1995 caprice steering wanders
#1
1995 caprice steering wanders
i have a 1995 Caprice Classic 4.3 V8 owned since new with 132K mileage*( not positive since the odometer has now just started to lose the digital memory. I have in the past years asked my mechanic about the steering wandering back and forth. I know that this is not a sports suspension and he has changed the lower ball joints , passenger side tie rod end even found a disintegrated stabilizer bushing on 1 side. The steering was so bad last week that a Trooper pulled me overt on the Interstate and said that I was all over on the white line and if I was OK or drunk? ( Yes, it is worse when the wind conditions are up as the whole car seems to vibrate. What can this be that holds the steering in place or was there a typical issue with that car? Idler arm or Pitman arm, shocks, original wheel bearings ? I love the car and it runs as new but don't want to guess as to what is wrong and keep trial and error with $$$ Thanks to all and glad to be a new Chevy member
#2
the car has tapered roller bearings; if they have too much play the car will wander all over the place. These bearings need to be repacked and adjusted every 30 000miles. a suspension check will confirm this.
get a 4 wheel alignment done. shops do the suspension check as part of the alignment. Make sure you tell them about the handling problems when you book the alignment. Get a 4 wheel alignment done because if you do 2 wheel alignment only you will not have any data on the rear wheel alignment and the problem could be coming from the rear. The back end steers the car...you want the front end set up to the true thrust angle(4 wheel alignment) not a geometric centerline (2 wheel alignment). get a printout of the before and after alignment settings.
get a 4 wheel alignment done. shops do the suspension check as part of the alignment. Make sure you tell them about the handling problems when you book the alignment. Get a 4 wheel alignment done because if you do 2 wheel alignment only you will not have any data on the rear wheel alignment and the problem could be coming from the rear. The back end steers the car...you want the front end set up to the true thrust angle(4 wheel alignment) not a geometric centerline (2 wheel alignment). get a printout of the before and after alignment settings.
Last edited by tech2; March 5th, 2011 at 4:56 PM.
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CaptTrevStarr
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February 22nd, 2009 2:43 PM