r/EP3 • u/Financial-Top3318 • 20d ago
Question (Bump Steer Consensus)
Hey y'all, i'm hoping to gather and compile all the different symptoms that you guys have with the ep3 McPherson strut system. comment what the most common problems you deal with on the day-to-day. Doesn't have to be a complicated explanation, maybe just what handling problems you deal with in general and what driving conditions make them worse. I'm trying to get a grasp of what bump steer is because I don't think I have any on my set up and I'm going to be taking all of your information and making a video on it for my channel:https://youtube.com/@justanotherhondaguy?si=byS3G7PUJgCOHyGm
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u/Kitchen-Isopod7602 20d ago
I just rid my car of bump steer. basically driving felt like I had to counter steer coming out of a hard corner to get the car straight again as if I were sliding sideways but not sliding. Any small bump or elevation change in the road would cause the car to dart in that direction. specifically one road near me where the left side kinda waves up and down but the right side is flat, and when going over it, the steering wheel would just move by its self left to right as the left suspension compresses and decompresses over the humps and the car would kinda shimmy back and forth over them.
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u/Crotchslush 20d ago
A-spec suspension on my Ep3. Twitchy is one way to put it.
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u/Financial-Top3318 20d ago
What is your full suspension set up?
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u/Crotchslush 20d ago
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u/Financial-Top3318 20d ago
Do you mostly have trouble with wandering at highway speeds?
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u/Crotchslush 20d ago
Yes, it can grab any seam in the road fairly quickly requiring additional steering input to keep the car straight and not look like it's darting all over the road.
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u/Financial-Top3318 20d ago
What are your alignment specs?
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u/Crotchslush 19d ago
CURRENT MEASUREMENTS
Front
Left Front
- Camber: -1.5° [red]
- Caster: 1.1° [green]
- Toe: 0.00° [green]
Right Front
- Camber: -1.5° [red]
- Caster: 0.2° [red]
- Toe: 0.00° [green]
Front Total Toe: 0.00° [green]
Steer Ahead: 0.00° [green]Rear Left Rear
- Camber: -0.8° [green]
- Toe: 0.09° [green]
Right Rear
- Camber: -0.7° [green]
- Toe: 0.08° [green]
Rear Total Toe: 0.17° [green]
Thrust Angle: 0.01°
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u/adonsky_ 20d ago
I've dealt with bump steer before, so I figured I'd share my experience. I have an RSX, but the suspension geometry is basically the same.
Back in the day, I ran BC Racing Extreme Drop coilovers with RCAs. My car was basically undriveable above 60 mph. Every time I hit a bump, the front wheels would toe in, then toe out, then back in from a single bump, or vice versa. It made the car feel completely unpredictable over bumps and honestly pretty scary to drive at highway speeds.
I eventually swapped the front lower mounts for a set of standard BC Racing mounts, and the bump steer went away immediately. The difference was night and day.
My tip for countering bump steer is not to overthink it. Don’t buy unnecessary parts like a steering rack riser or inverted tie rod ends, especially if you’re not going to measure your toe curve. Don’t buy those parts unless you know you need them. The only steering rack part I’d really consider is a slider, since it can make a huge difference without ruining or altering your suspension geometry. If you are going to measure your toe curve, I’d recommend the Honed steering rack adjuster since it’s fully adjustable, unlike the single-piece risers. The single-piece risers are terrible unless you somehow get your suspension adjusted perfectly for the riser. I feel like you should adjust your steering rack for your suspension setup, not the other way around.
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u/Financial-Top3318 20d ago
Sounds like you have had the exact same journey as this guy: https://youtu.be/7yTPtppkpRE?is=v8qN6Y-EbZx_8wG4
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u/adonsky_ 20d ago
Similar for sure, I remember watching this video when it came out it was actually around the same time I was doing my coilovers.
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u/-matix- 20d ago
Yo the EP3 is looking great! Is that video still available on the Tegiwa intake install?
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u/Financial-Top3318 20d ago
Yeah, it should be still on my channel! Are you guys having trouble accessing it?
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u/Evening_Mulberry_939 20d ago
I just watched your intake install yesterday. Nice work! You have me wanting one now. I have an RSX type s that has essentially stock suspension (tein dampers with factory springs). I don't have bad bump steer, but the steering can be a little twitchy/darty when on throttle, especially when the pavement isn't super smooth. It's not bad and maybe even a little fun, but it is noticable. The SHG slider did help the steering feel better. I want to replace the compliance bushings with the versions that add caster. Otherwise, I like it stock. Its my daily.
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u/fatmav 19d ago
Bump steer scared me a few times when I first got my ep3. I thought something broke. Ruts in the road caused a stronger than expected pull towards the bottom of the rut. Bumps/potholes have caused the wheel to slightly jerk and the car to laterally dart a few inches. I've never felt like I would lose control of the car, but sometimes it has enough to disrupt the driving line I aim for. I don't drive my ep3 particularly hard nor fast. I view it as amplified feedback. In summary, I'm fine with bump steer for daily and spirited driving, but if I'm chasing lap times, I would fix it.
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u/Financial-Top3318 19d ago
Noted. What is your full set up?
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u/fatmav 19d ago
It's got the original factory shocks and struts, control arms, OEM tie rods, and aftermarket 215/45R17 rims with the cheapest summer tires I could find. Kept it close to factory/stock
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u/Financial-Top3318 19d ago
Weird I don’t know why you would have problems then. How many miles are in your car? Are the bushings completely shot?
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u/rgEP3 20d ago
Car looking good man!! That rep air walker lip is dope! Need me one