3rd Gen Camaro Death Wobble!!

Eman · 05-18-2014, 10:51 PM

My 3rd gen Camaro has developed a death wobble when the wheels touch down after launch. Everything in the frt. end looks good and it's never done this before, nothing has been changed on the car since a week ago when it had no problems at all. some have said I need a steering dampner. I'll install one but is it masking another problem that needs to be corrected? why did it start all of a sudden?

rod butcher · 05-19-2014, 06:33 AM

Try tightening up the steering box end play. If that doesn't help Ed Quay has a nice kit that will fix it.

rod

Greg Reimer 7376 · 05-19-2014, 08:57 AM

A racer out here had that happen on an '85 Camaro.The bolts holding the steering box to the subframe were loose. Tightening all three of them down fixed it.

Tom Goldman · 05-19-2014, 12:37 PM

Quay kit. Also check for looseness at the pitman shaft bushing.

Eman · 05-19-2014, 12:56 PM

I ordered the Quay kit and their bump steer tie rod end kit. Also found upper strut mounts were cracked, only 29 years old who would have thought? I ordered a set of the heavy steel caster/camper plates to replace the original strut mounts. I'll go over everything in the frt. and already ordered a new center link and idler arm.

Dragsinger · 05-19-2014, 01:03 PM

EMan, you are on the correct path.

Charlie Laraia · 05-19-2014, 01:36 PM

Eman,

My 3rd gen always wobbled when it landed. It did this in spite of all new front end parts, a bump steer kit and a steering damper. This past winter I went through the front end again but I made a few changes.

I found that the rod ends included in the bump steer kit did not have enough range of motion. This caused the front end to bind up and pull the wheels in odd directions when it was in the air and then when it landed. I put chrome molly rod ends with increased range of travel (available from Summit), and it helped that problem.

I assume your car does not have a front sway bar. Did you replace it with a support bar to tie the front of the sub frame together? I put in a bolt in one from Spoehn. I welded it in, and I also welded the passenger side mount for it to the sub frame, and I also welded the steering box mount to the sub frame also. It seems to have really made the car more rigid. I had the car out a few weeks ago and it did not wobble.

Good luck. Let us know how you make out.

Charlie

FED 387 · 05-19-2014, 02:25 PM

GM had stifferner parts for the early Gen III cars to stiffen the front ends and help alleviate just what you are experiencing----look into the 1LE cars for maybe some of those parts

Eman · 05-20-2014, 01:16 AM

I have no sway bar or bumper support bar. I thought about one of those wonder bars, I can fab one up, to tie the 2 frame rails together.

Jim Cimarolli · 05-20-2014, 10:23 AM

Just out of curiousity, is the Ed Quay kit legal for Stock and Super Stock?
I built one of those cars for a customer, first time I took it out to test I almost soiled myself when the car came down. I had no idea that was going to happen (The wobble). Luckily I had a good grip on the wheel or that could have really gotten ugly.

05-18-2014, 10:51 PM	#1
Eman Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: E TN Posts: 473 Likes: 16 Liked 133 Times in 76 Posts	3rd Gen Camaro Death Wobble!! My 3rd gen Camaro has developed a death wobble when the wheels touch down after launch. Everything in the frt. end looks good and it's never done this before, nothing has been changed on the car since a week ago when it had no problems at all. some have said I need a steering dampner. I'll install one but is it masking another problem that needs to be corrected? why did it start all of a sudden?

05-19-2014, 06:33 AM	#2
rod butcher Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 252 Likes: 297 Liked 132 Times in 27 Posts	Re: 3rd Gen Camaro Death Wobble!! Try tightening up the steering box end play. If that doesn't help Ed Quay has a nice kit that will fix it. rod

05-19-2014, 08:57 AM	#3
Greg Reimer 7376 VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Glendora,Calif. Posts: 1,135 Likes: 172 Liked 704 Times in 218 Posts	Re: 3rd Gen Camaro Death Wobble!! A racer out here had that happen on an '85 Camaro.The bolts holding the steering box to the subframe were loose. Tightening all three of them down fixed it.

05-19-2014, 12:37 PM	#4
Tom Goldman VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Allentown,PA Posts: 2,474 Likes: 885 Liked 859 Times in 234 Posts	Re: 3rd Gen Camaro Death Wobble!! Quay kit. Also check for looseness at the pitman shaft bushing. __________________ Tom Goldman 1500 SG , 1506 STK

05-19-2014, 12:56 PM	#5
Eman Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: E TN Posts: 473 Likes: 16 Liked 133 Times in 76 Posts	Re: 3rd Gen Camaro Death Wobble!! I ordered the Quay kit and their bump steer tie rod end kit. Also found upper strut mounts were cracked, only 29 years old who would have thought? I ordered a set of the heavy steel caster/camper plates to replace the original strut mounts. I'll go over everything in the frt. and already ordered a new center link and idler arm.

05-19-2014, 01:03 PM	#6
Dragsinger VIP Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Liberty City [East Texas] Posts: 1,760 Likes: 5 Liked 99 Times in 60 Posts	Re: 3rd Gen Camaro Death Wobble!! EMan, you are on the correct path. __________________ Larry Woodfin 471W

05-19-2014, 01:36 PM	#7
Charlie Laraia Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Wethersfield, Connecticut Posts: 22 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 3rd Gen Camaro Death Wobble!! Eman, My 3rd gen always wobbled when it landed. It did this in spite of all new front end parts, a bump steer kit and a steering damper. This past winter I went through the front end again but I made a few changes. I found that the rod ends included in the bump steer kit did not have enough range of motion. This caused the front end to bind up and pull the wheels in odd directions when it was in the air and then when it landed. I put chrome molly rod ends with increased range of travel (available from Summit), and it helped that problem. I assume your car does not have a front sway bar. Did you replace it with a support bar to tie the front of the sub frame together? I put in a bolt in one from Spoehn. I welded it in, and I also welded the passenger side mount for it to the sub frame, and I also welded the steering box mount to the sub frame also. It seems to have really made the car more rigid. I had the car out a few weeks ago and it did not wobble. Good luck. Let us know how you make out. Charlie

05-19-2014, 02:25 PM	#8
FED 387 VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3,416 Likes: 522 Liked 330 Times in 178 Posts	Re: 3rd Gen Camaro Death Wobble!! GM had stifferner parts for the early Gen III cars to stiffen the front ends and help alleviate just what you are experiencing----look into the 1LE cars for maybe some of those parts

05-20-2014, 01:16 AM	#9
Eman Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: E TN Posts: 473 Likes: 16 Liked 133 Times in 76 Posts	Re: 3rd Gen Camaro Death Wobble!! I have no sway bar or bumper support bar. I thought about one of those wonder bars, I can fab one up, to tie the 2 frame rails together.

05-20-2014, 10:23 AM	#10
Jim Cimarolli Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Sulphur Springs Texas Posts: 743 Likes: 146 Liked 166 Times in 46 Posts	Re: 3rd Gen Camaro Death Wobble!! Just out of curiousity, is the Ed Quay kit legal for Stock and Super Stock? I built one of those cars for a customer, first time I took it out to test I almost soiled myself when the car came down. I had no idea that was going to happen (The wobble). Luckily I had a good grip on the wheel or that could have really gotten ugly.