Steering tilting sideways, mostly right and sometimes left, any ideaS?

[gibraltar_lude]

Hey,

I have a 1992 Honda Prelude on 17inch alloys, wheels are 215/40/17R

Tyres are not new, and might be a bit worn.

The problem is whilst driving in the city the steering pushes me to the right and left, and it is becomming very uncomfortable to drive. Can anybody push me in the right direction? The car is lowered and has koni suspension.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
TOMMY

[97integrals]

sounds like it needs an alignment and maybe the tie rod ends are going bad.

[BullShifter]

Tie rods or ball joints going bad and those are a safty issue. Fix ASAP.

If a tie rod end breaks will going down the road you loose all steering control to that tire in other words it's DANGEROUS!

[gibraltar_lude]

hey guys thanks for the replies, im not very good mechanically, what are the tie rods?

[BullShifter]

Outer tie rods connect the steering rack to the steering knuckle basically, it's what makes your car turn via a joint that can pivot in almost any direction with the travel of suspension, and it's the only joint that controls steering.

Upper and lower ball joints are the pivot points for the steering knuckle to turn with joints that can pivot in almost any direction.

Tie rods are much more serious than ball joints but they both should be attended to asap. Each side has one upper ball joint, one lower ball joint, and one tie rod. They just wear out over time from lots of pressure and lowering is even more harsh.

There is a very quick way to tell if one or more is bad.
1. Jack up one front corner or both until the tires are off the ground(do not support under suspension parts.)
2. Grab the top of the tire with one hand and the bottom with the other hand. Push & pull it in and out. If there is any clicking or play it's most likely a bad upper or lower ball joint.
3. Grab the front & back of tire & do the same thing. If it moves that way it's more likely to be a tie rod gone bad.

Tie rods also control and alignment point which is toe. not all tie rods are created the same so the toe could get jacked causing the tire to wear very quickly. I usually measure from the inner tie rod to the center of tie rod for a quick and accurate reinstall.

here's some pic's for a better idea
http://www.binghamtonlife.com/manual...es/91-18-5.jpg
http://www.binghamtonlife.com/manual...es/91-18-8.jpg
http://www.binghamtonlife.com/manual...s/91-18-10.jpg
http://www.binghamtonlife.com/manual...s/91-18-11.jpg
http://www.binghamtonlife.com/manual...s/91-18-12.jpg

The best thing to do is have your car inspected and repaired by a qualified shop.

[CivicSiRacer]

Well also figure with wider tires and wheel your car will catch more imperfections in the road because you have more contact with the road. It's normal with larger wheels & tires.

But I also guess getting an alignment. If you lower a car or CHANGE anything with the suspension you need to get an alignment.

[gibraltar_lude]

so you guys think its more about alignment or tie rods or ball joints?

[gibraltar_lude]

by the way i have been having a rattling problem for some time now, especially on my front right wheel. its like a rattling metal sound and happens almost always when i get a bump in the road. could this be anything to do with the tie rod or ball joint?

[CivicSiRacer]

Originally Posted by gibraltar_lude

by the way i have been having a rattling problem for some time now, especially on my front right wheel. its like a rattling metal sound and happens almost always when i get a bump in the road. could this be anything to do with the tie rod or ball joint?

1st of all don't jack another person's post.
2nd you don't need to ask the same question twice.

Someone will get to your post.

[BullShifter]

Originally Posted by gibraltar_lude

so you guys think its more about alignment or tie rods or ball joints?

Originally Posted by jackasssi

The best thing to do is have your car inspected and repaired by a qualified shop.

that's a place to start

[gibraltar_lude]

hehe yeah ive taken the car to three different garages and the three have told me that they are stunned, that there is nothing wrong with my car

[klone420]

first-the roads in any city are uneven!, If It doesn't happen anywhere else then its fine. Second-the rattle could be loose nuts(check the caliper, upper&lower nuckle. Also, see if everything has a cotter pin in it.)

[snugglynuts]

I have a 92 civic that I was having same problem with (minus the clicking noise). I had swapped the stock 13 inch wheels for 15s. The stock 13s required 33psi. When I put the new rims with lower profile tires on I also pressurized them to 33psi. The car was being pulled all over the road by any imperfection or angle in the road. I tried increasing the psi to 37 then to 40 psi. The car is now handling like it is supposed to. You might want to try a little more pressure being as your tire is a lower profile than the stock tire.