VERY hard to turn left
07-14-2002, 02:23 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
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VERY hard to turn left
could a bad strut bearing cause my car to be hard to turn left?i've been having the "clank" problem on the left side of my car(when making hard rights) for a while now and never got around to it and tonight the car just wouldn't turn left.
ifs its not the strut bearing what could it be?
ifs its not the strut bearing what could it be?
07-14-2002, 07:41 AM
#2
Race Director
That sounds UGLY !!! DO NOT DRIVE THAT CAR UNTIL YOU GET IT FIXED!!!
Strut-bearings would make grumbling sounds as you're turning the wheel, but it shouldn't cause any problems once you're into steady-state cornering. It definitely wouldn't cause any kind of a pull on the steering. You might even have a loose caster block on the rear of your A-arm. I'd park that car until you can get a really close inspection of the suspension; could actually be a very dangerous condition you have there.
Strut-bearings would make grumbling sounds as you're turning the wheel, but it shouldn't cause any problems once you're into steady-state cornering. It definitely wouldn't cause any kind of a pull on the steering. You might even have a loose caster block on the rear of your A-arm. I'd park that car until you can get a really close inspection of the suspension; could actually be a very dangerous condition you have there.
07-14-2002, 07:55 AM
#4
Man, if you made all the girls you meet call you Papa Danno...
I had a nick I used to go by, which I wont reveal in case I need it again. It was instrumental in much bootay I recieved as a younger man. It didnt help with the chicks I knew, but it was awesome after a few months, when people would actually call me that, and then some chick would hear my name as being that. Hehe. It wasnt sexual or anything, it was just cool. Like having the nick Bobcat. It just makes people notice.
Papa Danno has a nice flow to it. Very Shaft.
i can see it now.
"Hey, whats up Papa Danno?"
Chick standing at far end of bar.
"Did she just call him Papa Danno? Why did she call him that? What kind of man gets called Papa? I must find out!"
<img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />
I had a nick I used to go by, which I wont reveal in case I need it again. It was instrumental in much bootay I recieved as a younger man. It didnt help with the chicks I knew, but it was awesome after a few months, when people would actually call me that, and then some chick would hear my name as being that. Hehe. It wasnt sexual or anything, it was just cool. Like having the nick Bobcat. It just makes people notice.
Papa Danno has a nice flow to it. Very Shaft.
i can see it now.
"Hey, whats up Papa Danno?"
Chick standing at far end of bar.
"Did she just call him Papa Danno? Why did she call him that? What kind of man gets called Papa? I must find out!"
<img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />
07-14-2002, 11:34 AM
#5
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I wouldn't even have it towed to a shop-- I'd have it trailered. Something is binding mechanically in the steering-- if it busts while you're underway, the car could try to submarine the tarmac, roll, jackknife into oncoming traffic... you get the picture. Lots of possibilities, all of them super ugly.
I saw a Fiat bust a ball joint once; the wheel flopped down, the suspension dug into the tarmac, the car whipped around its tail around the pivot point just created, the tail got smacked by oncoming traffic, and so came to rest. The car was totalled, fortunately nobody died.
DON'T DRIVE IT.
Thaddeus
I saw a Fiat bust a ball joint once; the wheel flopped down, the suspension dug into the tarmac, the car whipped around its tail around the pivot point just created, the tail got smacked by oncoming traffic, and so came to rest. The car was totalled, fortunately nobody died.
DON'T DRIVE IT.
Thaddeus
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07-14-2002, 10:47 PM
#8
Burning Brakes
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ok here is an idea, might be stupid but someone tell me if this could make sense..
if the strut bearing ewre bad enough that they locked up or something would they restrict the moviement of the strut back and forth as it does when the wheel turns?making it hard to perhaps turn to one side?
i have no idea what this is, i lifted the front end up and when the wheels are off the ground it is the same when turning both left and right.
nothing is visibly wrong with the suspension
if the strut bearing ewre bad enough that they locked up or something would they restrict the moviement of the strut back and forth as it does when the wheel turns?making it hard to perhaps turn to one side?
i have no idea what this is, i lifted the front end up and when the wheels are off the ground it is the same when turning both left and right.
nothing is visibly wrong with the suspension
07-16-2002, 03:58 AM
#10
Race Director
"nothing is visibly wrong with the suspension "
Hmmm, difficulty, pulling and resistance in turning, especially in one direction is typically an alignment issue. The fact that the steering characteristics change as you turn left (but not right) would seem to indicate that your alignment is changing as you turn the wheel (something's loose).
I'd jack up the car and wiggle the wheels laterally and vertically to check for free play. Grab the top and bottom of the tire and rock it in and out (top hand pushs in, bottom hand pulls out, then reverse). If it's loose here, you've got loose wheel bearings. If not...
Grab the sides of the wheels and push straight in and out (don't rotate, rock or turn). If it's loose here, you've got a worn balljoint.
Then check every nut and bolt that's attached to the wheels. Check the lugs nuts, then remove the wheels and check the spindle-clamp to balljoint. Then check the strut-to-spindle clamp. Then check your brake-caliper to spindle bolts. Wiggle and check your tie-rod ends (both ends).
Then check your A-arms. Check the front pivot. Then check the rear caster block. Check the sway-bar drop-link where it goes through the A-arm. Check the other end of the drop-link where it goes through the sway-bar. Then check the sway-bar to car-body hanger bracket. Also check your crossmember-to-car body bolts.
By 'check', I mean get out a torque-wrench and turn each and every nut and bolt to the specified torque. Most likely you'll find the source of the 'clanking' noise and can figure out what to do next.
"Papa Danno has a nice flow to it. Very Shaft."
NO! That makes me sound way, way too old!
I have enough problems with chics trying to weasel me into being their sugar-daddy. Papa would just be over the edge..."Who's your daddy?".. Any other ideas?
Hmmm, difficulty, pulling and resistance in turning, especially in one direction is typically an alignment issue. The fact that the steering characteristics change as you turn left (but not right) would seem to indicate that your alignment is changing as you turn the wheel (something's loose).
I'd jack up the car and wiggle the wheels laterally and vertically to check for free play. Grab the top and bottom of the tire and rock it in and out (top hand pushs in, bottom hand pulls out, then reverse). If it's loose here, you've got loose wheel bearings. If not...
Grab the sides of the wheels and push straight in and out (don't rotate, rock or turn). If it's loose here, you've got a worn balljoint.
Then check every nut and bolt that's attached to the wheels. Check the lugs nuts, then remove the wheels and check the spindle-clamp to balljoint. Then check the strut-to-spindle clamp. Then check your brake-caliper to spindle bolts. Wiggle and check your tie-rod ends (both ends).
Then check your A-arms. Check the front pivot. Then check the rear caster block. Check the sway-bar drop-link where it goes through the A-arm. Check the other end of the drop-link where it goes through the sway-bar. Then check the sway-bar to car-body hanger bracket. Also check your crossmember-to-car body bolts.
By 'check', I mean get out a torque-wrench and turn each and every nut and bolt to the specified torque. Most likely you'll find the source of the 'clanking' noise and can figure out what to do next.
"Papa Danno has a nice flow to it. Very Shaft."
NO! That makes me sound way, way too old!
I have enough problems with chics trying to weasel me into being their sugar-daddy. Papa would just be over the edge..."Who's your daddy?".. Any other ideas?
07-16-2002, 05:43 AM
#11
Burning Brakes
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To summarise:
Very hard to turn left while on the floor
Normal to turn right
With wheels lifted from the ground both directions are normal/identical.
How about:
-turning back from reight to center
-turning back from left to center
This with both wheels on the floor (and driving)
Check as per Danno's advise.
If everything is OK there, then I would suggest to have a look at the power steering.
Rack working in one direction only?
Unless you want to devide your inheritance in the very near future, do not drive it until this is fixed.
TakeCare
Very hard to turn left while on the floor
Normal to turn right
With wheels lifted from the ground both directions are normal/identical.
How about:
-turning back from reight to center
-turning back from left to center
This with both wheels on the floor (and driving)
Check as per Danno's advise.
If everything is OK there, then I would suggest to have a look at the power steering.
Rack working in one direction only?
Unless you want to devide your inheritance in the very near future, do not drive it until this is fixed.
TakeCare
07-16-2002, 09:59 AM
#12
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Andre,
Check out the u-joint that connects to the top of the rack pinion. My friend had a similiar problem and it turned out that the ducting to the back of the alternator had gotten wound up in the joint. Turning the wheel one direction would un-wind it while turning the other way would wind it up tight and stop it from turning.
Rob
Check out the u-joint that connects to the top of the rack pinion. My friend had a similiar problem and it turned out that the ducting to the back of the alternator had gotten wound up in the joint. Turning the wheel one direction would un-wind it while turning the other way would wind it up tight and stop it from turning.
Rob
07-16-2002, 04:22 PM
#13
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ok turning from right to center is harder, i am thinking its powersteering or wheel bearings, but am going to go outside right now and jack it up
07-16-2002, 08:13 PM
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ok when i shook the wheel everything seemed fine(i didn't have time to go over every bit of the car witha wrench so i tried the quick stuff)
when i put one hand on the top of the tire and one at the bottom and shook back and forth there was some play buti think it was from the control arm and suspension moving up and down, not bad wheel bearings because it did the same thing on the other side. However i did find something, i doubt this could be the problem but here it is:
could this possibly cause this problem?
when i put one hand on the top of the tire and one at the bottom and shook back and forth there was some play buti think it was from the control arm and suspension moving up and down, not bad wheel bearings because it did the same thing on the other side. However i did find something, i doubt this could be the problem but here it is:
could this possibly cause this problem?
07-17-2002, 12:34 AM
#15
Race Director
Ah hah! Power-steering fluid leaking onto the swaybar bushing would cause it swell up like that. But not likely it would cause you steering problems. Just clunking noises when you go over bumps.
How's your power-steering fluid level? Is your rack in OK shape then? The way power-steering works is the steering-wheel is just a control mechanism which opens up ports & valves that diverts hydraulic pressure into the rack which then turns the tires. If some of these ports & valves are clogged, you won't get power assist. So you end up having to turn the tires manually.
How's your power-steering fluid level? Is your rack in OK shape then? The way power-steering works is the steering-wheel is just a control mechanism which opens up ports & valves that diverts hydraulic pressure into the rack which then turns the tires. If some of these ports & valves are clogged, you won't get power assist. So you end up having to turn the tires manually.