Track rod ends and wishbones - pairs?

[MadOnVaux!]

Its going in next monday for my garage to have a good look and poke around the front components....i'll update with what gets found out, hopefully something!

[MadOnVaux!]

Got car back last night....Garage checked every component at front end for wear and movement etc and nothing was worn.

They tightened up the ARB mounts as they werent as tight as they should have been, and also re-torqued all subframe bolts etc etc and re-set the tracking so the wheel was bang on straight.

and i'm pleased to say that all is now well, the car feels like it should and handles great.

It must have been the fact the steering was off centre that was causing the main issue....although i haven't had the knocking yet, fingers crossed it wont come back, but like i said previously, it is a very random knocking.

I might invest in some of them poly tie-rod bushes to get rid of the slight play in the central position of the steering

[MadOnVaux!]

I dont know if it was psychological or not but the feeling is now back

Steering feels very light and vague at speed and i feel like i have no grip, especially when pushing it into corners like i used to be able to do....I keep having to slightly correct the steering too.

But this is only at bypass/motorway speeds, it feels OK at town speed.

Also wondered if something at the rear wasnt as it should be, would this cause this feeling?

[MadOnVaux!]

Anyone?

It's feeling abit dangerous really now....so could something at the rear cause this wayward handling issue?

I dont think my shocks have gone as they are only just over 2 years old and less than 10k miles on them and the car doesnt rise and fall if i press the back end down....the springs are not broken as far as i know , but i would think they are the originals looking at the condition, could old rusty springs cause this?

How would i know if the rear trailing arm bushes were worn, would it knock or would it need raising and inspecting with a pry-bar?

This car is starting to do my head in now

[v6 steve]

have you done the doughnut bushes at the rear Mr C's car was a might mare till we did his

[v6 steve]

these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAUXHALL-CALI ... c17&_uhb=1

[MadOnVaux!]

Cheers Steve....yeah they were done not too long back, a couple of years i think, along with new rear anti-roll bar inner bushes.

[MadOnVaux!]

Anyone else any thoughts please??

[MadOnVaux!]

Anyone???

I know the subject has moved on from the original thread title but i was hoping not to start another thread thats all

[Fraz]

worn rack, track road ends, top strut mounts, top bearings, ball joints, lower arm bushes, tracking, worn wheel bearings, sub frame blots not tight, front hub nuts not tight, wheels bolts not tight, fauty tyre (wearing on one edge or got flat spot) inccorect tyre pressures

then your on to things like a crack in the firewall at the rack mountings, bent shock or hub or a warped disc even

could you borrow another set of wheels and tyres?? if so try that first see if it help ..if you then you can write off a few thngs if its still the same

[MadOnVaux!]

worn rack, track road ends, top strut mounts, top bearings, ball joints, lower arm bushes, tracking, worn wheel bearings, sub frame blots not tight, front hub nuts not tight, wheels bolts not tight, fauty tyre (wearing on one edge or got flat spot) inccorect tyre pressures

then your on to things like a crack in the firewall at the rack mountings, bent shock or hub or a warped disc even

could you borrow another set of wheels and tyres?? if so try that first see if it help ..if you then you can write off a few thngs if its still the same

Cheers Fraz,

Well my garage have had it on the MOT ramp shaker thing and they say nothing at all is moving up front, rack is fine, had new wishbones and track rods....top mounts and bearings changed 3 years ago so should be ok....they re-torqued/tightened subframe, wheels nuts and hub nuts all ok, tyre pressures and tyres ok.

No crack in firewall i shouldnt think as garage would have spotted that, i dont think it'll be a bent shock as ive not hit anything since shocks were all replaced......disks not warped as there is no or minimal shaking through wheel when braking.

and also ive had full 4 wheel geometry check and adjust with printout.

This is what's making me think it is something at the rear, like a trailing arm bush or bushes as they are the only thing that hasnt been replaced at the rear, well apart from the springs but as far as i can see they are intact, but quite rusty and shocks appear ok too, no signs of leakage.

[MadOnVaux!]

OK, so the car has just been into garage to have cambelt noise looked at (See my other thread) and i aksed them to check the back end suspension etc, in particular the trailing arm bushes.

and they basically did an MOT check on the rear components, had a good prod around, put it on the shaker plates and they said there was no aparent movement to anything so i'm at abit of a loss really, something is causing this wolly handling but nowt is showing up.

They did say the NSR wheel bearing was very slightly worn, but surely that wouldnt cause this problem?

[Fraz]

I would still try another set of wheels ...cant do any harm and would then take them right out of any problems

[MadOnVaux!]

What makes you think it could be the wheels though?

[Fraz]

the long list of things you have checked and replaced ...wheels and tyres are things that can cause many problems, if you can get a set or even two, simply swapping them can then eliminate them from any future investigation ...after all the are bolted right onto the hub and transmit everything right through the car