My 81 2.0GL has an unpleasant steering wheel wobble at around 45mph, but only on certain stretches of road. Normally, steering is smooth and firm, but at times the wobble as felt at the steering wheel is very unpleasant.
Both front suspension struts are new.
Tyres all new, correctly inflated and balanced. The wobble is the same whichever way round I switch the wheels.
Track setting is ok.
Wheel bearings OK.
Steering rack seems ok.
Brakes and discs new and ok. Nothing loose or rubbing.
Could the trouble be with the Track Control Arm bushes?
The problem always occurs after particular slightly lumpy surfaces.
What type of bushes would you recommend for ordinary road use, as I understand there are different sorts.
That old wheel wobble.
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Andrew 2.8i
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Re: That old wheel wobble.
Hi,
Personally, I would replace the worn rubber bushes with good quality poly bushes, like Superflex. They come in two parts and are easy to fit. Don't forget there are inner and outer bushes on each side. Also, check there is no play in the lower ball joints on the TCA.
Andrew.
Personally, I would replace the worn rubber bushes with good quality poly bushes, like Superflex. They come in two parts and are easy to fit. Don't forget there are inner and outer bushes on each side. Also, check there is no play in the lower ball joints on the TCA.
Andrew.
Re: That old wheel wobble.
Mine did this whith all new parts fitted. I had to tighten the tca to chassis bolts up a fair bit past the reccomended torque setting to take the slack out.
Since I got a capri I've said "over the moon" a lot more than ever before.
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pbar
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Re: That old wheel wobble.
I would (and in fact I am going to do), buy new track control arms with standard bushes already fitted, and put those on. There can be side effects from using poly bushes such as a harsher ride as they have much less give.
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nigecapri
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Re: That old wheel wobble.
With luck and a fair wind a new pair of arms will cure the wobble, worn lower balljoints can cause it along with the worn rubber inner and/or outer bushes - just fitting bushes into the old arms isn't really worthwhile unless they've been on less than a year / 5 thou miles.
If there's another underlying problem then even new rubber bushes can show wobble at the steering wheel!
With your arms ready to refit, clamp the inner crush-tube in a vice and see how many millimetres side to side movement there is at the balljoint end under firm hand pressure either way. Anything more than 15mm & you might still get the wobbles.
If there's another underlying problem then even new rubber bushes can show wobble at the steering wheel!
With your arms ready to refit, clamp the inner crush-tube in a vice and see how many millimetres side to side movement there is at the balljoint end under firm hand pressure either way. Anything more than 15mm & you might still get the wobbles.