steering problems and clunk with bags - Suspension and Brake Forum

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steering problems and clunk with bags
Saturday, March 05, 2005 8:25 PM
I have had my bags on for over a month now but I have had this same problem and im really tired of it. Before you say, "get an alignment," I already had one done and it does this still. Heres the prob: When I make a hard left turn, something "pops" and then the steering wheel is to the left for the car to go straight, then when i make a hard right, the steering wheel is to the right to go straight. It is not an alignment issue because I dont have to hold the wheel to the right or left, it just goes there. Please help







Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Saturday, March 05, 2005 8:40 PM
Dude the steeering wheel is on the left sometimes while driving straight and on the right sometimes while driving straight?

Thats messed up. You have something majorly loose. I honestly dont know what to tell you.




Does it do this with no change of air pressure? Because it dosnt take much pressure difrance in the front bags to get the sterring wheel to sit to the left or the right even while driving striaght.


I am all that is man


Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Saturday, March 05, 2005 9:02 PM
Quote:

Dude the steeering wheel is on the left sometimes while driving straight and on the right sometimes while driving straight?

Thats exactly the problem and it does this depending on which way i make a hard turn...If i make a hard turn to the left, the wheel stays to the left, and vise versa.

Yes I myself think something is loose. It does this no matter if the air pressure is the same in both front bags or if there is more in one side or the other.

Im going to take the wheels off tomorrow and see if any strut bolts are loose, then taking it back to the shop this week for them to fix my f'd up problem they probably caused.






Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 6:43 AM
Damn man. I Hope you get this worked out. I dont see what the strut itself could be doing. I wonder if it has something to do in the sterring itself.

Did this ever happin before the bags? IM guesssing no.


I am all that is man


Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 8:14 AM
Yea i hope i get this fixed this week, hopefully the shop just forgot to tighten something. But nah it didnt happen before, I had Eibach Sportlines on stock struts and everything was perfectly fine.






Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 8:29 AM
Don't go driving far with it. I would have your tie rods checked. Inner an outer. I don't know what else could cause that. Good luck with it.



Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 8:40 AM
David Alameda (Zspeedcav) wrote:Don't go driving far with it. I would have your tie rods checked. Inner an outer. I don't know what else could cause that. Good luck with it.


Yes I don't like driving it everywhere but its my only mode of transportation and I have been driving it like this for about a month now. Hopefully it sees the shop this week. thanks for the help guys






Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 10:25 AM
Ive thaught of one thing that it might be. They may not have tightened the lower two bolts on the struts.

One of the holes is elongated to alow for camber adjustment.
If that moves it will throw things off.

Take you rim off (or look threw rim) and see if there is wear around the top bolt on the bottom of the strut. You will be able to tell if its been slidding back and forth.

<a href="http://www.imageshack.us"><img src="http://img33.exs.cx/img33/5463/strut18aj.jpg" border="0" width="379" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

THe top of the lower two bolts is the one you need to look at.


I am all that is man


Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 11:28 AM
only thing i can think of is difference in air pressure but that shouldnt be affected by turning unless theres something wrong with your valves letting air leak out when you make a hard turn

Phil Thacker
JCO North President

Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 1:09 PM
Hey esb ill go check that right now. I know its not air pressure because i can hear something when i turn the wheel, the sound of something being loose. Im so tired of driving like this, it makes me want to put the old struts back in.






Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 4:07 PM
Just an idea.. Take it back to the alignment shop, so they can fix their shoddy work.. That is UNSAFE!
Or look it over yourself if you can.. Jack it up, and physically twist/pull/push on the tie rods.. Look for uneven movement.. Have someone turn the wheels back and forth while you look at the linkages from underneath...

While the wheels are straight(still jacked up though), grab the wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock.. Now push on 3 while pulling on 9, and vice versa.. Look/feel for play..



"If life throws you a curve, pop the clutch and drift it!"

Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 5:08 PM
Dude I already told you to check the two bottom bolts and take it back to the alignment shop on IM why did you make a post about this?

Pat


<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pahtcub/sample.jpg">
Still a Non-member of Team Unofficial even though everyone else b!tched out!!!!
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Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 5:36 PM
Pahtcub wrote:Dude I already told you to check the two bottom bolts and take it back to the alignment shop on IM why did you make a post about this?

Pat


Hey pat i made the post before i asked ya. sorry, i was looking for opinions then i saw you online so i im'd you for some imediate help. Thank you.

But anyways, i went out and jacked each side up and took the rims off. As esb said, i can tell that the top strut bolt is moving around because its worn around the washer. (powdercoat is worn off). I tightened it as much as i could with a 12" wrench and 12" ratchet which is very small and it seemed to help the problem a little bit. Tomorrow im going to jack it up again and use a breaker bar to tighten them and see what that does. If this does not fix the problem completely, I will take it back asap. Thank you guys.







Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 6:26 PM
Damn Im good.

If you want to get it the camber real close to stock then go measure the top bolt distance on your stock strut. ANd then measure your new struts and make sure your in same spot.

Thats what I did and I was damn near on the money when I got my alignment


I am all that is man


Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 6:34 PM
Hopefully tomorrow I will have time to jack it up again and tighten the top bolt with a impact gun. I hope this fixes it. esb, im not totally clear on the measuring thing and what to do for that.






Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Sunday, March 06, 2005 6:58 PM
Measure the distance that the top bolt of the lower two sat on the stock strut.
Measure to the center of the shaft. Or whatever common point you choise. JUst make sure you go to same point on the air strut.

Now when you tighten up the bolts on the air struts make sure that the top bolt in the elongated hole is the same distnace to the center of the strut shaft as it was on the stock one.


Look at my pic again for referance. I want to say its 1/4" from the outer edge to the edge of the washer. THis will just help get you close to a good alignment untill you get it back in the shop.


I am all that is man


Re: steering problems and clunk with bags
Tuesday, March 08, 2005 7:21 PM
Alright i dropped it off at the shop today and got it back. the guy said that i was "riding to low on it and blah blah blah" thats why it got messed up which is bs because i dont ride below 50 which is my ride height. but anyways, they had to weld the top camber bolt in which is good in some ways but bad in others. The bolt should never come loose again, but then again i may want to take the strut off someday. LOL but esb, the top strut bolt was the problem!






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