Guest bastaad525 Posted February 16, 2004 Share Posted February 16, 2004 Wasn't sure where to put this topic. This problem has been with me as long as I've had my '72. Only on certain freeways, or certain areas of certain freeways, my car has a tendency to wander really badly... it takes a lot of effort and concentration to keep it going in a straight line. It almost feels like there are near-constant gusts of very strong wind blowing my car to and fro. It seems to have nothing to do with how fast I am driving, as I get it doing 85 when the freeway is empty at night, and I get it doing 40-50 when I'm stuck in light traffic on the way home in the morning. On any stretches of freeway where there are no 'grooves' in the road (whereas most of the freeway surface looks like it was formed with a very large rake ) this doesn't happen. Also, I NEVER notice it on the streets, even when I'm cruising along at (shame on me) 50-60mph on the street I take from my home to the freeway (I work graveyard and drive to work at about 11pm... so not much traffic to slow me down). The strange thing is the problem seems to come and go, even with the sections of freeway where it is most pronounced, sometimes it will just stop for days or weeks. The suspension on the car has been the same since I first put this 240 on the road, as have been the tires. The tire treads are still in very good shape, plenty of tread left (the car doesn't see many miles). Could this be related to tire pressure? I'm not sure but I seem to remember it starting back up at around the time I went to Jiffy Lube (they check and adjust tire pressure as a part of their regular service). I was running my pressure kind of high before that, at around 37psi (hot). Thinking they probably dropped them back down to 32... could that have anything to do with it? My bushings and all that stuff in the front are bad, I already know, but, I can't say they've gotten any worse since I first got the car. I take a peak under there every so often and they look the same as they've always looked, and I dont notice any increased play in the steering. The front tires are worn evenly and normally. I had a front alignment about six mos ago. And again... it only happens on some parts of certain freeways, not all the time and never on the streets. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j260z Posted February 16, 2004 Share Posted February 16, 2004 how wide are your tires? my dad has a 97 Impala SS which has 235/45R17s on it at least and, even though that car can out handle most sports cars, it has always had the problem of wanting to track the grooves in the road. now your car shouldn't track nearly as bad because i doesn't have as wide a stance but having the combination of wider tires, worn bushings and steering coupler will definately produce those effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayAreaZT Posted February 16, 2004 Share Posted February 16, 2004 I have 235s on my '71 and it likes to track grooves. I have worn bushings too but I did replace my steering coupler. It doesn't bother me but if my wife drove the car I'm sure she would hate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted February 16, 2004 Share Posted February 16, 2004 Replace: Ball joints ~$40/pair Tie Rod Ends ~$45/pair Inner control arm bushings TC rod bushings Steering coupler. That should all but completely get rid of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 There is also a U joint on the end of the steering shaft that can have play in it. That was the cause of wandering on my Z. It doesn't take much slop in the steering system to make this happen, so replacing 30 year old parts is not a bad idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bastaad525 Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 ah okay... well I didn't know if it would be related to my worn bushings and such or not. My '81 ZX had really worn everything up at the front too but I NEVER noticed this in that car. My tires are relatively skinny 205/70 14's. Stock ZX tires on stock ZX wheels. I almost would have written it off for normal, if only because I do have a relatively stiff suspension (shocks/springs) and I know I have read on many occasions how stiffly set up cars, even up to high dollar porches, many times have the same problem, so I figured it had more to do with that than with worn parts. I usually dont notice it, anyways, but when I am paying attention it can get kinda scary. Yeah my wife would probably freak if she ever drove it LOL. Well... I've known I've needed to replace that suspension stuff but now I"m tapped for $$$, gotta buy my wife a car and then get out of this apartment, so I guess I"m stuck putting up with it for a while Plus the guy who's been working on my car for the last five years at his house (and charging me like half or less of what a shop would charge)... well that business arrangement is pretty much thru. I'm getting tired of the screwups he's been doing lately and he's getting tired of me complaining about them so he's done working on my car... so stuff is really gonna slow down as far as things needing to get done on the Z. Hopefully I'll move soon and to someplace where I have a nice, flat parking space I can work on my car in and w/o any managers freaking out on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 Buy the parts and stop by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bastaad525 Posted February 17, 2004 Share Posted February 17, 2004 Tim... you rock dude I couldn't ever buy enough St. Pauli Girl to make up for all the help you've given and offered. unfortunately, even the price of the parts is out of my reach for at least a while, but I will keep your offer in mind when that situation changes. I finally spoke my mind to that guy, the one that fuffed up the oil pan and main seal install... man it got ugly... finally it cooled down and we agreed... he's not working on my car anymore, but as he's still a great source for parts (invaluable with this old car) we can still do business. And, though he is in a bad situation money wise and can't reimburse me the cash I paid for the pan and seal installs, he'll reimburse me the value of the labor in parts, whenever I end up needing some, which is like all the time. For the big big stuff I lucked out and found a shop two blocks away from my house... cool because I can drop the car off and walk home, walk there to pick it back up. They are a Z specialist place, the prices are the usual mechanic shop prices. Just hope all the major stuff on the car is settled and no more big stuff goes wrong with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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