My '87 IROC has an all new suspension. Every bushing, tie rod, balljoint, everything, is new. That includes a rebuilt steering box (second one actually as I thought the first one might have been bad) and a new rag joint. There is no play in anything (including the wheel bearings) and the frame isn't cracked.

So as the title says, it wanders. On the highway, middle lane, it just decides to go one way or the other by itself. I've had it to two alignment shops and they both say that they can see what I mean, but have no idea why it's doing it. They say everything is in spec and the rear is tracking the front. They are clueless.

So I'm at a loss about what to try next. I've been messing with old cars for a lot of years and this one makes no sense. Any thoughts appreciated.

 

ive noticed here lately that its getting harder and harder to find a good alignment shop, i finally just bought the tool to do it myself and the Toe in and out arent hard to adjust. But i dont know what it could be to be honest, did u use the good stuff in the front end or the cheap chinese stuff.

 

It's all MOOG. Still probably chinese these days. I'm thinking it might still be the steering box even though it's the second rebuild. I noticed the pitman shaft deflects slightly before it starts to move.

 

Try and notice when you are driving if it happens when you are changing throttle positions (i.e.- on and off the gas pedal). It very well could be the posi unit going bad- locking and unlocking casuing the axle thrusts to steer the car inadvertantly on you.

Dean

 

roads aren't perfectly flat....even with a new alignment i still have a **** steering wheel at times pending on what part of the road im on in Wisconsin.....but on some roads the wheel isn't cocked and the car drives straight and doesn't wander...I'm guessing you're driving on a road designed to dump access water off like most are...roads aren't designed perfectly 100% flat

 

You can rule this out already becasue he stated two different alignment shops have looked at it and are puzzled. THe alignment shops would know if its the roads around them or not becasue they test drive the vehicles after they perform the work- Ever think they would know if its the roads becsasue other customers cars would do the same? Its not the roads in this case.

I will bet big money its something to so with rear axle thrust with a bad diff or even bad rear control arm bushings.

 

sounds like the road to me to
does it only do this in the middle lane? left lane the car tries to pull left?right lane tries to pull right? do these roads you drive on see alot of big rigs? if so look at the middle and right lanes they have crowns in them from the truck tires forcing the pavement ot ware faster twords the outsides of the lanes.

 

Could the the strut mounts

 

Look at the tires.My lincoln Mark 7 wanders when the tire pressures are not perfect. It maybe a shifted belt in the tire itself. I recently put new BFG's on the car and it drives alot smoother and softer than the Yokohamas I had.