ALFAGTV6.COM

My recently-bought GTV6 has a pronounced tendency to wander on freeways, to the extent that I have to concentrate quite hard to keep within a lane - even leaning across to adjust the radio is a bit risky. I suspect the tyres (tires!) - these are 205/40 on 17" rims. It's not the make of tyre - it did it on the Dunlop FM901s it had when I bought it a few weeks ago, and still does it now with the Michelin Pilot Precedas I have had to replace them with, due to nail damage (this is a tyre limited to the Asian-Pacific region). In every other respect the car feels terrific. The steering is very light, except at parking speeds, and hard cornering at speed feels very safe, with no detectable body movement (the car has been lowered, fitted with Konis, and possibly given other suspension treatment). There's no tramlining. The wheel alignment has been checked & is OK, and there's very little play at the steering wheel. It doesn't have anything like the road feel of my Spider, but leaves the Spider for dead in adhesion.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Is it a characteristic of the car, or the mods? It's not self-centering I'm after, just a stronger capacity to keep running in the same direction.

Tia, DaveR

84 GTV6
85 Spider

Sounds like worn caster rod bushings to me.

Any of the following can be the cause:
Front lower control arm bushes
Radius rod rubbers
Upper control arm bush

Rear watts link bushe (5X)
De dion bush

Allignment
tyres
even braking system(small possibility)

I would personally look at l c bushes .The torsion bars hide these well untill you start loading them

Hope this helps

If you find one that is worn out, it's a good time to change them all if you can, will save you more trouble in the long run.

Maybe look at powerflex bushes as well, not much more than standar prices.

Andrew.b

Thanks guys for that advice. I'll have the suspension looked at in the next few days.

Meanwhile, I found this intriguing comment from SteveR in an old post about the merits of power steering:

"The plus points being the steering doesn't now weight up under hard cornering (more consistent), slightly less turns lock to lock, and the steering wheel has lost a very very slight but nevertheless annoying high speed vibration. It's heavier than the nonassisted set up on the move, so less fidgety when cruising... for instance you can sneeze & not weave around !!!"

... "fidgety when cruising"? Maybe SteveR had worn bushes too.

It's an east conversion if you have all the correct bit's. Can be done with hydro/electric pump also - (race car style)

You got any info on where one could buy a good pump Andrew? Electric PS pump that is.

Hi Dave R

I think my original rack was slightly worn, the PS rack wasn't.

I did change the castor bushes for Poly ones at a later date & noticed an improvement in turn performance and therefore agility, with no negative effects of NVH etc.

Always thought that "Wander" in a straight line noticable at speed is often the watts lingage bushes at the back, a little rear wheel steer.... or the castor arm bushes, have a look at the factory ones, they are so soft, almost like sponge !!

SteveR, thanks for that. I had the car looked at today by Beninca, Alfa people here in Melbourne, who say the steering rack is well-worn. It's being replaced next week, & whatever bushes need doing also. I discussed replacing with a powersteering setup from an Alfa 75 (Milano?). They have done this, & were positive about the benefits overall, but cost would be about A$3,500, or US$2,650, so think I'll pass on this one, & put the money into a gearbox, and/or more effective AC (hot summer here!).

That does seem expensive !

fyi I bought a cheap donor 75 3.0 (with broken AFM), had the engine, PS, etc swapped into my GTV and gained a big box full of spares (transaxle, rear calipers, starter, alternator, injectors etc etc). Paid favourite Alfa machanic to swap it over and gave him the remaining donor car as part of the payment for his labour

Worked out quite a good deal I think.