[s-cars] UrS Tramlining - Another Factor

[Fred Munro]

After I installed new Koni shocks and the 2B camber plates late last year I
had the car aligned to -0.5 camber and increased the caster from +0.3 to
+0.9. This eliminated the tramlining and made the car much more steady on
the road. Over the past year I have noticed a gradual increase in tramlining
to the point where I was fighting steering wheel kick on rutted and rough
pavement, the steering felt light, and the car felt very unstable. OK, I
thought, time for another alignment. I also noticed the Konis had softened
up a bit - not much and the car easily passed the "bounce" test, but it felt
a little "loose" on bumps. I decided to crank the Konis down 3/4 turn before
taking it in to get it aligned and did so this weekend. Lo and behold, the
tramlining has vanished, the steering has firmed up, and the car is as
steady as a rock on the same road it was darting all over last week. I
marked and set the 2B plates in the exact same position, so the alignment
hasn't changed. It appears the condition of the shocks has a significant
effect on the tendency to tramline. Interesting.

Fred Munro
'94 S4 (a pleasure to drive again)