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Think real hard before posting a reply. If a Mustang veers right under acceleration, the rear end must be off a little bit. Assuming all parts are in new condition, what would cause this? Front end was not touched when this problem came about after removing lowering blocks. I have verified the rear axle is positively located on the spring studs, but there is some wear on the locating holes in the perches and a slight mismatch may be possible.
Anyone had this happen where the car veers right then straightens up when you let off?
If the rear end is angled one way or the other, which way would cause it to try and go to the right?
I am posting this question without my input on what the problem might be because you guys never cease to amaze me with the stuff you come up with.
Ok, have at it. My 66 used to drive perfectly straight.
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What rear gears do you have would be my first question. And are you running posi?
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Too much torque from that beastie of a motor you stuffed in there?
You have fiddled with your springs lately. Could the blocks have been masking an inherent problem with the spring studs themselves that just now showed its self?
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Im going to need your Year, make, Model, Engine, Transmission, modifications before I can properly diagnose your problem...LOL Id make sure everything is tight with leaf spring bolts.
Steve69
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Springs are relatively new but were working fine with previous lowering blocks. After problem came about, I made new bolts that had taller index pin on top to be sure they fit into the perches.
Today I was able to move driver side 0.030" forward and pass side 0.020" rearward.
I don't think gear ratio or traction lock or not would affect this. Tires are not burning out, just driving down the road.
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I had the same problem ...check the lowering blocks for an adjustable"offset" hole or pin...if so when you did a front end allignment it was compensated for...now with the blocks removed you have to recompensate...reallignment....jj
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Check to see if both tires have the same pressure and that both rear springs are equal in arch and spring rate.
Fin some place where you can put the car on four scales to see what the weight distribution is.
Stock car racers can control the direction of veer by weight distribution.
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Are they adjustable shocks? one could be stiffer then the other. Or mounted upside down![]()
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I wonder if the axle wrap characteristics are behaving differently with the blocks removed, Perhaps causing the driver side rear to dip more under heavy torque. Maybe have someone watch the rear of the car when you pull away hard.
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How is your FRONT shocks?! My wore-out front shocks made my 66 do funny when letting off gas and hard acceloration.
6s6
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Are you running the original 28 spline axles? Given your torque you may have weakened the right-side axle inducing some torque steer under acceleration. It's hard to see if it has twisted if you pull it out unless you have painted a straight reference line along the length but sometimes you can see some distortion in the splines. I would at least put this in the "its possible" column.
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Did you realign the front after removing the blocks?
What size blocks?
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I think Jon Richard is on the right path, the front of the leaf spring is responding different with the block removed. The odd thing is, I would have expected more wrap with the block.
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Kar wrote:
I think Jon Richard is on the right path, the front of the leaf spring is responding different with the block removed. The odd thing is, I would have expected more wrap with the block.
Also is there maybe a leaf spring strap missing off on side?
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I think your problem lies with that 427 under the hood... send it to me and I'll dispose of it free of charge. ![]()
You have some type of traction bars to help hold the rear end straight, correct?
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Since it only seems to occur under acceleration, that suggests that either something is changing position or that you are getting more drive from the left rear tire than from the right rear. If the car is going right, then the differential may be moving counterclockwise (as viewed from the top of the car - right rear tire is more forward than the left rear tire), acting as a rear-steer to the right. It could also be that the right rear tire is rubbing on something under acceleration - effectively braking the right rear and causing the car to move to the right.
Is there a way that you could have someone (or maybe two people - one to drive and one to shoot video) follow you to watch the rear end while you drive to find out if there might be something you can see to get an idea of the cause?
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There might be some rubber deflection in the spring bushings given the amount of torque. One side tire may be spinning more than the other side. which would effectively create a temporary larger tire. You could try to play with different air pressures side to side, to see if it makes any difference.
Any way to rig up a video camera, and take some really cool footage of the acceration?
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You sure its not that new high out put alternator pushing all the amps to one side of the car.
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All suspension parts are new and properly installed. I keep thinking it has to be the rear end is not square to the car. This is not under hard acceleration. It is under any mild acceleration. Left rear wheel must be forward of the right rear wheel, even though I have made an attempt to line it up as good as possible.
I used string lines coming from the rear tires and stretched along the rocker panels. With the string just touching the side of the rear tires, the lines are only off by 1/8" at the rocker panel/door/fender intersection.
How about checking yours to give me a comparison. I do not know how GOOD it has to be. I can only assume PERFECT is the answer, but we are talking about a Mustang here!
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Can you create a centerline reference point toward the front on the car, say around the bellhousing? Then measure from the centerline reference to each spring perch. That will tell you if the rearend is square. Using the wheelwells as reference is iffy. Also, I experienced something similar to what you are experiencing when I first got my red car. Turned out that all the suspension bushings were shot and the suspension was wiggling all over the place. I know all your bushings are new, but maybe something is loose? I have run nuts down to the end of the threads on a bolt and torqued them to spec only to find out that what I was trying to clamp wasn't. Since you removed your lowering blocks, are your bolts too long?
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MustangSteve wrote:
Left rear wheel must be forward of the right rear wheel, even though I have made an attempt to line it up as good as possible.
I am not an engineer, but I think I have to go with John Ha, here, and envision that the right rear wheel must be forward of the left rear wheel to push the car to the right. That's the way the typical 4 wheel steering cars worked. (Yes, there are the off-roaders with the opposing rear wheels).
IIRC, you mentioned long ago that your lowering blocks were customized to center your rear end laterally under your car, If those blocks are gone, and your rear end has moved, laterally, your alignment needs may be different....
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I agree with John and Tim that it appears the left wheel is too far back, or the right wheel is too far forward. Onl;y way to change that is to rework the alignment dowels and holes, so that may be in the future. I am thinking of ordering a new 9" rear housing (to get rid of the dreaded Versailles housing) after the bash anyway.
Ubolts have plenty of threads showing, so the nuts are not bottomed out.
I took it to an alignment shop today and we measured the heck out of it. Even after the alignment, the same problem is there but slightly alleviated. We even added some caster so I have 4degrees+ caster now.
The driver side wheelbase is indeed longer than the passenger side by 3/8". I believe this is caused by the caster adjustment in front, and there being fewer shims in the UCA, etc so the front wheel is pulled forward a bit. There is no adjustment in the rear axle. I was able to move the axle 0.030 but that is all.
Now that I kow the front end is aligned to spec, I will adjust the bias on the TCP R&P unit. I can make it steer itself in a left or right circle by adjusting that, so I should be able to dial out any pull. It is a very simple adjustment, but is a adjust-drive-readjust-drive-readjust type thing, so the lift should get a workout . If the rear end is not square, that will not straighten it out, though...just mask the problem.
Tomorrow's task...
And to top it all off... The fuel pump flamed out when I was leaving the alignment shop... So I have to revisit THAT also. The convertible may wind up going to Illinois if this doesn't clear up. AndI think next year I may just put the entire car back stock !!!!!!!!
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Pretty obvious, but have you checked the tire pressures?
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This thought is "way out there" and possibly irrelevant given what you posted above about the alignment but what about that hose that runs from the body to the axle. The axle is an inch or two farther away from the body now and maybe the line is moving and clinching causing a rear brake to actuate or something. I suppose the same applies to the parking brake cables.
I dunno, thought of it and figured I'd pass it along.
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Not that out there John, that was the consensus of the techs where I work. Specially the e brake. Just got home from work, you beat me to to the punch.
Last edited by Rsmach1 (8/20/2014 8:38 PM)
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