Steering issue - suspension bushes or rack?

[Dr. Rog]

Hi folks,

My "new" car pulls to the left. When I bought it it felt like it was only a little, so I was confident the problem was just tracking.

After a quick trip to my local tyre and tracking place the problem was still there, so I inspected the brakes and ended up damaging then replacing the calliper bellows.

The pull to the left was still there and now rather irritating. The car seems to self centre with the steering wheel 10 degrees to the left, so today I took it back to Headley Tyres who did it again for only £10 (more than fair after several months). They thought the left wheel was toeing in, which they corrected and the right was camber in, which they cannot. They weren't very impressed with the state of my bushes.

I pulled away from the garage, along the first straight to a T junction, hands off wheel the car went straight. Braked and pulled away and the pull was back!!!.

I think something is moving, or the rack is unbalanced. Any ideas??

[Steve940estate]

If the garage mentioned that the bushes were bad then it would be worth investigating this to start with.
If for example the big saucer shaped bushes in the lower arms are worn or very soft they will allow the wheel to move backwards and forwards, affecting the caster quite a bit, and the toe a little as well.

[nickm]

Check both strut tops (under the bonnet) are rotated to the back. They are offset. If someone has been lazy reinstalling them you will end up with 5deg of castor on one side and 3 or less on the other.

The radius bush if worn, is an easy job. You can get the poly ones it will tighten up the front end.

[Penybryn]

I have found the front suspension bushes are very cheap and easy to change. The saucer shaped ones already mentioned will make tyre wear more uneven in my experience. Perhaps if one side is really bad then the tracking will have been corrected in the position the suspension was in when adjusted, but then movement allowed by the worn bush moved the tracking out again. I would start by checking bushes and replacing as necessary, double-checking the front brakes while the wheels are off.

[Dr. Rog]

Originally Posted by nickm

Check both strut tops (under the bonnet) are rotated to the back. They are offset. If someone has been lazy reinstalling them you will end up with 5deg of castor on one side and 3 or less on the other.

The radius bush if worn, is an easy job. You can get the poly ones it will tighten up the front end.

Thanks
I wasn't sure what you meant by rotated to the back, but I see from the Haynes manual, and from the car itself (which is the later model) that the strut top-nut needs to be eccentric towards the back of the car. Which it is. (I kind of wish it wasn't that would have been a simple diagnosis.)

How easy is easy? the Haynes manual worries about presses and bits of tube. Is it just an unbolt and bolt on?

[Dr. Rog]

Originally Posted by Penybryn

I have found the front suspension bushes are very cheap and easy to change. The saucer shaped ones already mentioned will make tyre wear more uneven in my experience. Perhaps if one side is really bad then the tracking will have been corrected in the position the suspension was in when adjusted, but then movement allowed by the worn bush moved the tracking out again. I would start by checking bushes and replacing as necessary, double-checking the front brakes while the wheels are off.

Thanks, it must be worth doing then, even if its not the only fault.

By "saucer shaped" are these a particular brand you have in mind? Do you think I should get proper Volvo ones?

[Dr. Rog]

I have been browsing to get some info.

Here is a discussion on poly bushes:

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showth...ghlight=bushes

Super flex and Superpro are recommended.

Here's one mentioning Saucer-shaped bushes and rubbishing the Scan-Tech version.

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showth...ghlight=bushes

[a.l.2810]

Have you tried swapping the front & rear wheels to rule out a tyre problem? Owned a triumph 2000 estate a while back ,lowered it thought it would look good on tr6 rims so fitted a set with new tyres. Fitted other stering parts at the same time so when it pulled to the left the last thing I thought of was tyres. It was tracked ,4 wheel laser aligned anything you can think of we tried and still it wanted to turn left. well it did till I mixed up the wheels and swapped the front wheel over by mistake and then it pulled to the right.....

[Dr. Rog]

Originally Posted by a.l.2810

Have you tried swapping the front & rear wheels to rule out a tyre problem? Owned a triumph 2000 estate a while back ,lowered it thought it would look good on tr6 rims so fitted a set with new tyres. Fitted other stering parts at the same time so when it pulled to the left the last thing I thought of was tyres. It was tracked ,4 wheel laser aligned anything you can think of we tried and still it wanted to turn left. well it did till I mixed up the wheels and swapped the front wheel over by mistake and then it pulled to the right.....

No, and I think its worth doing as the nearside tyre is heavily worn on the outside. If its tapered that wouldn't help at all.

I have some spares from the old car so I can experiment. However I pulled my back on Saturday so I will wait for a week before risking it.

[Penybryn]

Originally Posted by Dr. Rog

Thanks, it must be worth doing then, even if its not the only fault.

By "saucer shaped" are these a particular brand you have in mind? Do you think I should get proper Volvo ones?

I have used the Scantech ones on both my 940s and have been happy with them. I have not tried polybushes or Volvo OEM ones.