My car always wander on the road, and I almost change everything in suspension, and already done several times alignment, but still got some wander, this time I just replace all the bushing to the polyurethane, so I need an alignment again, but does anyone can suggest a reliable alignment shop or person in GTA area?
Thanks advance for all your suggestion!!!!
Thanks advance for all your suggestion!!!!
Supreme Member
I always go to a mechanic shop near me that I trust. Just about any shop can do an alignment though. The only thing is an alignment only aligns the car with the thrust angle of the rear wheels. It does nothing to compensate for road angles and conditions. On the highway, the road is almost always banked for rainwater so no matter what lane you're in it'll tend to wander in that direction. On regular roads, same deal, just not as severe. If you use 15" wheels then it won't be that bad as say with 16" wheels. My 16" rims may give me a lot more grip than my 15" rims but man when it comes to hugging the road the 16" will do it. Even the slightest groove on well travelled roads when stopping will force me to compensate with steering to keep it straight. So you really can't get rid of wander while driving on the streets. If it still wanders while on a flat road ie race track then you should get it done. Changing bushings made your car stiffer, working on the suspension made it stiffer. This is reflected on how your car hugs the road. Your alignment may not be off, but your car is following the road more due to it being stiffer making you wander and think alignment is off. That's the trade off with stiffer suspension, it'll hold the road, but if the road sucks, it'll follow every crappy detail.
When my '88 (WS6) had about 100,000kms on it it started to wander and it was pretty irritating. Tried new tires, replacing this and that plus alignments. The problem did not go away and got worse once the new tires had worn a pattern in.
So I looked into the steering setup and did the following:
1) Adjusted the steering box for play. Not hard to do just back off one nut and tighten another for adjustment. Any Haynes or Chilton will have this job in a pictogram. The adjustment pieces sit on top of the steering box but BE CAREFUL not to over tighten the adjuster if you do this job.
This job helped somewhat but did not entirely cure the problem.
2) Replaced the steering column between the collapsible flex joints. This is a very, very nasty job that cost me alot of skin as it is a difficult area to work in. If you take a look at the steering column from under the brake reservoir to just in front of the steering box you will see a steel bar that runs into metal collectors at either end and attached to the collectors are the flex joints. These collectors/flex-joints were what turned out to be my problem -- they are nylon or plastic inside where they contact the steel bar and had worn from use. The play in the steering was actually in the steering column itself at the steel bar where it mated to the plastic in the collectors at the flex joints.
Try this test -- with your engine off unlock your steering and try turning your steering wheel back and forth left and right quickly with one hand. Is there alot of play ? Do you here a mild knocking noise ? That was what mine did. You can actually see the play if you watch the column while someone else flicks the wheel back and forth.
My solution was to install new collapsible flex joints and new collectors (not what GM parts calls these pieces by-the-way). I re & re'd them as a package. Nine years later I still remember messing with that job till late at night. The good news was when I did my road test in the morning the wandering problem was gone, gone, gone ! Turning was precise again and I was a happy camper.
I don't remember how much it cost in parts but to tell you the truth after doing struts, bearings, tie-rods, alignments and whatever else -- I didn't care anymore just wanted my f-body to run straight again !
One more thing -- be certain it is the problem before you take on this job because it is a real pain to do !
Hope this helps,
RP.
So I looked into the steering setup and did the following:
1) Adjusted the steering box for play. Not hard to do just back off one nut and tighten another for adjustment. Any Haynes or Chilton will have this job in a pictogram. The adjustment pieces sit on top of the steering box but BE CAREFUL not to over tighten the adjuster if you do this job.
This job helped somewhat but did not entirely cure the problem.
2) Replaced the steering column between the collapsible flex joints. This is a very, very nasty job that cost me alot of skin as it is a difficult area to work in. If you take a look at the steering column from under the brake reservoir to just in front of the steering box you will see a steel bar that runs into metal collectors at either end and attached to the collectors are the flex joints. These collectors/flex-joints were what turned out to be my problem -- they are nylon or plastic inside where they contact the steel bar and had worn from use. The play in the steering was actually in the steering column itself at the steel bar where it mated to the plastic in the collectors at the flex joints.
Try this test -- with your engine off unlock your steering and try turning your steering wheel back and forth left and right quickly with one hand. Is there alot of play ? Do you here a mild knocking noise ? That was what mine did. You can actually see the play if you watch the column while someone else flicks the wheel back and forth.
My solution was to install new collapsible flex joints and new collectors (not what GM parts calls these pieces by-the-way). I re & re'd them as a package. Nine years later I still remember messing with that job till late at night. The good news was when I did my road test in the morning the wandering problem was gone, gone, gone ! Turning was precise again and I was a happy camper.
I don't remember how much it cost in parts but to tell you the truth after doing struts, bearings, tie-rods, alignments and whatever else -- I didn't care anymore just wanted my f-body to run straight again !
One more thing -- be certain it is the problem before you take on this job because it is a real pain to do !
Hope this helps,
RP.
Supreme Member
It's been awhile since I had play in the steering on my car I forgot about that. Yeah like palric said check that, you should only have about at most an inch left and right of play in the wheel, if there's more then something's busted. A standard check, ball joints, takes 2 people and you wiggle the wheels with a crowbar to see how much play you got on al joints. Turns out my center link was busted (well I think it was, long bar across connects to pitman arm) one of the joints was really loose. I replaced that and got it re aligned and went from 3 inches of play to like 1 inch. Its important to keep those joints lubed up else that will happen.
Thanks Palric, Slade1.
Yes, I have done all the change in front end. and tight steering box a little bit, it 's much better than before, but I still need take all my attention when I am driving, it still have some wander, I have checked my steering column, I don't think there is too much play on that, but I will try to replace the rag joint to see if it can cure the problem. anyway thanks!!!!!
Yes, I have done all the change in front end. and tight steering box a little bit, it 's much better than before, but I still need take all my attention when I am driving, it still have some wander, I have checked my steering column, I don't think there is too much play on that, but I will try to replace the rag joint to see if it can cure the problem. anyway thanks!!!!!