Is This Normal?

[stimpysaurus 0]

My car failed its mot last month - it needed a new suspension arm fitted. After a load of hassle with the drivers side needing a new bush but the after-market arm that was fitted being the wrong size, i ended up with 2 new arms.

 

I've only had my car for 6 months and I didn't think there was any problem with the way the steering and suspension felt but since the mot it feels weird. The steering is a lot more responsive which is nice but it seems like every bump in the road that i go over i seem to sort of hit which sends my steering all wobbly and the car seems to slide about which it never used to do.

 

I was just wondering if this is the way its supposed to be or if it sounds like i have a problem with the suspension/wheels/tyres or something?

[kb_205 11]

My car failed its mot last month - it needed a new suspension arm fitted. After a load of hassle with the drivers side needing a new bush but the after-market arm that was fitted being the wrong size, i ended up with 2 new arms.

 

I've only had my car for 6 months and I didn't think there was any problem with the way the steering and suspension felt but since the mot it feels weird. The steering is a lot more responsive which is nice but it seems like every bump in the road that i go over i seem to sort of hit which sends my steering all wobbly and the car seems to slide about which it never used to do.

 

I was just wondering if this is the way its supposed to be or if it sounds like i have a problem with the suspension/wheels/tyres or something?

 

 

my car does exactly the same thing ( its definately not right ) do you find it does it a bit when you accelerate sometimes aswell?

 

i have all new (in last 2 months)

 

drop links,

wishbones,

wheel bearings,

driveshafts

BBM engine mounts

Gaz coilovers and a refurb rear beam with BBM solid mounts and its still there!!! feels a little bit dangerous! (wanders a bit)

Edited December 15, 2008 by kb_205

[Alfie 6]

My car failed its mot last month - it needed a new suspension arm fitted. After a load of hassle with the drivers side needing a new bush but the after-market arm that was fitted being the wrong size, i ended up with 2 new arms.

 

I've only had my car for 6 months and I didn't think there was any problem with the way the steering and suspension felt but since the mot it feels weird. The steering is a lot more responsive which is nice but it seems like every bump in the road that i go over i seem to sort of hit which sends my steering all wobbly and the car seems to slide about which it never used to do.

 

I was just wondering if this is the way its supposed to be or if it sounds like i have a problem with the suspension/wheels/tyres or something?

No doubt someone will come on regards this but my car tends to wander about particularly over white lines, HGV ruts, and differing road surfaces. I tend to agree with other posts on this, Tyres can have thesame effect, I have Toyos on the front and they railroad like mad sometimes, now I tend to accept as normal. Not sure about your situation tho' Why not find ,say, HiQ or ATS do a steering check for free, most places do now , but to try get two opinions. This what I would do.

[stimpysaurus 0]

I had taken it to my local mechanic a while ago and he said the wandering when accelerating was because it needed new bushes. Which it now has and that has helped a lot - i can actually take my hands off the wheel and go in a straight line now.

 

I also have toyo tyres which i believe are supposed to be good in the wet? Mine are awful!

any puddle causes terrible aquaplane, the ice and snow send me skidding all over the place, infact the only time i feel safe is when its warm and dry

 

I'll have a look online to see if any of those companies are in my local area. would quickfit do the same service? cos I know theres one of those locally.

[large 33]

Jack the front of the car up and give each wkeel a shake. First hold it at 12 and 6 then at 3 and 9 and see if you can feel any play. The hole the bottom ball joint goes into on the hub may have ovaled. I had a 306 that went into a main dealer 3 times befor they found that fault.

[stimpysaurus 0]

Jack the front of the car up and give each wkeel a shake. First hold it at 12 and 6 then at 3 and 9 and see if you can feel any play. The hole the bottom ball joint goes into on the hub may have ovaled. I had a 306 that went into a main dealer 3 times befor they found that fault.

 

I will try that as soon as I can.

 

I'm gonna check the brakes too cos the orange light on the dashboard has come on a few times this past week, but i dunno if that could be something to do with the cold weather (it only needed a rear pad for the mot)

Do you think the brakes could cause this sort of problem?

[Alfie 6]

I will try that as soon as I can.

 

I'm gonna check the brakes too cos the orange light on the dashboard has come on a few times this past week, but i dunno if that could be something to do with the cold weather (it only needed a rear pad for the mot)

Do you think the brakes could cause this sort of problem?

What tyres have you got fitted on the back Stimpy? might be worth a swap over,see if that makes any difference. Good advice from Large tho' you do both at the same time. hope you find an easy answer.

[Mikey S 29 1 Cars]

I will try that as soon as I can.

 

I'm gonna check the brakes too cos the orange light on the dashboard has come on a few times this past week, but i dunno if that could be something to do with the cold weather (it only needed a rear pad for the mot)

Do you think the brakes could cause this sort of problem?

 

no, brakes wouldnt be the root cause. for the light to come on generally means the pads are low, but, it maybe that the warning light wire is earthing to the body of the car. imo there crap, cut them off and insulate the end of the wire and be done with it.

 

with regards the steering issue i would be focusing on the top mounts. if there excessively worn or the bearings are partially seized it can cause steering wander and general poor handling issues also the steering wont self centre itself (as if the car has no castor). kits to rebuild them are availible from gsf, iirc about 24 quid a side, well worth the money.

[stimpysaurus 0]

with regards the steering issue i would be focusing on the top mounts. if there excessively worn or the bearings are partially seized it can cause steering wander and general poor handling issues.

is this something I would be able to see without pulling things apart or would i need to start removing pieces? also am I right in thinking that you need a special spring compressing tool for this job?

 

I think i need my tyres checked also cos the front passenger side deflates quite quickly, but it was like that before the mot. unless i left it too long between inflating it and its knackered?

 

What tyres have you got fitted on the back Stimpy? might be worth a swap over,see if that makes any difference. Good advice from Large tho' you do both at the same time. hope you find an easy answer.

the tyres were already on when i bought the car. I've just had a look on the toyo site (its too cold to go outside and check ) and going off the pictures i'm pretty sure I've got.

 

front: proxes t1-r 195/55R15

back: proxes t1-s 195/55R15

 

thats on the standard 1.9 15" wheels

also does anyone know what pressure they should be at cos those numbers aren't in the 205 manual?

[GLPoomobile 958]

Well I'm surprised nobody has asked yet if you have had the tracking checked since the work that was done.

 

If the front toe is incorrect, it will have a significant effect on steering feel and behaviour.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

I agree, get tracking checked first off.

[stimpysaurus 0]

lol I really should have thought of that already! I guess I presumed that everything that needed doing would have been done, but these are mechanics were talking about so i should have known better.

 

I've been putting off going to the tyre place in fear of spending money (I'm not cheap, just broke ) but i guess I'm gonna have to go.

 

Does anybody know if hiQ can get the same tyres? I can go to the toyo shop but I dont like the chavs who work there!

[welshpug 1,657]

why do you want the same tyres? they're horrible IMO

 

 

before you get the tracking set make sure that both trackrods are adjusted equally, i.e same number of threads if they're the same type is the quickest way to check, or measure from the end of the trackrod to the centre of the joint.

[stimpysaurus 0]

why do you want the same tyres? they're horrible IMO

 

lol they are pretty awful!

 

any suggestions on 'cheap' tyres?

I don't race or anything like that but I would like to be able to drive my car in the rain/ice without fear of death which I think is partly down to the tyres at the moment.

 

I'm pretty new to driving and the only other car I've driven was my 1.0L corsa, so I don't really know what i should be looking for or expecting from the 205.

 

would I have to change all 4 tyres at once or could I just change the front 2?

[jimistdt 1]

Stimpy, I would look at changing the tyres if the have less than a couple of mm's on. If the two on the back have got plenty of tread on then I would be tempted to leave them for the time being.

 

I can't tell you what is the best budget tyre, but you should look to spend as much as you can really, although that alone will not guarantee you good results. Peoples opinions of various tyres have been collated many times on here, and may prove insightful.

 

Remember, the tyre itself is the only thing in contact with the road, and I've been up your way on the coast road towards Amble, and the roads can be pretty treacharous at times, so it makes sense to spend a little extra there.

 

You should be able to get the tracking sorted for about £15, if thats all it is, then take a drive 'round visit a couple of garages and ask them if they wouldn't mind having a look at the tyres.

 

Your tyres should be at 29 PSI, FYI.

Edited December 16, 2008 by jimistdt

[rubyna 4 1 Cars]

Are the front rear arm bushes worn? Or as said above top strut mounts and bearings perhaps? Both definatley worth looking at. Luke..

[philfingers 5]

also worth checking the subframe bolts are all nice and tight. the rears (2 per side) tend to work loose. If they're loose you'd here the subframe moving possibly anyway

[GLPoomobile 958]

I think this topic is becoming overly complicated.

 

My car failed its mot last month - it needed a new suspension arm fitted. After a load of hassle with the drivers side needing a new bush but the after-market arm that was fitted being the wrong size, i ended up with 2 new arms.

 

Any time you replace a component related to the steering (and the wishbone being one) you need to have the tracking re-done. If it's a normal garage, they are unlikely to have the equipment on site to check the allignment, and even if they did, they'd charge you extra to do it I'm sure. So I'd stake money on the fact that your toe setting is now wrong and this is the route of your problems.

 

Now regards to your tyres. Toyos are not amazing in the wet from what I've heard, but they shouldn't be dangerous. But as above, your toe settings will completely change the character of the car and could be the reason it feels so terrible in the wet.

 

Unless they are worn enough that they are due replacement, I wouldn't bother thinking about replacing them until you've had the tracking done first, and THEN see how they feel.

 

If one tyre is loosing pressure, it could be a faulty valve or it could be leaking around the rim. You can check the latter by laying the wheel flat on the ground and putting some water around the edge of the rim and tyre. If it's leaking from the rim you'll see bubbles. A tyre place can investigate further and either replace the valve for a few quid, or reseal it if it's the rim leaking (remove tyre, clean inside of wheel, apply bead sealer, re-fit tyre and balance wheel) and this will cost a bit more. I had all 4 wheels done recently at a cost of £20 per corner, which was classed as a 'full puncture repair', but basically was as I described in the brackets above. I was losing about 20 psi a weak from 3 of the wheels and they've been fine since.

 

Bear in mind that if you leave the car parked for longs periods on flat tyres, it will damage the sidewall. Look for excessive cracks in the sidewall. Again, if you are worried, get a tyre place to check them over, but don't let them treat you like a mug and try and talk you into getting new tyres that you don't need.

 

But get that tracking done first!

[philfingers 5]

GLP. .. . is right

 

I guess you don't have a limited slip diff in the car but if you do they will amplify any shortcomings in geometery, bushes, suspension etc

[stimpysaurus 0]

thanks for all the advice, I will go and get the tracking and the tyres checked first and hopefully things will be a lot better afterwards.

 

my dad had a test of it for me last night and didnt think anything was wrong but it was a hell of a lot better to drive with the extra weight on the passenger side (thats also the side with the dodgy tyre)

 

I guess you don't have a limited slip diff

lol what's one of those?

[philfingers 5]

expensive piece of gearbox which lets you drive quicker and brake harder!