Steering/Handling woes...

[Guest]

Hey guys,

My BC has developed a pretty wierd problem in the steering/handling. It started the other day, I hadn't noticed it until I was going quite fast out on the open road and went around a slight corner at speed and the car started swaying about pretty crazy... I thought it could have been my wheel alignment out as I went over a curb a day or so before, I didn't hit the curb too hard but i've got 18's with super low profile tyres so there's not much cushioning to be had. I ended up ringing my local mechanic and asked him if he could do a wheel alignment for me, and described the steering to him as "loose/swaying", but after the wheel alignment he concluded that the alignment wasn't really out at all, so I got him to take it for a drive and he reckoned that it seemed as though the ass end of the car was trying to almost steer itself, which I agree with. He ended up jacking up the ass end of the car and concluded that the bushes seemed to need replacing as there was slight play/looseness in the lower arms etc. He said it didn't seem like my steering rack or anything was buggered.

Could it be just the bushes like he is saying, or something else? Just wondering if any of you have had a problem similar to this before, prior to me ripping in to it? The looseness is quite bad and I'd love to get her all fixed up.

Thanks,

-Sam.

[funkytown]

location?

just at high speed? swaying as it meanders left to right with out steering input from you?

[Joker]

shocks are stuffed

[Guest]

It has got adjustables in it man. I really hope that they aren't the problem! Um even going through town around corners it sorta starts wandering on me. You mainly feel it at higher speeds. Yeah left ti right swaying. It really does feel like the back is trying to steer itself. it's so weird. I can't explain it very well. It only just started happening the other day....before that, it handled really really well, like shite sticks to a blanket. When i was giving it a bit of stick and first noticed it I freaked the hell out as it seems so bad.

[Joker]

 tedebare said:

It has got adjustables in it

ahah well with the info supplied (maybe I misread OP) that was what causes much agro in the handling dept.

still my uneducamated answer - imaging a car with no shock (dampers) and let to sit on the springs (i have see na cool youtube vid of this once) you end up with an unstable platform that is constantly in motion (sringing back and forth)

[nztintin]

swaybar link snapped?

[sickmatesick]

steering assist playing up?

[NotAWhiteGTB]

Does it feel like it is coming more from the front or the back?

Jack up the whole car and see if you can make the wheels toe in or out by hand. If you can you should be able to trace it from there

[funkytown]

and the subframe is all tight - from my project (haha) there are about 20 bolts and 3 bushes a side that can be looked at. then check out play in the shocks (if its the rear). Check hubs for noise/play

Pretty much what Cuddas and NotAWhiteGTB said above.

[Optical]

when i bought my car i had this problem. Turns out whoever had installed the cusco 4point brace on the front hadnt done one control arm nut up tight. It felt like the rear of the car was swinging around and the fault was back there, but it was just that nut

[Guest boostin]

Sticking rear caliper??