Alignment & Wobble at speed

[Turbo_Steve]

Okay guys...diagnosis time :D

I have steering wheel shiudder at speeds over 80mph.
You go faster, it gets worse and worse.
From trawling around here, this is likely to be a CV joint, and so presumably a new half-shaft? Correct?
Anywhere you'd reccomend I get either of these?

Second problem is that the car is pulling to the left.
My guess is that it's had some kerb interface at some point, and so is going to need an arm changing (track rod end, maybe?)

Anyone want to bet that it's the same wheel with the shudder?

SO...advice in general appreciated, please: best way to diagnose which parts are bent / need replacing etc.

After this, I think it's time for a wheel alighnment....it doesn't feel planted on the road at all, the steering feels overly light and floaty, and it understeers for tuppence, which doesn't make any sense.

[richy rich]

Id get wheal bal and tracking done first then look in to the more expensive bits.

[Nick Mann]

Aye. I'd agree with Rich. My inner CV joint was more of an issue under acceleration than cruising. For the moment I have just got second hand ones on there, but I will put new ones on when I have the time and money. Tyres can make a massive difference to the planted feel of the car. Alignment has never helped with the steering weigh/feel IMO, but it has certainly solved a pulling to one side issue I had!

[miller]

Mine pulls to the left, have booked it in to Nottingham Alignment services tomorrow. £40 a go. Full laser aligned all round. They have requested the settings which i have got from this site.
They will have them on record from now on. GTOUK recommend this company, just hope they are as good with the Legnum.

Will keep ye posted.

Mike

[Dan_G]

yup, balance and tracking 1st, also check for tyre wear, that can tell you alot.

inner wear on both wheels = toe out
outer where on both wheels = toe in
random patches of wear not uniform around the circumference = imbalance

if one wheel is worn and other is'nt focus on that side and inspect for suspension wear / damage.

jack up car and wobble the wheels to check for play in your wheel bearings and suspension / tie rod ball joints.

Ive had them all go on mine and currently have a collapsed engine mount which is manifesting itself as lots of vibes through the steering wheel and body during moderate acceleration and maintaining speed...

diagnosing wobbles is very annoying.

another note on tie-rod end wear... when my right tie rod was knackered i noticed very aggresive torque steer to the right under accel and pulling to the left under de-accel.

[Kieran]

Slightly off topic - Mike, is that the place in Basford at the back of Variava's? If it is, I've been there with my car. They did a cracking job. Turns out the 2WD alignment settings are identical to the VR-4 settings. However the 4WD ST-R is different, oddly!

[miller]

Slightly off topic - Mike, is that the place in Basford at the back of Variava's? If it is, I've been there with my car. They did a cracking job. Turns out the 2WD alignment settings are identical to the VR-4 settings. However the 4WD ST-R is different, oddly!

Yes same company but they have a second branch in Colwick Industrial park which is the one i use. So is the 2wd galant settings the same as the VR4? When i was down there last week they had all that but wanted the VR4 specifically as they dont like not having motors in their database.


Mike

[Kieran]

Yeah, I printed out the alignment settings from the Jap VR-4 manuals, took 'em down and they matched the 2WD ones. If you need the exact settings I'll dig 'em out tonight.

[caishanvr4]

mmm

Ive recently bought 4 new falken 452,size 225/40/18 & had the wheels balanced but up to 50mph-60 the steering moves from side to side and the ride is pretty shaky. Any idea's what i should look at getting done next to cure the problem.

Cheers

[miller]

Cashianvr4,
that sounds like its tramlining to me? With 18's they are big and will follow any little undulation in the road ie the feeling of side to side movement. Maybe it too needs a full laser alignment done, other than that check the tyre pressures are even.


Keiran,

I researched the clubs articles and came across this, i have it printed out and ready to go. I presume this is the one you are on about?

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12167

[Mark 4]

Att Kieran:
Can you please post up the settings as I need to get mine checked.

Ta V much.

[Turbo_Steve]

Thanks Guys, your opinions are valued.
I'll get it aligned, re-balanced and re-evaluate.

[Kieran]

Keiran,

I researched the clubs articles and came across this, i have it printed out and ready to go. I presume this is the one you are on about?

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12167


Mark and Mike - The above link is correct. I've looked (again) at the Jap manuals and it all checks out. the 2WD and the VR-4 are the same. The other 4WD galants/legnums are different.

[White Lightning]

Keiran,

I researched the clubs articles and came across this, i have it printed out and ready to go. I presume this is the one you are on about?

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12167

Guys,

Would you expect any of these values to be different if you take the car in with lowered suspension? i.e. will the camber be different? And if so, should it be correctly to the original values?

I will be taking mine in for alignment soon and need to consider this ...

TIA

[Kieran]

Yes, the camber on my car is more negative with lowered suspension, even despite having a double wishbone setup...

'Ang on a sec..... (flips through service records).... :book:

My settings were as follows (with lowering):

Rear Camber: - 2 Degrees
Rear Toe: 0 Degrees

Front Camber: - 1 Degree
Front Toe: - 0 Degrees

[White Lightning]

I thought as much ... and I guess the only way to keep it within factory spec is to do a camber alteration as per Gly's mod that I saw on here once. Or the other option is just to live with it I guess.

[miller]

Just back and the car is actually driving straight!

The guys there said the rear toe and thrust angle was waaaaay out, in effect the rears were pushing right.

The front camber were out too, pushing to front of the car to the left:speechles

Now in driving this equated to say the steering wheel being off centre by as much as 10deg on a straight road/pan /pan imagine the tyre scrub./pan so in effect the car was actually driving with a ''crabbing'' effect.

Very helpful and explained everything they were doing, pc screens at both ends of car so you can watch in realtime as the camber and toe's get adjusted into their rightfull position.

Keiran,
The guys in colwick had specifically updated their system from their basford branch to include the Legnum VR4 Type S settings for me!!

Mike

[White Lightning]

Good stuff :thumbsup:

What was the name of the company Mike? I might see if they have got a local branch ... and what was the cost including adjustments?

[miller]

Their name is

Nottingham 4Wheel Alignment Services.
UNIT 7, Tennis Court Industrial Estate
Little Tennis Street,
Colwick
Nottingham
NG2 4EL
0115 9599144

Am afraid they are only a local company with two units either side of Nottingham. £40 cash all in! Includes print out of your before and after readings. 20mins in and out. No stubborn bolts etc etc!

GTOUK members came from as far away as Immingham, though i suppose the 4ws system on the GTO's is slightly more complex, and i know the 300ZX club swear by them too.


Mike

[Nice But]

Nice one Mike, need to find one round here. Just got back from having 4 new Falken 452 205/55 16's fitted and the tracking checked....../pan /pan

N/S 8' different to O/S car now feels better, the vibration under braking has reduced a lot, so the old tyres must have been goosed, still got a bit of vibe under braking but no where near as bad........ it actually feels like it will stop now. Not sure the vibes are caused by runout as when you plant the pedal hard the braking is dead straight and no vibration. /Hmmm the disk surface seems 'grubby' not an even silver colour....../Hmmm

Will run it for a bit to see if there is any improvement :scholar: :scholar: .

[Dan_G]

good news.

always nice when its settings and not component related

[caishanvr4]

Miller,

whats your new rear chamber & toe & front chamber & toe & is your car lowered.

cheers

Paul

[miller]

Cars not lowered, sorry no scanner just photos of settings print out, think you should be able to read it

[ANTHONY]

on the same note, I've just fitted the suspension i got off Garth (gowf) which is kyb shocks and RS*R lowering springs i now seam to get wheel wobble when i 1st pull away but ok once i get moving. ain't yet tried at high speed. so will get tracking done as soon as

[Turbo_Steve]

Forgot to add to this: tracking done, and things are a million times better, especially as road noise is dramatically reduced at speed!
What a shock: I'd done a "quick and dirty" check myself, and even ATS said it "wasn't that far out" but steering wheel was at least 2-splines off centre.

It's now much better, but still slightly left biased....perhaps time to get the rears done as well.