here is a run down of my steering details easily viewed in the pics, but its just FYI and for comparison reasons as we all try to figure out wtf is causing this.

i have a manual 15:1 rack
solid offset rack bushings
ALL energy suspension bushings/tie rod boots
new ball joints, bearings have 6500miles and are adjusted proper
KYB strut inserts, 6500miles
RE-speed Xmember/steering arms
new tie rod ends
tie rod adapters are maximized on the threads, meaning i have little adjustment for toe needs so maximum amount of thread is engaged
.750 thick roll center blocks under the strut
i have 280# springs
adjustable camber plates
custom spring tops riding on torington bearings
15x7 +35 wheel
205/50/15 tire

i never took the strut insert apart for the current mods, i just added the adjustable camber plates, and the .750 roll center blocks, that i am going to remove and try without. i never had this vibe before, and at first i was blaming the new tires, but i dont think they are the cause.

oddly the car is super reactive, the slightest input will result in direction change, but when the wheel is vibrating at its worst the car tracks straight and true....

i think once we find the cause of this a LOT of people are going to be made happy...including myself..im tired of problems...if i wanted problems i would have kept the 12a :D

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...93712939_n.jpg

straightened and repainted the rear bumper, its not "perfect" anymore...but most people will never notice, I will...but just going to have to live with it until I chance upon one that is better, which ya'll know isn't easy to find....I am still very amazed at how it withstood that impact, how the car managed to escape panel damage and at how i managed to collect my senses enough to not get myself put in jail...

If the steering wheel shakes it's a tire nine times out of ten.

Did you tighten the thread adapters properly on the rack setup? Cause I have the same one and have no issues at all. I bought mine when Mr. Waits still owned RE-Speed though so I don't know if that matters or not. I didn't feel like reading that thread you posted.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...23295849_n.jpg

good friends on top of the skyway

Beautiful car man! I enjoyed seeing it at DGRR, glad you made it out!

First of all, I gotta say congrads on this build!
Wish I could see it in person for myself...

Gotta love the link to the dumb club...
(Bent axle shaft? Are you for real?)
Only really useful info was the sheer pin reply.
Gotta narrow down the problem to either a resonance problem (which is sounds like) or a out-of-spec part (which would usually mean +speed = +noise, which doesn't sound like the case).
Let's concentrate on this as a resonance problem...

Do you know what your caster spec is?
Too little caster can cause your headaches.
Another more than 5-degrees should be okay - I would worry of caster is less than 5-degrees.
Since you basically did a front steering / suspension retrofit and others have complained about the same problem, I would tend to blame the retrofit itself as the problem...


-Ted

thanks a lot!
ok alignment specs, my caster L=3.1, R=3.8, with a specified range of 3.2-4.2 and 3.7-4.7 respectively, so it is pretty much in factory spec range, that is where we put it since it was all new of course and totally out of whack, so that is where we go from here on that.

I have to pull the lower steering knuckle off since the trip to DGRR had long sustained periods of vibration on the interstate it has worked a little slop in the spline, and it is as tight as the little bolt will go, so it needs to be looked at and possibly replaced.... who knows, but such is life, in the process i also had my upper intercooler bracket bolt break and the drivers charge pipe rubbed the sheet metal and put a small hole in the pipe...so gotta fix that too...FUN!!
considering the abuse i hurled at it on its maiden voyage and the vibration problem it left home with, that isnt too bad.

also along the way i bagged me a c5 corvette, a 5.7 GTO and a 6.0 GTO on the interstate that thought they wanted a piece of my lil ol rx7, aint surprises a bitch :D

Looking forward to doing that again, with a more refined tune, more power and better tires...oh that and a ^&$##$*&@^%$( GPS.....

Beautiful car, glad I got to see it in person

Stock FC caster is 4-degrees, 40' - almost 5-degrees.
Kingpin angle is about 13.5-degrees.

Can you induce more caster with your set-up?


-Ted

This build makes me happy in pants...

Seriously though great build man!

I dont know how I missed this build thread before, but I just read it front to back. I saw your car at DGRR as was, to say the least, very impressed!!!!

I dont WANT to like this car, but I just cant help it , Hell I dont like it , I LOVE it!!

I have never seen a piston conversion that I would give two cents for, until I saw yours!!!

I was so impressed that I nominated your car for the peoples choice award, that's alot for the rotorhead that i am. Peeps, get out and vote!!!!

Cool car, cool guy.......

2 cents
Robert Watson

thanks again man, it has a tendency to do that to the haters hehehe
i took it to a local gathering and got a few sideways looks, so i just popped the hood and walked away to talk to some ppl i knew, and i look back...20 ppl huddled around it...its impossible to hate :D

however it wouldnt be nearly as cool with a chevy/ford engine in it, even as clean as it is, it would probably be faster...like it needs more power...:lol:
but cool no...

yes i can, the RLCA of the conversion has plenty of adjustment, again i started with stock settings to get it going, but i will for sure play with it next time i have an alignment rack avail to use, that vibe has got to go...one way or another...

so i had a thought about that odd "knocking" noise that has been in the car from the first time i drove it...and the day i got hit of course...

I am thinking it might be one of my exhaust valves shimmed too tightly, seeing as how it does not do it cold and gets louder after a pull or even moderate acceleration and return to idle, though it did not do this during the first couple of heat cycles in the driveway, mainly due i think to the fact that the engine runs very cool and until you get it out and drive under load it doesnt really get hot, so...since the stethescope places it over the passenger valve cover area i can remove that valve cover and check the clearances again...the drivers side requires removal of whole engine...:18:

i think the "knocking" sound may actually be compression+combustion being blown into the exhaust pipe which is right on the frame rail making it very noticeable inside the car. but constant torture of the engine has failed to make it better or worse so its obviously not a critical issue, but if the valve is hanging open a bit i might have already burnt it a little...:07: hopefully not, it will most certainly be robbing me of some power on that hole.

so while i have it in the air doing other things i will try to solve that mystery once and for all.

now as it has been a bit of a smoker since day 1 i think it is the result of the extra piston .002 we gave the stock HE pistons possibly coupled with the extra ring gap added for FI. i can deal with it, its just mildly embarrassing pulling away from a stoplight and fogging the car behind me for a moment.
i might have to replace plugs more often...but after 8 years of rotaries that is nothing new, and they are only $1.50 each :biggthumpup:

wish i had something new to report....car runs fine, i only fiddle with the tuning because i can and i like fiddling...

some minor suspension mods coming soon, will post details during that project

going to make all attempts to make DGRR2014 and then some gearing up for a pikes peak excursion is in the works, long ride out there....

in the meantime a few pics of it out and about
https://scontent-a-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/...91545587_n.jpg
https://scontent-b-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/...15434316_n.jpg
https://scontent-b-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/...22121480_n.jpg
https://scontent-b-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/...28715952_n.jpg
https://scontent-b-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/...07542048_n.jpg
https://scontent-b-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/...20497951_n.jpg