2007 VE Commdore SS suspension knock

[pg2205]

hi all,

was wonderig if I could get some advice on a 2007 VE SS I just purchased. The car has done just over 100,000km, but Ive noticed that when Im driving it, it doesnt want to steer straight, as in, it seems to wander towards the right of the car. Over bumps there seems to be a rattle coming from the front left of the car. The previous owner did a 4 wheel alignment before I bought it, and my mechanic had a quick look and the wear on the tires is ok, so hoping somebody out there can suggest what it is. I'm assuming its a ball joint issue.

Cheers

 

[RiCeY]

Possibly compressed/collapsed strut top bushes and failed bearings causing the steering to bind up and not self centre correctly. Common on VE.

Pop the bonnet and look at the rubber discs on top of the strut tower, there should be hardly any gap between the disc and the body of the car. If the gap is substantial the bushes are collapsed.

Also check the front swaybar D bushes. When they are flogged out they allow the swaybar to slide left and right within the bush and contact the subframe.

Jack the front of the car up and pull the sway bar sideways, it should not slide at all it should stay solid.

 

[pg2205]

cheers thanks for your reply!

 

[LexVZute]

I had the same problem with my ve clubsport and vz ute recently, I had exactly what RiCeY explained, flogged D bushes on the sway bar and severely collapsed strut top mounts. The bearings also made excessive noise when I turned the wheel with my hands, when jacked up (motor off to hear it of course). Funny that the ute had done 230,000 and the clubby 95,000........

 

[Pug]

How small should the gap be between the rubber disc and the body?

 

[RiCeY]

Small enough that if you jack the car up you dont see the disc drop closer to the body.

 

[Pug]

Thank you. Your time and information is greatly appreciated.

 

[RiCeY]

You're welcome.

 

[Shiny Alex]

I too have the knock

I couldn't be bothered to get the jack out of the boot and don't have a trolley jack and stands so I can't check the sway bar safely, but I took a couple of photos and wondered if anyone on here could tell?

Also, is this a warranty issue or am I going to have to pay myself?

 

[RiCeY]

All warranty, strut tops look a tad high not the worst Ive seen, D bushes you cant really tell by looking at them.