spode134

I am getting a slight wander to my steering on any thing but really smooth pavement. If I drive over uneven pavement the car will pull slightly to one side.It seems to follow the crown of the road. Other than this my steering is very precise.
I have checked and tightened the wheel bearings,replaced the rack mounts and replaced the upper control arm bushings.
The toe has been checked by string method and camber with a level.
I can find nothing showing any movement or play in the rest of the steering and suspension.. I'm leaning towards the lower ball joints being the culprit.
The car has 170,000kms.[ 105,000 mi.]
Any ideas?

Darrin
1985 928s 32v 5-speed

Erik - Denmark

Darrin,
The ball joints are easy to check, just lift the front of the car and check the wheel for slack – Like when you check for bearing slack (When you lift the car the lower A arm is hanging in the shock and the wheel is hanging free in the two ball joints)

· Was the car in normal riding height when you adjust the front wheel toe-in? (That’s important, because the toe is changing with the height, and it takes awful long time before the car is back to normal riding height)

· Did you check/adjust the rear toe-in?

· Is the car lowered?

If this do not cure your problem, then you are welcome to contact me direct, with your actual specifications, then I think I can guide you

Ed Ruiz

Also, are the tires worn or wearing unevenly? It is not uncommon for worn tires to follow ruts in the road. :^(

WallyP

I hope that the "tightening" of the wheel bearings wasn't meant literally! The front wheel bearings should have zero preload and zero endplay.

To check the lower ball joints for excessive wear, you must relieve the load on them. Using something to protect the arm, jack the lower control arm as close to the outer end as possible until the wheel is off the ground. Use a lever to pry upward on the tire while checking for movement in the joint.

Wear in the lower joint rarely causes wandering, or any other symptom. The weight of the car holds the spherical joint together, so there is no perceptible looseness.

A proper wheel alignment might be worthwhile in this case. This requires turntables or good slip plates and angle-measuring devices to check the caster.

Erik - Denmark

Wally,
I buy your point – The ball joint to be in normal position when checked

Mark

Spode...is this something new...have you recently changed tires. I have heard comments about 'wandering' of particular types of tires, also.

I have it a little myself, and all the above check out ok. When I was looking at some info on tires, I found a review/post/something, somewhere, that indicated that the tires I use (Goodyear Eagle GS-C, 225/50-16 all around) were more prone to 'wander' than most.

I am getting some new wheels (16x7F and 16x8R) and will be going to 245/45 on the rear, and will use a different brand (I really am not happy with the GS-C's...they are noisy and rough riding...and they wander! I'm gonna use them for autocross/track tires) I'll post any differences I find. I am leaning towards the Yokohama AVS-ES100...anybody have an opinion on, or experience with these?

Tommy928

Mark,

The AVS ES100 is a very, very good tire. It is quiet, nice riding, and very uniform (round). It is an excellent choice for everyday use but it feels a little soft when compares to the AVS Sport or the S-03. It drives a lot like the Michelin Pilot Z4 with more grip.

I also found the GS-C hard riding when I had a set 10 years ago. I don't remember about the noise level.

Tommy

Mark

thanx for your coments Tommy...I think the GS-C will make good track/autocross tires!

Ketchmi

They didn't have the 245/45/16 available last fall when I needed them or I would have tried the ES100's. I ended up just sticking with my old standby Bridgestone RE 730's. Maybe I'll try them next time. Seems like a really good tire for a great price.

Dave