New wheels, now Steering problems

[VNwazza]

My VN exec 3.8 wagon that I am trying to do up had a new dose of wheels. From standard razorblades to some 17" fatter tyer HRT ones. The problem is that now the car seems to get a mind of its own and starts to steer its self. The old front tires on the old wheels that got chucked were really badly worn on the inside. I know the car is old and worn, but I love the beast, so I wanna give it a nice retirement. I paid $500 for this mechanic to replace the crank angle sensor, and I watched him do it and I was so angry that I could have done it myself at home for a fraction of that price. What I'm trying to get at is that if someone can point me in the right direction with the advice about the front end I would do it myself. The car is pretty good for its use as I got it in 2000 and its a 1990 VN. I have only got 2 years to go and I will be the longest owner of the car. My VN and I have gone to Darwin and lived there and that for 3-4 years and went up through Kakadu heaps and she never let me down. Maybe its Ball joints which I have done quite a few times on old Holdens. It drives strange even going from one lane to another, the Monash is hard to drive on especially, but I know its just a goat track these days. Anyhow any advice is appreciated, and I love the website, as I used to have older style Holdens, HR's and HG's and I owned a Ford once-for a month and smashed it into another Ford, both written off and the world was a better place.

[HoZy]

Hey mate, welcome to the forum!

Have you had your sway bar bushes checked? also hows the wheel alignment.

Cheers
MaT

[Ozzie]

Mate your right about the Ford incident.. its better this way.

As HoZy sais..
definetly wheel alignment! and id get one soon before your tyres wear too much

[immortality]

get that wheel alignment done as mentioned. ifthe place is any good at all the yshould point out any issues may even suggest you get it repaired before doing a alignment to save yourself some dosh

[Emackulation]

Are the tyres directional? are they on the right way? Silly I know, but easy mistake.

[Coast_Calais]

Check ur alignment as before mentioned...

having "fully-sick" looking neg camber can foul steering. That mixed with incorrect castor, and higher tyre pressures means you may also be experiencing a lot of tram-tracking...

get the alignment checked by a pro (i know they used string in the old days, but get someone who uses a laser) and while it's on the hoist, check all the bushes for cracks, and signs of excessive wear yourself. Also, have a bit of a yarn with the bloke who's doing the alignment, in doing so, and asking a FEW questions, he'll point out a few things for you.

Directional tyres don't have a huge effect on a car "walking", they usually just assist in water skiing when it rains...

[Ozzie]

If it shakes a bit while driving youll need a wheel balance too.

You can tell if its directional fairly easy by an arrow on the wall of the tyre.

If you bought the wheels 2nd hand check theres no knocks or cracks in them.

[VNwazza]

Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it. I have checked the tyres for an arrow and there is not one anywhere on there. There appears to be no cracks or dents in the rims just a bit of very minor gutter rash. I will go to a shop tomorrow and ask for a front end check and wheel alignment, and if there is a problem I will drive home and buy the parts and change over myself if I can. Its a good idea to ask lots of questions of the guy at the shop, thanks Coast Calais. I will let you know how I get on.

[Kruza]

i would start to check at these problems:
balljoints, tierod ends, lower control arms bushes, radius rod bushes[control arm and crossmember], bearing plates, and wheel bearings....

done all these in my vn sedan and never had problems since...
should cost u around $400-500 for teh lot and u can do it all urself at home in the shed..
peice of **** to do

[fnlow1]

Ball Joints and Tie Rod ends are easy to check for wear, but start with tyre pressure - if your using 235.45.R17's start with 34psi and increase two psi at a time and see if there is any change up to about 42psi, failing that a wheel alignment would be your next bet, any wear in the tie rods or ball joints will need to be changed before the wheel alignment tho.

[Coast_Calais]

Ball Joints and Tie Rod ends are easy to check for wear, but start with tyre pressure - if your using 235.45.R17's start with 34psi and increase two psi at a time and see if there is any change up to about 42psi, failing that a wheel alignment would be your next bet, any wear in the tie rods or ball joints will need to be changed before the wheel alignment tho.

No offence intended here... only run pressures for the specific tyre. 235 45 R17's can have optimum PSI from 28-46, all depends on manufacturer and type.

Also consider driving preference, current wear conditions, and road type most commonly used.

Also consider, the higher the PSI, the more likely the tyre will tram-track...

I use 43 PSI cold in my tyres, and I can hack the extra harshness. My father uses 32 PSI cold (same size tyre), as he usually drives a little more tame, and his skeleton is getting old (bumps and shakes suck for him) and he drives onto a lot of construction areas (Dirt, potholes, corrugations)

So all i'm saying, there is no "across the board tyre pressure".
Inflate to suit conditions, just like driving speed...

[Coast_Calais]

Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it. I have checked the tyres for an arrow and there is not one anywhere on there. There appears to be no cracks or dents in the rims just a bit of very minor gutter rash. I will go to a shop tomorrow and ask for a front end check and wheel alignment, and if there is a problem I will drive home and buy the parts and change over myself if I can. Its a good idea to ask lots of questions of the guy at the shop, thanks Coast Calais. I will let you know how I get on.

No problems VNwazza...

As far as asking questions go, unless you're a know it all (no-one is), it NEVER EVER EVER hurts to ask questions and opinions when around workshops. Even if you allready know about something, you may learn something extra, or see a different view. ect ect.

And trust me, the older (more experienced) fellas most often prefer to tell ya heaps of stuff from back in the day whilst working on your car, and show you around stuff. remember, they're locked in the same workshop 5 (or more) days a week with the same blokes. You just gotta ask and show the right attitude and respect. They're happy to teach.

MOST of the time, don't bother with "pretty boys" on the front counter. their job is to keep your wallets empty.