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Ever since I replaced my Ground control coilovers + stock blown shocks to illumina's and tein s-tech I have been having a weird steering problem.
Everytime I would go around a curve I would be turning the steering wheel than suddenly the wheels would turn more by theirselves, hense I had to stop steering in that direction that much since it did it on its own. After I bought new tires I just got my alignment done.
The guys at the alignment shop told me they couldnt get the Camber specs and the SAI specs to the specified range. I thought that the steering problem was due to my very bad alignment before.
So after I got the alignment done I started to drive around to test out the feeling of a good alignment(bought the car with a bad alignment). Noticed nothing better than before, the steering wheel is still cocked to one side a bit to keep the car going straight and I have to told it or else the car will slightly turn itself.
The problem is still there of when I am turning on a curve and the wheels turn more by theirselves. One thing new that I have just noticed is that when I am shifting gears the wheels seem to go left than right very quickly in between shifts. Now im a little lost to what could be doing this, I am slightly mechanically inclinded with this car since I did the whole drop bymyself and I have done alternator, ac compressor...ect.
If anyone else has had this problem or if anyone knows which part is most likely broken it would be a great hellp because I do not feel safe while driving it like this. Thanks!
S-Techs are a bit low.
Camber bolts will allow you to get camber back to specs.
You will never get SAI back to spec with that drop. BUT, it shouldn't give you the steering issue you have. It will cause bump steer.
Check the steering rack mount bushings for excessive play.
Check for excessive play in the control arm bushings, lower ball joints, tie rod ends ect.
The shop should have picked that stuff up while doing the alignment.
Do you have a print out of how the vehicle is set up now?
How is the wear on the tires? Even, worn on the inside, outside?
Did the shop do a 4 wheel? Not that you could change anything in the rear, but if the rear was out of spec that would have been picked up. If the rear is out of spec, it will cause your car to do the crab track which will put your steering wheel off center even though the front end has been centered and is tracking correctly.
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Last edited by njmaxseltd; 10-28-2009 at 11:08 AM.
These are the specs of the alignment.
Front Left
Camber: -1.9 actual, -2.4 before
Caster: 2.0 actual, 2.0 before
Toe: 0.11 actual, 0.40 before
SAI: 15.7 actual, 16.2 before
Included Angle: 13.8 actual, 13.8 before
Front Right
Camber: -1.8 actual, -1.8 before
Caster: 2.5 actual, 2.5 before
Toe: 0.07 actual, -0.20 before
SAI: 15.1 actual, 15.1 before
Included Angle: 13.3 actual, 13.3 before
To much negative camber. Get yourself a set of camber bolts it should be around -.3 deg. Everything else seems Ok with a drop like that.
Still doesn't really explain your steering issue, something has to be lose or shifting.
The thing is I do have camber bolts in there...thats as much as they could adjust them. I beleive we only need to put the camber bolts in the top bolt. I know that my front rad support is rusted through and has been for a while, but I dont think that would cause a steering problem, I have the peice of steel ready to weld it up
Im not sure if the car was ever in a front end collision or not, it seems that it would be doing this ever since I got the car if it was, but it only started doing it a couple months ago. There is also no puddles underneath the car. Im very confused at what it could be, I do not know much about suspension so I wouldnt beable to take a look at it and see if there are bushings that are bad or not, I also live in Canada and the winters get bad here.
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