No matter what Mustang enthusiast you ask, one of the first things they will tell you is they'll want to
lower their Mustang suspension. A common misconception is that when you add a set of lowering springs
or coilovers you won't need anything other than an alignment to complete the job. That is not always the
case! Bumpsteer can come into effect when modifying your suspension due to the geometric suspension
inconsistencies that weren't intended from the manufacturer. And a bumpsteer kits is the perfect
solution
for this! Bumpsteer is the effect when there is a change in suspension geometry angles as the suspension is
compressing and decompressing. The root cause of bump-steer has to do with the toe-in and toe-out with
the alignment of your suspension. As the suspension in your Mustang moves up and down there can be
slight variations of change in the toe, this is also known as “steering”. Causes of this can be from
worn suspension components, improper alignment, road conditions, and hard cornering. This is a huge problem for enthusiasts for reasons like: As you're driving your Mustang down a straight road, the suspension will likely not go up and down as it
is designed to do so, due to alignment inconsistencies. When bump-steer occurs, your Mustang's wheels
will
follow a curving path. What this will do is push the front wheels inward or towards the center of the
Mustang while
the suspension is moving up and down. As you're driving down your favorite backroad the outer tie-rod end (this is connected to your steering
rack, then connects to your steering column) will move in and out in an arc type fashion as the
suspension is compressing. When this occurs, the tie-rod end rate can change, if the rate is not the
same
as the outer tie-rod arcs, it will not match the wheel as it moves in or out. One thing is the key area to know is that if you're planning on modifying your suspension in any way,
bump-steer is going to be an issue that will come about sooner or later. Even if you are to add in
Steeda Caster Camber Plates,
that won't solve your problem.
In order to fix your Mustang bump-steer issue, there are a few things that are needed to be followed:
Once these are located, you then will be able to eliminate bump-steer. Bump-steer can be eliminated each
of the centers and the length center points of each arc must be the exact same. But, it is key to note
that the ride height of your Mustang will adjust the instant center. Bump-steer can't eliminate the
overall range of suspension travel. In order to completely resolve this issue, you will need to change
the length of the tie-rod end to be similar to the steering rack. Toe-in or out describes the alignment in the front wheels and tires of your Mustang. When you are
bringing the toe-in, that means you are bringing the front wheels inward than you would in
the rear of the Mustang. Finally, by adding a Steeda
Bumpsteer Kit, you will be adding a much
more rigid, adjustable tie rod end to the steering rack. Which will virtually eliminate the issue of
suspension deflection! It will give your Mustang tighter, more predictable feedback in the steering and
the result
will be better input when going around your favorite autocross, track, or backroad.
Check out the complete systems components in the graphic below!
Why Do I Need A Mustang Bumpsteer Kit?
What Is Bumpsteer?
What Are The Main Causes of Bumpsteer?
How to Fix Mustang Bump-Steer
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