Steering and-or tracking problem... ?

[superquag]

Due to recovering from surgery, SWMBO is now my personal chauffeur, and as luck would have it, her formally reliable Magna is grounded... meaning we now travel in The Lady Sarah.

Anyway, the Boss alleges that Sarah is intent on following every groove, line and even painted line on the road, something I would tend to agree with, another reason I favoured the 'other' cars for the open road.

in a last-ditch attempt to keep her in the family a bit longer, any clues as to 'what' and where to look ? Swivel hubs? steering - rod ball joints ? Entrails of a chicken ?
Tyres make or no differance, currently Coopers A/T 235/70 R16, other brands and sizes up to 225/75 R16, BFG's or Goodyear are similar though safer in the wet...

Steering box feels ok, and she's only done 220K, the last 80k on sealed roads only. PO did some beach work, and even less 'dry' land stuff. Also mainly a commuter.
Wheel alignment is good (tyres wearing evenly) and the VC is long dead - and disconnected front prop-shaft - making her a 2 tonne RWD shopping trolley.

Suggestions are welcome, as are suitable mechanics South of River. I've decided I'm too lazy/old to crawl underneath...:o

James in Gosnells,

The Lady Sarah, '95 Vogue SE with working air suspension. :D

[DoubleChevron]

Is it sitting to high? I'm wondering if someone hasn't messed with the height sensors to "lift it" ... If it's sitting to high it's caster angle will be buggered up and it won't want to track very well.

seeya,
Shane L.

[superquag]

Don't think so.

I let the EAS do its own thing, so it soon gets to Highway Height, but this twitchiness is at all speeds, so altitude is not the main influence..

Yes, its painfully undecided when I lift it to 'Off-Road' and then lock it there... got a isolate switch under the seat.

I've a gut feeling it may be the swivel hub hinges (bearings...) as the POonly had it 'serviced' by a local greasy - thumb.
Does that sound like a probability ?

Wife is driving it under extreme sufferance, and today tells me she feels the back end feeels like its sliding out, divorced from the front wheels...She seriously suggests I scrap (metal value) it to cut our co$ts. Rego and Insurance is coming up. - IF I don't fix it either way, I may well be as divorced as said rear wheels....

For on-road driving, the Father-In-Law's old Ssang Yong REXTON is way smooother, sad to say... And his 350 Merc is very addictive !:eek:

[discopete]

It sounds like a bit of rear steer. Have you checked all suspension bushes especially rear control arm to chassis?

Pete

[JDNSW]

As Pete says. The description sounds like free play in the axle location systems either front or rear.

The most likely problems are the panhard rod bushes or the rear bushes on the rear lower link, but also suspect the rest of the suspension bushes. Probably not the ball joint on top of the rear axle, as its most common symptom is a loud clunk, before it allows significant actual movement.

John

[Bundy]

In my experience with classics. the panhard rod bushes, the rear control arm to chassis bushes allowing the rear axle to rear steer (but really noticeable when you back off) and the passenger side tie rod. well all of them really but the left hand one makes a huge difference to stability.

Also wondering about how the constant 4wd being disconnected would affect it as the rangie is usually set up with a little bit of toe out because the front axle is working. Most cars toe in so you may have to get it changed.

[Rick1970]

Front prop disconnected?? Rear drive only??


Try setting front from toe out to toe in maybe.


Can vaguely remember being told from a guy that changed his GXL cruiser from full time 4wd to part time, had similar issues. A change in toe settings from factory specs fixed it, after a lot of money on other stuff didn't.