- Why It Got Sketchy After You Lowered It
- Bumpsteer Explained (Without the Engineering Degree)
- Quick Diagnosis: Loose Parts vs Alignment vs Bumpsteer
- The “Ridetech-Style” Solution Map
- What Ridetech TruTurn Actually Fixes
- Parts to Shop (with SKUs)
- Install Overview, Tools & PPE
- Wrap-Up & Tell Us Your Setup
You lowered your classic for the stance. Totally valid. But now it feels like the front end is negotiating every crack in the pavement like it’s a contract dispute.
If your newly-lowered ride suddenly wanders, darts, or feels twitchy over bumps, you’re probably not “imagining things.” Lowering changes steering and suspension geometry, and sometimes it changes it in the exact wrong way. This post is the “why it got sketchy” explanation—plus a practical path back to stable, confident steering.
Why It Got Sketchy After You Lowered It
When you lower a car, you move the suspension into a different part of its travel arc at ride height. That sounds harmless until you realize:
- Control arms and tie rods swing in arcs (not straight lines).
- Those arcs need to match so the wheels don’t “toe in/out” as the suspension moves.
- Lowering changes angles, so the arcs stop matching—and the car steers itself over bumps.
Classic double-wishbone (and many short/long-arm) front ends are especially sensitive. Drop it enough and you can end up with:
- Darting / lane-wandering on uneven roads
- Toe change as the suspension compresses (hello, bumpsteer)
- Less “return to center” feel if alignment is now out of range
- More slop you didn’t notice before because the new geometry amplifies it
Bumpsteer Explained (Without the Engineering Degree)
Bumpsteer is when the wheels change toe as the suspension moves up and down. The result feels like the car “tugs” the steering wheel over bumps or in dips—especially mid-corner. Fun on a video game. Less fun at 70 mph.
In a perfect world, the steering linkage is set up so the tie rod’s arc closely matches the control arm’s arc. When you lower the car, the tie rod angle often points uphill or downhill more aggressively, so the arcs no longer agree—and the tires toe in/out as the suspension compresses.
- Matched arcs = suspension moves, tires stay pointed where you aimed them.
- Mismatched arcs = suspension moves, tires “steer” themselves.
Quick Diagnosis: Loose Parts vs Alignment vs Bumpsteer
Before you start throwing parts at it, do the boring-but-smart checks. Geometry problems are real—but worn parts are the chaos multiplier.
1) Check for the “classic slop” list
- Inner/outer tie rod ends
- Idler arm / pitman arm play
- Ball joints
- Control arm bushings
- Steering rag joint / steering shaft u-joints
- Wheel bearings and lug torque
2) Get alignment in the ballpark
After lowering, alignment specs often drift. Two big ones for “feel”:
- Toe: Too much toe-out can feel darty and nervous.
- Caster: More positive caster generally improves straight-line stability and return-to-center (within reason and within your car’s adjustability).
3) Spot bumpsteer symptoms
- The car feels okay on smooth road, but gets twitchy on broken pavement.
- You hit a bump mid-corner and the steering wheel “nudges” in your hands.
- It feels like it has a mind of its own over dips and driveway transitions.
The “Ridetech-Style” Solution Map
Here’s the practical path—from “quick wins” to “full geometry correction.”
| If you feel… | Most likely | Best next move |
|---|---|---|
| Wander + vague response | Worn linkage / coupler | Refresh steering joints, tighten steering shaft/coupler |
| Darty / nervous on center | Toe/caster off after lowering | Alignment + add adjustability if needed |
| Steers itself over bumps | Bumpsteer (toe change in travel) | Bumpsteer correction kit or full geometry fix (TruTurn-type) |
| Big drop + wide wheels + weirdness | Stacked geometry issues + clearance limits | System approach: corrected spindles + steering arms/draglink + alignment |
Translation: If you lowered it an inch and it’s a little twitchy, you may be able to tune it out. If you lowered it a lot and it got properly spooky, you probably need geometry correction—not vibes and hope.
What Ridetech TruTurn Actually Fixes
Ridetech’s TruTurn approach is basically: “Let’s make the classic front end behave like a modern performance car—without swapping the whole chassis.” For platforms like early Camaros/Firebirds and Novas, the system targets the geometry problems that show up when you lower the car and start asking it to corner hard.
- Corrects bumpsteer: Changes steering arm/draglink geometry so toe change through travel is dramatically reduced.
- Improves cornering behavior: Helps the tire maintain a better contact patch in a turn (less of the classic ‘tire leans the wrong way’ vibe).
- Improves wheel/tire clearance: Steering arm clearance is redesigned so you can run wider wheels/tires on popular setups.
Parts to Shop (with SKUs)
Start Here: Browse the Categories
Ridetech TruTurn Systems (Popular Platforms)
- Ridetech TruTurn System – 1967–1969 GM F-Body / 1968–1974 Nova (SKU: ART-11169500)
- Ridetech TruTurn System w/ Hub Spindles – 1964–1966 Mustang (SKU: ART-12099598)
- Ridetech TruTurn System – 1982–2003 S10 (SKU: ART-11399599)
Bumpsteer Tuning Parts
- Allstar Performance Bump Steer Kit – Mustang II +1" (SKU: DNLF_ALL56286)
- QA1 Steering Bump Steer Assembly – BAX106 (SKU: BJGM-BAX120)
“Better Feel” Parts (Tighten the Human Interface)
If the steering wheel feels vague or rubbery, don’t ignore the parts between your hands and the box/rack.
- Borgeson Steering U-Joint – 3/4"-36 x 1" DD (SKU: BRG-213452)
- Borgeson OEM Style Rag Joint Coupler – 3/4"-36 x 3/4"-36 (SKU: BRG-314900)
- Borgeson Steel Double-D Steering Shaft – 3/4" DD, 36" long (SKU: BRG-409436)
Going Deeper: System-Level Suspension Fixes
- Browse Suspension Kits (when you’re ready to stop “chasing” issues and start “solving” them)
- SPC Performance (alignment adjustability for when the drop moved your specs out of range)
Install Overview, Tools & PPE
High level: If you’re installing bumpsteer spacers/adjusters, you’re typically adjusting tie-rod height at the spindle to better match suspension arcs. If you’re installing a TruTurn-style system, you’re changing the geometry components (steering arms/draglink/tie rods and, on some systems, spindles) to correct the underlying problem more comprehensively. Either way, finish with a professional alignment.
- Floor jack, rated jack stands, wheel chocks
- Socket/wrench set, breaker bar, torque wrench
- Needle nose pliers, hammer, pry bar (as needed)
- Paint pen/marker for reference marks
- Penetrating oil, anti-seize, blue threadlocker (where appropriate)
- PPE: safety glasses and gloves (steering and suspension hardware can bite)
- Optional but awesome: bumpsteer gauge or toe plates
Wrap-Up & Tell Us Your Setup
Lowering can make a classic feel sharp and modern—or it can make it feel like it’s chasing every road seam. The difference is geometry (plus tight, healthy parts).
If your car got sketchy after the drop, start with the basics (tight parts + alignment), then decide whether you need tuning (bumpsteer kits/spacers) or a true geometry correction (TruTurn-style systems). Your knuckles and your lane position will thank you.
Now your turn: What did you lower, how much drop, and what fixed the steering for you? Tell us your best (or worst) “why is this thing wandering?” stories in the comments below.
