol

 

thanx brian....i guess torque steer is the proper technical term that i am trying to describe. i did not know that it would be that extreme w/o that G85 LSD package...but it definitely is...i assume i will be in the same situation that many ss/sc non g85 owners are in...screwed!! like in previous discussions installing an aftermarket lsd would be very expensive and time consuming. i knew it was going to be a big mistake not ordering that package....i really regret it now. maybe sometime in the near future there will be a reasonable ($$$) upgrade for those who failed to include it the first time.....


WOT:= Wide Open Throttle (Pedal to the Metal!!)

 

WOT = Wide open throttle.

-Rich

 

Glad to have helped. You can live happy with Torque Steer as long as you are just enjoying your car on the road and never get serious into Auto-X and Draging..


You get used to it...

 

LSD does not get rid of torque steer.

And marking your struts doesn't make up for a alignment what so ever.

A lot of touchy steering problems in lowered cars is due to improper toe/camber settings. A lowered car will need either of these or both adjusted. It is impossible that they didn't change.

 

thanks!

 

I find your post misleading.

LSD Does Not "Cure" Torque Steer" would be better...

Believe me, Night and Day change however with the LSD on acceleration...

 

A cheaper LSD alternative is the Phantom grip found...

http://www.phantomgrip.com/products.htm

While I've never used one myself, there are plenty of people who swear by them. Plenty of Mini and Honda owners alike. Even quite a few Saturn owners have said that the Phantom helped alot with traction issues. Do a net search and you'll see what I mean.

 

i drove a redline with the compitition package , with the LSD

and it had worse torque steer than 1 with out the lsd , not sure if the alignment was off

but if you were turning and hit the gas to hard at the wrong point , i hope your hand is on the outside of the wheel , or its going to get smacked hard

in a straight line the tq steer was very minimal

but in a turn be carefull , LOL


i still recomend getting a LSD vs not having the LSD

 

Well I guess I can just add " eliminates torque steer " to my list of mis-conceptions about LSD list.

 

Ive noticed hardly any torque steer in my SS and I dont have LSD... Only time I used an LSD and it REALLY helped was on my CRX but it was putting down 400HP and had stupid crazy torque steer when it had only 250hp...

 

Yea, I have a SS/SC with the G85 and this car DEFINITLY has a bad case of torque steer!

 

There is nothing inherently weak in the steering system of these cars. The Grand Am Cup Cobalts dominated on the road courses last summer using predominantly the stock steering gear. I would say if it's good enough for them, in serious competition- it's good enough for us.

When you lower your ride, you should be concerned with BUMP steer NOT torque steer.

Bump steer is a change in TOE when the suspension moves through it's travel range. The angle of the tie rod then is positioned from factory in such a manner to minimize bump steer. If you lower your car you alter the included angle of the tie rods and create more bump steer. When you lower your car, you also lower the steering gear with it, and as the tie rod connection to the knuckle is fixed- it changes the tie rod angle significantly.

In general when you lower your car 1" you should raise the position of the steering gear (rack) 1" to re-establish the correct tie rod angles, otherwise the car can get erratic when cornering forces load/unload the springs and your toe (in/out) influences stability.If you look in the Grand Am Cup car section of the build book, you'll notice they mention the raised their rack with aluminum spacer blocks to re-establish the correct tie rod end angles to minimize the effects of bump steer.

HTH
Regards
WopOnTour