C4 nubie question
 

I just bought my first Corvette, an '85 and have a question. When I cruise
along at 65mph or so and let up on the gas it lurches to the right for a
split second then goes back to normal. Anyone ever heard of this before? I
didn't get a chance to take the car on the expressway before I purchased it
so I only found this out when I brought it home. It 'clunks" when I shift
into drive so I'm pretty sure I'm going to need U joints and figured that
into my purchase price so I'm hoping maybe this is also causing the jump to
the right. If anyone can help or recommend a web site with info I'd
appreciate it. Thanks for any help you can provide.

Brad wrote:

> I just bought my first Corvette, an '85 and have a question. When I cruise
> along at 65mph or so and let up on the gas it lurches to the right for a
> split second then goes back to normal. Anyone ever heard of this before? I
> didn't get a chance to take the car on the expressway before I purchased it
> so I only found this out when I brought it home. It 'clunks" when I shift
> into drive so I'm pretty sure I'm going to need U joints and figured that
> into my purchase price so I'm hoping maybe this is also causing the jump to
> the right. If anyone can help or recommend a web site with info I'd
> appreciate it. Thanks for any help you can provide.
>
>

Brad:
Check the easy things first, tire pressure and loose or missing lug nuts.
Grab the top of a tire and place your foot on the bottom. Then pull back
on the tire as hard as you can. You're checking for looseness in the
spindle/hub. It's easier to do this while the car is jacked up with the
weight off of the tire.
Then look under the hood, check for broken motor or transmission mounts.
Have someone else rev the motor a little while you watch the motor. Have
the driver put the car in gear and with their foot on the brakes, give
the motor a little gas. If it's got a broken motor mount the engine
will want to tip to the passenger side.
If that wasn't it, put the car up on a rack and look into the suspension
components, ball joints, A frame bushings, upper and lower tie rod ends.
Have a close look at the U-joints, typically they won't cause this kind
of problem, but if one of the rear ones is really really bad it might
cause it.
There's serious play somewhere, and until you find it consider it to be
hazardous to your health, especially at speed.

TomC
'90 ZR1

Brad -

Tom's advice looks very good to me. I'd add to it, though, lift the
car's rear end and check the rear wheels for fore-and-aft play. You're
looking for play in the rear A-arm bushings, mostly. It's one of several
things that can cause your symptoms. Just personally, I'd suspect a toe
change is occurring on the rear suspension.

Tom's point that this is a dangerous problem is most well-taken.

-- Vandervecken
C6 ragtop

"Brad" > wrote in message
...
>I just bought my first Corvette, an '85 and have a
>question. When I cruise along at 65mph or so and let up on
>the gas it lurches to the right for a split second then
>goes back to normal. Anyone ever heard of this before? I
>didn't get a chance to take the car on the expressway
>before I purchased it so I only found this out when I
>brought it home. It 'clunks" when I shift into drive so I'm
>pretty sure I'm going to need U joints and figured that
>into my purchase price so I'm hoping maybe this is also
>causing the jump to the right. If anyone can help or
>recommend a web site with info I'd appreciate it. Thanks
>for any help you can provide.

an 85 ?
you are going to be very lucky if there aren't more things
that will need your attention.
be prepared to "pay to play".

g'day
--
"Key"

I bought an 84 my first go around. and it gave me the same problem. check
your rear half shats u-joints. that was my problem. it could be yours
also.

Thanks for the info all. I agree that things sure don't seem safe as is. At
this point the car isn't leaving my garage until I can take it to my local
mechanic for a look see. His shop is all of 1/4 mile from my house. I'm
getting my plates Wednesday and then talking to him to see when he can check
it out.

He's pretty good at telling me if he thinks it's a job I can handle or not,
and allows me to see exactly what's going on after he gets it up on the
lift. I was just hoping to have some ideas going in. I figured someone my
have had a similar problem in the past and apparently I was right.

Brad
"mokey40" > wrote in message
lkaboutautos.com...
>I bought an 84 my first go around. and it gave me the same problem. check
> your rear half shats u-joints. that was my problem. it could be yours
> also.
>