Excessive steering play

[Skaa]

Getting a bit of momentary erratic steering wheel wobble driving 80+km/hr in a straight line and cornering going over patches on typical country sealed roads. VE Berlina, Iv jacked up the front checked the ball joints n inner outer tie rods. Cant see or feel any movement.
Have just lowered the car with shocks n springs off an ss I had
maybe my backyard toe and camber alignment is miles out. Wudnt have a clue how the caster is done. Steering wheel was behaving the same going over patches on roads before the lowered suspension went on it. Just brought it recently so can’t comment on its history. Maybe it’s hit a kerb. 2 of the rims have dings in them 1 tyre was flat punctured outer sidewall where the ding was and replaced and balanced ok.
A shop wheel alignment may be a waste of time right now I’d be surprised if it rectifies it. How do you check the steering rack?
Thanks in advance

 

[_R_J_K_]

Caster is largely static however it's pretty common for the caster rod bushes to have gone.

With the other info you've given, a good start would probably be to swap the wheels with some similar wheels (if you have any or can borrow some) and see if you can rule them out.

 

[Skaa]

Caster is largely static however it's pretty common for the caster rod bushes to have gone.

With the other info you've given, a good start would probably be to swap the wheels with some similar wheels (if you have any or can borrow some) and see if you can rule them out.

Mate you were on the mark Caster bushes were worn
Wheel alignment shop picked it up before it went on the hoist. Could just see the front wheels clunk a bit during hard brake applications while creeping the car
Thanks RJK

 

[_R_J_K_]

No probs. You might also like to consider getting offset caster plates to increase the caster slightly at the same time - https://superpro.com.au/find/superp...6-2013-/productnr-SPF2859K/cid-999501035/vid-

Really cheap and won't add any labour to the install cost outside of a wheel alignment (which they should be doing anyway). If they're getting complete replacement caster rods some of them come with them anyway I think depending on the brand.

 

[Skaa]

I’ll order them
Thanks

 

[BudgetMechanic201%]

I was working on a VE SV6 just yesterday with a similar issue, qualified mechanics have done a complete do over with the whole power steering system except the steering rack, the misalignment your describing plus some other tell tail signs (ECT, clunks in the front, steering wheel doesn't respond as it should, steering wheel sits to one side in a straight line *but also swaps sides every now and then*) might also mean that the steering rack mounting bolts have worked themselves loose as they have alot of tension forced on the bolts and mount holes. If you see metal flakes around the mounting bolt areas, there is your problem, I know it's touch to see, but check it out, U can see from behind the driver side headlight as all the tension of the steering is being forced side to side and up and down due to the steering column twisting it, at the same time as up and down and all of that stress put onto the bolts that hold the rack to the front subframe so it's just basically wearing out metal and the holds may just, only just sitting there or have a thread or two left bust constantly twisting on them and wearing out the aluminum rack, add some type of steel sleave to enclose the gab between the walls of the bolt holes and so the bolt holes fit in, no more slack and Steel doesn't chip away as easy as aluminum, hence why alot of cars have alloy heads or steal and blocks but have hardened steel cylinder sleaves so it doesn't chip away with friction "simple Physics" especially on the VE and large models with similar body shape and size, has a wider wheel base so more stress on steering parts.
But check them out, might save you alot of $ if it's the problem. My mate who I fixed his for needed the same but he couldn't figure it out, even when Qualified mechanics charged him an arm and a leg to but didnt give him the correct information as to what was really happening to it or doing a true inspection. Which super surprisingly passed a road safety test due to it being over looked. The only thing needed is a grinder, the tools to pull out the bolts, a ruler and maybey a few different size and thickness steel piping to fill the warn out gap.

 

[vc commodore]

I was working on a VE SV6 just yesterday with a similar issue, qualified mechanics have done a complete do over with the whole power steering system except the steering rack, the misalignment your describing plus some other tell tail signs (ECT, clunks in the front, steering wheel doesn't respond as it should, steering wheel sits to one side in a straight line *but also swaps sides every now and then*) might also mean that the steering rack mounting bolts have worked themselves loose as they have alot of tension forced on the bolts and mount holes. If you see metal flakes around the mounting bolt areas, there is your problem, I know it's touch to see, but check it out, U can see from behind the driver side headlight as all the tension of the steering is being forced side to side and up and down due to the steering column twisting it, at the same time as up and down and all of that stress put onto the bolts that hold the rack to the front subframe so it's just basically wearing out metal and the holds may just, only just sitting there or have a thread or two left bust constantly twisting on them and wearing out the aluminum rack, add some type of steel sleave to enclose the gab between the walls of the bolt holes and so the bolt holes fit in, no more slack and Steel doesn't chip away as easy as aluminum, hence why alot of cars have alloy heads or steal and blocks but have hardened steel cylinder sleaves so it doesn't chip away with friction "simple Physics" especially on the VE and large models with similar body shape and size, has a wider wheel base so more stress on steering parts.
But check them out, might save you alot of $ if it's the problem. My mate who I fixed his for needed the same but he couldn't figure it out, even when Qualified mechanics charged him an arm and a leg to but didnt give him the correct information as to what was really happening to it or doing a true inspection. Which super surprisingly passed a road safety test due to it being over looked. The only thing needed is a grinder, the tools to pull out the bolts, a ruler and maybey a few different size and thickness steel piping to fill the warn out gap.

Firstly sentences and paragraphs would be handy

Secondly....Bit hard to see behind a headlight with all the crap in the way...Easy to see from underneath though

Thirdly....The problem was solved....