Steering issue

[vc commodore]

Mine has always felt vague in the centre and the slightest camber in the road means steering isn't dead on. No mechanic has ever picked up on anything being wrong underneath. 3 years of ownership later, I’ve learn’t to live with it.

Getting the rack changed earlier this year did quite noticeably throw the alignment out. Could of chased the dealer but the tyres were never going to make it past tax return time anyway.

New tyres are on order and wheel alignment booked. If it feels any better after I’ll come back and let you know.

Camber of a road varies on just about every road you go on....So the steering isn't going to be dead on with every single road you travel on, as the camber effects whether the car goes straight, or you have to off centre the steering wheel to keep the car going straight.

Throwing the alignment out....If a complete rack is changed, an alignment must be performed, otherwise you will have tyre wear...If it was out considerably, they obviously couldn't be fagged aligning the car when the rack was changed

 

[vc commodore]

Purchased from a dealer? Did you own the car when the steering recall was done? After the recall was done, did you notify the dealer of the issue and have them attempt to fix the vague? Are you running standard factory wheels and tyres?

If all the above are "yes" then take the vehicle back to the dealer and explain your problem (again). Get them to checked for pending or hard Diagnostic Trouble Codes (fault codes) then discuss what they need to do to resolve the issue.

And depending on when the steering rack was replaced, you may have had the whole assembly replaced or only part of the assembly repalced. Regardless of which one was done, i believe in either instance the Power Steering Control Module Programing and Setup process needs to be performed. This goes through a steering shaft torque sensor calibaration process if i'm not mistake. Who knows, maybe this process wasn't done well or they pinched some wiring when reassembling everything... In either case, things should work better after a recall than before the fix was done.

Also, if you've got non standard big rims and you've lowered the car, may be you are contibuiting to the problem... may be you are not... but the dealer will use it as an out clause and simply blame it on the mods.

Oh, and if the dealer was unable to repair the steering issue in a timely manner you are entitled to go elsewhere... So if you went elsewhere because the dealer couldn't fix things, and wheel alignments were done in an attempt to resolve the issue, you have a valid claim for repair costs and consequential loss under your ACL statutory rights. That would be especially the case in my mind if the dealer simply didn't do the torque sensor calibration task correctly during the recall repair....

So you''ve got a few avenues you could follow up

Oh, i'm curious whether the wheel alignment places suggested an alignment would fix the vague steering and whether the alignment was actually in specs?

I must ask...What is the actual specs you are referring to? Is it the wide scope that is given by the factory for the alignment settings, which the majority of wanna be aligners run by? I hope not, because those specs are so varied, you can have a car driving like a pig and still be in specs.

I would hesistate to suggest, someone inexperienced heard the problems and immediately thought an alignment will fix it, when the problem is something else

 

[Geoff6666]

Mine was perfect before the rack recall. It's still pretty good but not as precise as before. Dealer said they sent it out for an alignment.
Meh . . . . I'll get my guy to re-align it when I get around to it.

 

[Vin999]

Would a Vf be 4years old now, aint new or drive like new anymore from now on even with new tyres with our sh$$t roads and lets not forget temperature @ winter time road asphalt surface doesnt heat up neither do tyres and rough surfaces and low pressures cause those lil annoying steering issues. God some people in newer cars sweat the small stuff with their windows wound up, drive a 30-50 years holden with the windows down and enjoy the passion, before you can't anymore

 

[Skylarking]

I must ask...What is the actual specs you are referring to?...

Yo're reading too much into my last paragraph.

I was just curious why the OP did 3 recent wheel alignments and whether at different places. Also curious what settings each place actually used. OP should have 3 wheel alignment reports to share

If wheels/tyres aren't the issue, i still think it may be the torque sensor calibration wasn't done correctly after the rack was replaced..

 

[mpower]

Mine was perfect before the rack recall. It's still pretty good but not as precise as before. Dealer said they sent it out for an alignment.
Meh . . . . I'll get my guy to re-align it when I get around to it.

i did this, GM agreed to pay for it.

need to get it aligned somewhere good though not a tyre fitter or a crappy mechanic.

OP take the car to a good suspension place and just get it looked at. Dunno who you have down there but here in Brissie I use Fulcrum.

 

[Febey]

Thanks for your genuine interest and detailed explanations on possible faults, the car is standard including tyres and suspension, wheel alignment all standard settings, suspension checked. I driven many cars during my driving life and enjoy my driving, and thus why I purchased a SV6, I did have a Subaru liberty wagon before the Holden, the Subaru was far better composed on the road than my current car, I will revisit my Holden dealer and enquire whether they can perform the suggested checks following on from the steering recall, if they cant fix it, I will probably have to join a new forum group, because my commodore does not satisfy my driving pleasure. thanks again

 

[Big Red VF-SII Go-kart]

I had a Safe-T-Stop brake and alignment test at the last service, showing percentages/spread of brakes applied to a stop from 5km/h. It also checked front and rear wheel alignment, and nothing found out of whack anywhere. The only correction they made was to set the steering wheel to 12.00 when before, driving straight ahead, it was about 3 to 12.

Holden must have upped the ante with the VF steering and suspension, because by comparison, the VZ owned previously, even though it had FE2 suspensionn, needed wheel alignment quite frequently, and the 'splayed' rear wheels necessitated changing rear-to-front each 10,000km to keep them wearing evenly. By the time I return home to Victoria at the end of August I'll need new tyres. So then chaps, I'll be looking for long wearing and grippy tyres, maybe Pirelli? Bridgestone? Suggestions? Present ones appear to be from factory (MAXXIS). Then they'll probably add on wheel alignment...

 

[Big Red VF-SII Go-kart]

So does that mean your misaligned thrusting has been causing rubber damage? And a mechanic can fix this?

See later post. None of the wheels (or steering) are misaligned. The statement was made in the context of when getting new tyres fitted they usually specify a thrust alignment with them. Present tyres are evenly worn at rear, less than 10,000km to go. No abnormal wear on fronts, so I must be driving like a gentleman!!

 

[mpower]

Present ones appear to be from factory (MAXXIS). Then they'll probably add on wheel alignment...

ah not a chance they are factory fit.