Ls won't drive straight
matt ls
07-20-2006, 05:26 PM
If you are driving on a perfectly level road, the car will drive straight. But any little decline to the left or right, the car will swerve this way, very noticably.
I'm thinking it's a sway bar problem, but I have already had sway bar links and a new sway bar put on under warranty. Now the warranty is done with.
Is there anybody with a similair problem.
Thanks, Matt
I'm thinking it's a sway bar problem, but I have already had sway bar links and a new sway bar put on under warranty. Now the warranty is done with.
Is there anybody with a similair problem.
Thanks, Matt
shorod
07-20-2006, 10:58 PM
What size tires do you have? Stock?
Have you inspected the front end for loose ball joints or other looseness?
Is it definitely worse than what you've experienced before?
The anti-sway bar is more to reduce body roll during cornering at speed, and would not likely effect the handling due to a uniform crown in the road.
-Rod
Have you inspected the front end for loose ball joints or other looseness?
Is it definitely worse than what you've experienced before?
The anti-sway bar is more to reduce body roll during cornering at speed, and would not likely effect the handling due to a uniform crown in the road.
-Rod
matt ls
07-27-2006, 05:13 PM
Tires on it are 235's 55 17 off an 05' mustang. The car has always kind of done this but I noticed it alot more after I rotated my tires.
How do you check for loose ball joints.
How do you check for loose ball joints.
shorod
07-27-2006, 05:36 PM
Well, you may have tire issues, you may have an alignment issue, or you may have something loose in the front end.
If you have a suspension component loose enough to cause what you describe, you can probably check it by jacking the car up and properly supporting it with jackstands such that the weight of the car is not on the tires. Then grab each front tire at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions from the back side of the tire. Attempt to wiggle the assembly side-to-side. If you get a wiggle that feels loose, then inspect your tie rod ends (both inner and outer) as well as the ball joints.
Now do a similar check, but move your hands to the 12 and 6 o'clock positions. If you experience any looseness here, you probably have loose ball joints. If you have similar looseness in both positions, then you may have a bad wheel bearing or bearings.
If you are unsure if any discovered looseness is normal, have a professional check it out, preferably someone you trust.
-Rod
If you have a suspension component loose enough to cause what you describe, you can probably check it by jacking the car up and properly supporting it with jackstands such that the weight of the car is not on the tires. Then grab each front tire at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions from the back side of the tire. Attempt to wiggle the assembly side-to-side. If you get a wiggle that feels loose, then inspect your tie rod ends (both inner and outer) as well as the ball joints.
Now do a similar check, but move your hands to the 12 and 6 o'clock positions. If you experience any looseness here, you probably have loose ball joints. If you have similar looseness in both positions, then you may have a bad wheel bearing or bearings.
If you are unsure if any discovered looseness is normal, have a professional check it out, preferably someone you trust.
-Rod
matt ls
07-27-2006, 07:16 PM
I was just thinking back now when I was doing my brakes. I had the car jacked up and I had my hands at 3 and 9, I moved the tire back and forth and the steering wheel was moving too. I could turn it all the way to the left or right, but the weird part was that the keys weren't in the ignition or anything. Shouldn't the steering wheel have locked if the keys weren't in it.
shorod
07-27-2006, 10:33 PM
Yeah, typically the steering wheel will lock with the key out, but if you turned it slow enough while jacked up, the steering lock may not have caught. I have experienced this before. However, I bet if you had either jerked it or tryed to turn the wheels quickly, besides possibly causing it to burp oil from the power steering pump, the steering lock would have likely caught.
-Rod
-Rod
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