Fishy928S4

Whenever I hit the break hard or the gas hard the car feels as if it's "floating" for a few seconds. I don't really know how else to describe it. It pulls the the left slighly as well when doing these things as well.

Does this sound like a suspention problem??

I got a good deal on this 88 S4 Auto trans knowing it needed some work done. I was just wondering if anyone had heard of anything like this so I know what I am getting into before putting it into the shop.

thanks.

John Struthers

Is your belly pan on?
Only other thing 'I' can offer is this:
Last year I thought I was losing my ball joints -still had the OEM aluminum one's-.
Pattycakes would 'float and pull left at even very low speeds.
By pulling left I mean it was like an uncommanded left turn.
The rack was/is good, upper and lower A arms were also mint -after inspection.
Springs were on their perches and not bound, shocks were ok, even rear half shafts were tight.
Pulled the aluminum balljoints and they were still in excellent condition. ???????
Still would pull to the left and feel light/squirrely.
Guess what it was?
The city had seal coated some of the major streets and intersections which made the streets LOOK new and level. I had just started using those streets taking my son to early classes -7am-.
The seal coat made the streets look freshly paved when in fact what it did was hide the heavy traffic wheel paths. The hidden wheelpaths and our slightly fat tires was enough to guide me across two lanes at intersections.
No problem when using my pick-up truck so I thought it was an ailing sHARk.
Does it pull left on highway pavement? If so, possible curb bump and alignment due.
Hope it's minor.

Big Dave

First thing: get your alignment checked. Sears was able to do mine in 45 minutes for about $50 since they have the Hunter alignment system. It's computerized and it doesn't lift the car's weight off of the wheels/suspension.

I had a floating effect with every bump in the road. The car felt like it was wandering each time and it was pretty scary. After the alignment everything was perfect again. The alignment was so far off the mechanic had to manually align it first just to get it within the range that the computer could even read it.

AO

Another possibility could be worn tie rod ends. I believe Big Dave also replaced his tie rod ends to aleviate his symptoms. I, too, have experienced this. I'm in the middle of replacing the ball joints, struts, and tie rod ends on my 82. I found the passenger side tie rod end was pretty loose compared to the driver side/new ball joints. I will be taking it in for an alignment in a few weeks and will report if there is any change/improvement.

One other thought, how old are your tires? Do they match? Are they on correctly (sometimes there is a preferred rotational direction)?

And another thought (they just keep coming). Check your front wheel bearings. When I had this last year, I tightened up the front wheel bearings. It helped a bit. If you've never taken the grease cap off before, get a muffler/exhaust clamp (1 7/8 in IIRC). Clamp it on the cap and then use a slide hammer to get it off. Saves a lot of frustration!

drnick

it does sound like suspension. make a list and start going through it with tyres and alignement near the top. also consider worn shock absorbers.

tresamore

Ride height and alignment.

Big Dave

Yes, I did change my tie rods, but they didn't make a noticeable difference in the car's float. They were worn out and needed to be replaced anyway. I also tightened the wheel bearings with no impact on the floating feeling. The only thing that solved it for me was an alignment.

Let us know what fixes it for you.

Jim bailey - 928 International

Definitely need to check suspension and FOUR wheel alignment. If the rear toe is off the rear tires fight each other under braking and acceleration one or the other can steer the rear end. You feel the rear end move to the side. It appears that you are running 17 inch rims most of which are aftermarket ,the 7.5 x17 fronts do fit with a bit more wheel to the outside and can be more sensitive to alignment as well as wear in the front suspension but this typically only shows up under braking or following grooves in the pavement. Familiarize yourself with the alignment procedure and the need not to lift the car off the wheels during the alignment !! Many shops will argue the point and screw up the alignment which destroys the insides of the front tires.

Fishy928S4

Thanks for the advice everyone! The S4 in my Avatar is not the car with the problem. It's the new Guards Red 88 I just got. I knew it had a few "issues", but I got a really good deal on it so I don't minf putting $$$$ into it to get it back into shape. I will be putting it in the shop in the next week or two. I know a really good 928 guy who has done all the work to my White 87.

What Jim described "you feel the rear end move to the side" is exactly what it is. I just put brand new rims and tires on it too so I wont drive it at all until it goes in to the shop.

thanks again, I will post an update in a week or two when it's done!