Car wonders alot while driving.

94RedGt

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Hey guys ever since i got new 18inch wheels with new tires my car drives like shit when going over bad parts of the road, on smooth roads its amazing but as soon as one of the front tires catches a bad part of the road the car just starts to wonder and i feel like im going to crash or something.

I have lowered my car and the wheels are 18x9 in the front with runflat tires that came with the wheels, i want to change those tires cuz they are hard as rock and it sucks over bumps, oh and i have taken the car for a front end alingment and everything is in spec but this wondering problem just makes the car feel like shit. I need to also get a bumpsteer kit cuz i do have a bit of bumpsteer but it has nothing to do with the wondering problem.

Could it be bad bushings on the control arms ? And is there a way to check the bushings to see if they are bad before spending money on new ones, have heard that bad bushings cause this wondering problems since it allows the control arms to move out of place while driving and it changes the alingment.
 

Slykin

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I noticed my coupe does this too.. though i'm running 17x8's. I'd normally say it's the wide tires following the problems in the road.. but mine are too skinny for that. I'm really not sure what it is, but the control arms is not a bad idea. Is everything else in your front end in good shape? I figured mine was doing it because I need new tie-rods, balljoints etc etc.
 

g36 monkey

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18's have a tendency to let you feel more of the road than you might like.

I would check out your bushings, everywhere from control arms to rack bushings.

If you tie rod ands and ball joints and all are good shape, I imagine it's something like that.
The bumpsteer should help out the issue some though.
 

Slykin

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Is it hard to change the A-arm bushings? I'd like to do mine to keep me satisfied until I can buy MM stuff.. but it seems like it could be a pita.
 

g36 monkey

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Well, the problem I had was prothane has a few different sets of a-arm bushings. So the instructions they send you, are sort of universal, and you don't really know which steps you need to follow.

Hard to explain fully, but the stock bushings have metal in the middle for the hole, the bushing, and then a retaining ring type deal around that, then the arm itself.

Some sets have you take out that retaining ring, some don't. It's not in the instructions. We tried and tried and tried to push them in without removing the ring, couldn't do it. After we took them out, bushings went right in, it was a breeze.

You will need a torch, and some real patience to remove the bushings though.
 

Slykin

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Alright, sounds fairly similar to the steering rack bushing setup. Kinda. Thanks!
 

g36 monkey

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Steering rack is easy lol. Take out the bolts, slide the rack forward, remove bushings, put new ones in, tighten bolts back down :)
 

Slykin

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Well, maybe if yours came off that easy LOL. Mine were a PITA to get out on one side, I figure spending 2x as long standing up with an A-arm in a vice is better than the time I spent lying on the concrete cussing at the stupid bushing.. That and I did the whole MM solid rack bushings thing, which you have to pull the metal sleeves out, cut, and reuse etc.
 

g36 monkey

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Ha, mine were just prothane, and went in like cake, less than 30 mins probably.
 

Dalamar

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Sounds like you also need a bump steer.
An alignment would be a good idea after you work her over.
 

framda

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Look for play in the steering linkage. Have someone wiggle the steering wheel while you are looking at the steering components. Start by the master cylinder and check the steering shaft coming out of the firewall. Follow the steering movement all of the way down until you get to the wheels. Look for play. If you still don't find anything it could be the control arm bushings. You can check those by prying on them with a pry bar. When was the last time you had it aligned?
 

JerZeyStangz

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bumpsteer definitely cured my symptoms. If I go over some bumps and dips in the road the wheel stays where it should.
 
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94RedGt

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Ok here is what my car currently has and what has been done. My steering rack is new, new bushings and inner tierods too, i need to check my outters but they seem to not have any play at all so i have not replaced those, my steering rod is now completely solid, it was having play in the telescoping part so i just welded the fucking thing , the rag joint is in good condition and has no play at all. I too the car for an alingment after i lower it and with no caster camber plates, i was amazed when the guy told me that my camber was in spec and all i needed was toe adjustment, he told me my caster on the passanger wheel was off by a tad but thats it, im going to get CC plates and a bumpsteer kit for sure and take her back, but this time i will look around for a better shop , i aligned the car in one of those Goodyear shops and sometimes i think it was a waste of 90 dollars.

Oh and btw this started only after i switched wheels, with my stockers wich were a bit worn on the inside from bad camber the car drove ok and did not pull at all even though it had terrible alingment. Also should i experiment with my toe settings ? Like maybe the car has to much toe out making the tires want to pull to each side, i can mark the rods and do equal ammounts of rotations on each wheel to get the same toe in from both sides , maybe that fixes it some.
 

OnyxCobra

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I wonder what my car thinks about.

Seriously though if it just started since you put the new wheels on then it could just be the tires. Some tires, specifically wide directional ones have a tendency to follow groves in the road causing the car to wander around a bit. Just for the record, what tires are on the front now? If the car is aligned, don't be changing the toe or anything.
 

JerZeyStangz

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Another thing that can make your steering funky is over inflated front tires. Trust me, ask me how I know lol. Pre-bumpsteer kit days...
 

robb15033

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I went with X-2 balljoints and bumpsteer kit from MM. In my case, it took many hours to get it aligned properly but now it drives with an incredible feel. Alot of work for me, first time with all of the work, learning with step. Please keep updating until it's tight. I'll be interested in how it works out & good luck!
 

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