Nasty habit... steering loose

[savage1987]

My VN has developed a nasty habit of drifting around on the road.. it'll randomly change direction, only slightly but enough to notice and it's a little disturbing at highway speeds. 500,000km and never had a front end rebuild.. I think it might be time. HOWEVER as I am not keeping the car for too much longer (replacing it with a VP Calais) I want to do as little as possible to solve the problem.
I have a spare low km steering rack in the shed now, just short of boots and rack ends.. planning to put this in with a PS fluid cooler and filter hooked up to the system. (Seems like too much work for an aborted project but I figure this can be transferred to VP Calais.)

Diagnostic tests: I had the front up on stands to put the 19s on, gave the wheels a bit of a jiggle... fair bit of play side to side (steering feels quite loose) and also a bit of north/south play.. top and bottom wiggling for want of a better expression

Any suggestions?
Sam

[88GreenVN]

Originally Posted by savage1987

My VN has developed a nasty habit of drifting around on the road.. it'll randomly change direction, only slightly but enough to notice and it's a little disturbing at highway speeds. 500,000km and never had a front end rebuild.. I think it might be time. HOWEVER as I am not keeping the car for too much longer (replacing it with a VP Calais) I want to do as little as possible to solve the problem.
I have a spare low km steering rack in the shed now, just short of boots and rack ends.. planning to put this in with a PS fluid cooler and filter hooked up to the system. (Seems like too much work for an aborted project but I figure this can be transferred to VP Calais.)

Diagnostic tests: I had the front up on stands to put the 19s on, gave the wheels a bit of a jiggle... fair bit of play side to side (steering feels quite loose) and also a bit of north/south play.. top and bottom wiggling for want of a better expression

Any suggestions?
Sam

The car wander is possibly the caster on the car. Thats the angle the strut leans forward or back. This only needs to be out a smidge and you have bump steer or wanering front end.

[greenfoam]

I know your looking at the front end and thinking it's loose and all that, but the cause of your VN drifting around on the highway will be the panhard rod bushes that holds the diff to the chasis sideways. The way to test to be sure is to push the car side to side at the rear wheel arch if you can see the body move sideways over the rear wheel the panhard bushes will be shot. And they typically all are on almost every VN that isn't looked after. The other day I drove behind several comodores in the AU and all of them were wobbling all over the road something shocking, you don't really notice until you are in a car that drives straight how bad most of them are. Anyway the rubbers are cheap and pretty easy to put in yourself if you lube them up first and makes a world of difference to the way an old VN drives

P.S get the original rubbers from Holden, Urathanes are a two pieace for the panhard rods and don't last long in this location

[89 vn]

My VN started being all skittish, feelin like crap and I needed new bushes and panhard rod, about the steering wheel mine actually did almost come out one day when i was driving a good tip: if you listen to music dont bash your hands on the wheel like your drumming might lead to death

[vnv8driver]

get your front shocks, inner steering arm and wheel alignment checked.

[greenfoam]

Once again, panhard rod BUSHES go get some

[vnv8driver]

Ive driven a car with rootd panhard rod bush's, the car was in no way fit to drive at the speed limit, it want a little bit of a sway, it would loose control if your not careful.

I know the 'swaying' hes talking about becasue ive had it in every commodore ive owned, its like the car steers itself left, right, left right... its the front suspension.

[vnv8driver]

I missed that bit-

Diagnostic tests: I had the front up on stands to put the 19s on, gave the wheels a bit of a jiggle... fair bit of play side to side (steering feels quite loose) tie rod ends

and also a bit of north/south play.. top and bottom wiggling for want of a better expression wheel bearings

[greenfoam]

Yeah but I had stuffed tie rods on my VN for 50,000ks and it was only the panhard bushes that made it drive crooked and need constant correction on the highway, it's like trying to drive at 200ks down a gravel track when you were just doing 100 on a good road , I fixed them and continued to drive straight as I liked on wobbly tie rods

[savage1987]

(Ready? MONSTER POST)

Thanks for all that guys, I'll get a few things checked out..

CASTOR
has been the same since last wheel alignment... adjustable strut tops make this a possibility although it's only really started happening latey (not caused by adjustment)

PANHARD ROD BUSHES
I changed these quite recently (2 months ago) for some Nolathane ones from the VR. I know Jason you've said the 2 piece aren't as good for this application, but these are almost new. I just went and checked them, pushed the car around.. it doesn't move much at all. I'd say there's no movement there. Good thinking though Jason, I'll keep that in mind for future.
By the way mate, "almost every VN that isn't looked after"? What are you trying to say?

FRONT SHOCKS
Should be 100%, they're Koni adjustables professionally installed brand new 2 years ago.

INNER STEERING ARM
Don't even know what that is but hopefully they'll look at it in the free suspension check I think I'll be getting

WHEEL ALIGNMENT
Done recently, surely it hasn't gone out from putting the 19s on.. pretty sure that doesn't change the alignment haha.. Yes, I triple checked the wheel nuts are done up tight, including after driving. Twice.

TIE ROD ENDS
Hopefully they'll be checked out when I get my free steering & suspension check... are these part of the steering rack?

WHEEL BEARINGS
Will get these checked out, they're only 2 years old though

Sam

[88GreenVN]

Has the ride height changed at the rear? Why I ask is that when I put extra thick spring rubber into the rears my car developed bump steer. Took em out and problem was gone.

Went and seen the alignment bloke and he confirmed it. Caster was the culprit (with the extra ride height)

[greenfoam]

Oh yeah, 19 inch rims wont be helping either, every little bit of slop shows up 100 times worse than 15's, did it happen to get much worse when the wheels went on?