240z!!! Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 first i have a 72' 240z...now ive had this problem for a while and just did some work and its still doing it...whenever i drive on the highway it likes to swerve off by itself without me moving the wheel...i cant tell if its just random or when i hit bumps...but it does it the whole time im on the highway it almost feels like the wind is blowing me around...last week i bought a full poly bushing kit and got it yesterday and decided to put the front bushings on with a 1" sway bar which replaced my 16mm one...after driving it, it handles much better but still does that swerve thing on the highway...all my tires are balanced and i checked the outer tie rods and the lower ball joints and regreased them they look and feel to be in good working order...i have 14" rims and there is a small spacer on each of them (i dont think it matters though)....the only thing that i can thing of is the wheel bearings or the steering rack but i dont want to guess at this and wanted to find out if anyone had the same problem...all help is apreciated cory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rxsleeper Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Get the car aligned. Sounds to me like the toe is out of adjustment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z!!! Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 the p.o. had the an aliment on it right before i got it and it was doing it then...although it being done right is questionable....how is toe adjusted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nizm0Zed Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 toe is done by winding the tie rods in or out. you should also be able to see tell tale marks on teh tyres, from toe in or toe out. If you have toe in, the OUTSIDE edges of the tyre will feather, as the tyre is dragging on itself. If you have toe out, the INSIDE edges will be feathered,as the tyre is trying to drag away from itself. the wear marks for toe out can be hidden if you have excessive negative camber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m1noel Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 If the roads are truck-rutted as bad as some around here, Its sometimes hard to keep anything on the road. Also, if you have a tire with a bad belt, especially on the front, it will make any rutting many times worse. I had a bad tire on my suburban and it was down right dangerous. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z!!! Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 the tires are very new and only have a couple thousand miles but the old tires didnt show any kind of abnormal wear and neither are the ones on there now.... another problem...i was at my buddy marks and he randomly asked me if i have camber kits...and i said "no why"....he goes cause your back tires have a lot of camber...i went and looked at my car and darned if they didnt...they are angled in at the top and out at the bottom but i dont have camber kits and i have the stock rear suspension...what could cause this? and could this be a part of my problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Tie rods and ball joints are most likely your problem in the front. In the rear, the lower you go the more rear camber you'll get. If your springs are sagged, that's why you have neg camber back there. It's really not a bad thing, except for the fact that you probably don't have enough up front to balance the car's handling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z!!! Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 Tie rods and ball joints are most likely your problem in the front. In the rear, the lower you go the more rear camber you'll get. If your springs are sagged, that's why you have neg camber back there. It's really not a bad thing, except for the fact that you probably don't have enough up front to balance the car's handling. tie rods and ball joints were gonna be my next purchase...and as for the rear; that explains a whole lot because when i go over a speed bump it acts like it has no spring cause it just hits it hard....the back must be sagged so much its just bottomed out.... after i get the rest of my bushings on which should be sometime next week and get my rear swaybar on then im gonna get the ball joints and tie rods and put them on then ill give ya'll an update and let you know how it works out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8INtheZ Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Id say tie rods and ball joints too, also check your steering coupling. Its inbetween the steering collum and the steering shaft near the brake master cylinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z!!! Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 Id say tie rods and ball joints too, also check your steering coupling. Its inbetween the steering collum and the steering shaft near the brake master cylinder. i installed all new poly bushings in the front including the coupler(i also have all the rear poly bushings but havent installed them yet)...but i really have to say that took all the play out of my steering wheel...when i move the steering wheel it actually turns... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsun723 Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 I had the same problem last month...well, for the past year really lol. Around town it was fine but on the freeway it felt like wind was blowing me around too. so i took it to get it aligned and they said it was the tie rod and steering rack bushings. I got some poly's put on there and it handles MUCH better. I'd check your rack as well as the tie rods which you're already looking into. Took a lot of play out of the steering but it's still a little wobbly here and there. goodluck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z!!! Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 I had the same problem last month...well, for the past year really lol. Around town it was fine but on the freeway it felt like wind was blowing me around too. so i took it to get it aligned and they said it was the tie rod and steering rack bushings. I got some poly's put on there and it handles MUCH better. I'd check your rack as well as the tie rods which you're already looking into. Took a lot of play out of the steering but it's still a little wobbly here and there. goodluck! yeah i put poly steering rack bushings on it also...i even upgraded the front sway bar from the stock 16mm i believe to a beefy 1"...im surprised how much better it handles but im not satisfied until i can do at least 120mph without trying to fight it to stay staight...although i wont be going that fast very often but thats my goal for the suspension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsun723 Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 haha, nice. I've had mine up to 115....before the bushings i couldn't let the wrx next to me have too much fun haha. my plans for this next summer are to get springs, struts, and all the bushings replaced. if i have some extra dough, then i'm doing the sway bars as well woo!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woldson Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 What happens when you break lightly, or hard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z!!! Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 What happens when you break lightly, or hard? i just redone all the the brakes as well...and when i brake it stops good...but I'm assuming you mean does it swerve or jitter while braking...if that's what you mean than no it doesn't do anything abnormal.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffer949 Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Get an alignment. And doesnt cast affect your straight line tracking and if the car wonders or not?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustyfriend Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 So you say you did do the steering rack bushings? hm...I was almost certain that was the issue because my car was the same way when I had stock bushings. As for the speeding, haha...I had mine to 105 with a bad coupler, rack bushings, toe out, and a steering wheel that flexed with every turn. Talk about crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z!!! Posted January 26, 2009 Author Share Posted January 26, 2009 im gonna get the rest of my suspension parts together and do it all at once...im gonna need spindle pins(so i can put in the rear poly bushings), tie rods inner and outer and lower balljoints and probably go ahead and do the wheel bearings while im at it then get an alinment...i planned on doing this in incriments but looks like ill be doing everything all at once which is gonna make it easier... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsun723 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 So you say you did do the steering rack bushings? hm...I was almost certain that was the issue because my car was the same way when I had stock bushings. As for the speeding, haha...I had mine to 105 with a bad coupler, rack bushings, toe out, and a steering wheel that flexed with every turn. Talk about crazy. haha, wow! you're crazier than me! dang it!! yea, i've done the tie rod and rack bushings but it's starting to get wobbly again...i drove 70 miles yesterday with speeds all over the board and while there was some wind out, there was definitely some wobble....I'm thinking that my ball joints needs to be replaced...as well as the rest of the decaying bushings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240z!!! Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 haha, wow! you're crazier than me! dang it!! yea, i've done the tie rod and rack bushings but it's starting to get wobbly again...i drove 70 miles yesterday with speeds all over the board and while there was some wind out, there was definitely some wobble....I'm thinking that my ball joints needs to be replaced...as well as the rest of the decaying bushings well mine is a slight wobble but is more or less a swerving...it really random but does it often like you just jerked the wheel in one direction but i dont move the steering wheel....its crazy...if i do 60 or so and let go of the steering wheel it will go straight as an arrow but when i get up to 70+ it do that swerving thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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