Steering wobble?

[Adrian Southgate]

I have had the wheels balanced on the Sierra but I am still getting quite a wobble between 35 an 40 mph.

TCA ball joints seem fine, TRE's seem fine, bushes seem ok. Its not affected by braking as I have tried applying the brakes while holding the speed constant with the throttle so I'm ruling out disc balance and run out issues.

The only other thing I can think of is the play in the actual steering rack internals which I was advised about at the MOT.

Can I have your thoughts please gents?

[1xf87h8w80hlh]

escort racks do seen to be a bit of a prob with age its about £45 to get overhalled. what is the tracking like? tyre pressures? has it been cerbed did the wheels get bolted up corect are the tyres directinal going the right way ( god i wish i could spell)

[Adrian Southgate]

Tracking is going to be done as soon as I can get back to ATS who balanced the wheels last night for me.

Wheels were balanced off the car and all ran true on the wobbler, no dints or wobble at the rim.

Tyres are non directional.

Use Google chrome Danny not that it matters as we all understand you fine.

[Dave Adams]

Geometry check.
castor and tracking.......
tyre balance.

[Adrian Southgate]

Tyres balanced last night as above.

Wheel alignment check hopefully tomorrow or thursday night providing I'm not too late leaving work, if not it will be Saturday AM

[Big Vern]

Wobble is unlikely to be down to geometry, something must be worn or loose. Early Escorts did used to suffer from shimmy at around 55mph, was to do with the top mount on the macphereson strut (design was changed in the early '70's)

Who balanced the wheels and how? ARB bushes usually cause vague steering, whereas wobble is usually down to the bits that rotate.

So wheel brgs, discs, hubs, tyres, and most often the wheel rims themselves. Do the leggy wheels wobble on the leggy?

If not can you fit them to the Sierra and try it with them. That would rule out the wheel/tyre.

£45 steering racks are overhauled by 'wrenching up' the TR nut and fitting new gaiters then painting satin black. A proper recon should be costing close to or more than £100 as it should have new parts in it!

[Adrian Southgate]

Strut tops are secure and seated correctly, no play in the rotating part in the middle either.

It wobbled badly before I had the wheels balanced, it is now much better since having them done.

Wheel bearings checked during build, packed and seated nicely, no play on stub even with the wheel on.

The Leggy wheels don't wobble but use 24mm spacers and long studs which would also need to be swapped onto the Sierra. I have some other spare wheels which could be used which were always ok on the leggy before.

I have a spare rack, i'll check tonight to see if its the right type and if it stays dry will have a go at fitting that.

[Dave Adams]

I know wheel wobble is usually a result of rotating bits. but a car with lousy geometry can also exhibit wheel wobble esp is castor is all wrong. ARB bushes on the TCA can have an effect here. but the rotating bits are usually where the problem lies.

[Big Vern]

"I know wheel wobble is usually a result of rotating bits. but a car with lousy geometry can also exhibit wheel wobble esp is castor is all wrong."

Sorry Dave but it can't. I've done litterally thousands of geometry set ups when developing suspension you wouldn't believe some of the mad saettings I've put on cars - at no point have I ever encountered wheel wobble or shimmy. but 10grams out of balance on some wheels and it feels like the steering wheel is attached to a pneumatic hammer :-o

Another thing that can feel like wheel wobble is a knackered damper, had one on the rear of the mx5 and it felt like the wheels were gonna fall of above 60mph. ( the same feeling you get when the wheel nuts are loose) Got worse when I fitted 17" wheels so was convinced it was hubs or bearings, said damper passed the mot as well.

ARB and TCA bushes tend to give uneven tyre wear and a vague steering feel but again other than judder on braking don't tend to cause wheel wobble.

I have suggested Ade tries a set of wheels that he knows are good as the monster truck wheels he has are prone to balance issues due to the wheel ofsets.

[Dave Adams]

I suppose it depends on how you define wheel wobble. i was assuming a decriptions given by customers when i used to spanner for a job, where just vague steering could be described as wheel wobble but a zero castor or a positive castor can give quite unstable steering and all sorts of things can alter it. but rotating things as you said are usually the problem.

[Adrian Southgate]

Wheel wobble as a vibration effect caused by one of the wheels being out of balance and oscillating as it rotates causing the steering wheel to vibrate.

The steering wobble I have is 'deeper' into the car, slower and much more pronounced than having a wheel out of balance. I have never had a car do this to me before and when it starts it is most disconcerting. Doing the F1 'warming of the tyres' routine cures it but other people think you are 1 pissed or 2 driving in an aggressive manner.

[1xf87h8w80hlh]

what pressure are you running

[Adrian Southgate]

24/24 f/r