Quote:
Originally Posted by Georgeandkira
Get a helper.
Jack a front wheel. Hands at 9 and 3. Motion whilst rocking betrays bad tie rod ends.
Hands at 12 and 6. Motion whilst rocking might reveal a bad ball joint.
Use a small pry bar and small motions to make a ball joint move.
With the wheels on the ground. Have a friend turn the steering wheel slightly whilst you watch the tie rod ends.
With due care, remove a road wheel and roll the hub with your hands to feel for roughness (bearing).
How many mils are on your car? At 150K, for example, just change your dampers front and rear. Look for leaks in shocks and struts.
Check for even height in the shock mounts as viewed with the bonnet up. This can reveal bad mounts.
Visually inspect the springs for integrity. They can rub and cut tires when they break or do so benignly.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by barrybritcher
common problems:
Track rod end - follow the steering rack - the track rod attaches the steering rack to the wheel hub.
Lower control arm / wishbone rear bush (this is the triangle shaped part) the rear bush is the circular one - when jacked in air if you can see metal or if rubber is split , then it is gone.
Check wheel bearing while you are there, hub will be stiff to rotate by hand.
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Thanks both.
Car is on 206k miles but drives really well. Just noticed a recent quiet knock when going over uneven/poor road surfaces. Also a strange feeling through the chassis when braking from motorway speeds.
Finally had a chance to get the car jacked up and take a look. There's some play on the passenger side when rocking left and right. Makes sense really as I replaced the driver's side track rod end on the last MOT.
Is there anything else I should check or is it safe to assume the track rod end is at fault?
EDIT: Last MOT also picked up "Nearside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect". All I can see is that the boot has come away from the bumpstop at the top, how would I go about making sure its still ok?
Dean