car lurches to left or right

[tomtaylor1]

Hi All, on travelling at speed, coming to a bumpy or undulating road surface, my car will lurch or tramp hard to the left or right depending on the road condition. The tyre sizes are 265.35.18,front and rear, shocks coil over, adjustable.

The tracking has been checked and is ok.

Tyre pressures 28 psi, cold.

Could the problem be, both a combination of tyre size and shocks.

If shocks is there a shop in Pattaya which can check these, I did see in Phuket a garage with a machine for doing this.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Regards Tom

[IMHO]

By "tracking" do you mean wheel alignment?

From the sounds of it, either your car doesn't have the correct toe-in amount, or the front suspension is faulty. You might also want to check for a loose/damaged sway bar too I guess.

Edit: Seeing as you have aftermarket coilovers, it could also just be poorly setup. Cars generally have a slight amount of front toe-in to keep them going in a straight line (unless it's FWD?), but if the suspension compresses or is lowered too far, that can leave it with dead straight front wheels, or even toe-out, which would explain what you're experiencing.

Are you hitting the bump stops?

Edited October 23, 2015 by IMHO

[Farma]

I guess you're referring to corrugated or heavily potholed roads.

The only solution i've found is to slow down a bit when encountering these patches of road.

[uksomchai]

It sounds to me that the steering rack is the thing to look at. Had a similar problem with a Toyota Sportrider that would loudly clunk but not veer. Is there any play in the steering ? Jack up a front wheel and see if you can wiggle it any ? Whilst it is up in the air check the track rod ends and suspension bushes though if the tracking has been checked they should and I say SHOULD have already checked these

[cumgranosalum]

I would think that shocks are not the first culprit to blame....or second or third...........

You say coils all round....so not a pickup truck?

I would take a good look at the front suspension and steering assemblies first....everything from steering rack to ball-joints bushes...the lot. It maybe that the whole thing has just been left unserviced too long and needs a multiple of bushes etc re-doing.........this should actually be very expensive either.

How about noises? What kinds of clunks and bangs do you have....these sorts of things can grow unnoticed in tiny increments so you just get used to them rather than listening to them.

Any tire shop should have the equipment to check your tracking and the rest of your undercarriage and tell you what's wrong.

I would ask a couple of places just to see if you get te same answer.

PS - if your suspension hasn't been serviced for some time, then one can expect that the shocks may need replacing too.

PPS - I assume you have checked your tire pressures?

[cumgranosalum]

Hang on...it's not that jeep in your avatar is it?

[1BADDAT]

Ignore all previous info...you expect a decent ride in thailand on 35 series tires?!?!?!? On coiliovers!!! What car is this on btw?

[WarpSpeed]

As some have said above, steering tie rod end, or inner tie rod end, ball joint if applicable, steering rack possibly, is it rack and pinion? Not likely to be shocks or springs or tire size, what your describing is the vehicle getting light going over a bump and the steering pulling you one way or the other when settling down again and due to road friction this is usually an indication of slack in one the above mentioned parts. Presumably the car has 4 wheel independent suspension and if the back alignment is out of whack that can also cause the car to lurch left or right when it gets light on it's suspension but usually that doesn't happen at low speeds only higher speeds like cresting a rise or something at a reasonable pace.

[1BADDAT]

As some have said above, steering tie rod end, or inner tie rod end, ball joint if applicable, steering rack possibly, is it rack and pinion? Not likely to be shocks or springs or tire size, what your describing is the vehicle getting light going over a bump and the steering pulling you one way or the other when settling down again and due to road friction this is usually an indication of slack in one the above mentioned parts. Presumably the car has 4 wheel independent suspension and if the back alignment is out of whack that can also cause the car to lurch left or right when it gets light on it's suspension but usually that doesn't happen at low speeds only higher speeds like cresting a rise or something at a reasonable pace.

not likely to be tire size? He had 265 series 35 profile tires. Have you ever driven a vehicle in thailand with 35 series tires? Have you ever seen 265mm width of flat road surface in thailand?

I can tell you from experience in USA with roads that far surpass almost anything I have seen in thailand that wide low profile tires will pull in any direction on anything but a perfectly level road.

He may have any number of issues that you mentioned but with his tire combination (and unknown vehicle) he can never expect a reasonable ride quality in thailand.

By the way..you think he has coiliovers on a live axle rear end? Obviously he has 4 wheel independent suspension.

[1BADDAT]

Hi All, on travelling at speed, coming to a bumpy or undulating road surface, my car will lurch or tramp hard to the left or right depending on the road condition. The tyre sizes are 265.35.18,front and rear, shocks coil over, adjustable.

The tracking has been checked and is ok.

Tyre pressures 28 psi, cold.

Could the problem be, both a combination of tyre size and shocks.

If shocks is there a shop in Pattaya which can check these, I did see in Phuket a garage with a machine for doing this.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Regards Tom

look up the recommended tire pressure for that tire size and it Is much closer to 40 psi or above..no where near 30

[WarpSpeed]

As some have said above, steering tie rod end, or inner tie rod end, ball joint if applicable, steering rack possibly, is it rack and pinion? Not likely to be shocks or springs or tire size, what your describing is the vehicle getting light going over a bump and the steering pulling you one way or the other when settling down again and due to road friction this is usually an indication of slack in one the above mentioned parts. Presumably the car has 4 wheel independent suspension and if the back alignment is out of whack that can also cause the car to lurch left or right when it gets light on it's suspension but usually that doesn't happen at low speeds only higher speeds like cresting a rise or something at a reasonable pace.

not likely to be tire size? He had 265 series 35 profile tires. Have you ever driven a vehicle in thailand with 35 series tires? Have you ever seen 265mm width of flat road surface in thailand?

I can tell you from experience in USA with roads that far surpass almost anything I have seen in thailand that wide low profile tires will pull in any direction on anything but a perfectly level road.

He may have any number of issues that you mentioned but with his tire combination (and unknown vehicle) he can never expect a reasonable ride quality in thailand.

By the way..you think he has coiliovers on a live axle rear end? Obviously he has 4 wheel independent suspension.

Ok so like I said not likely to be tire size, he doesn't mention anything about having just made a tire upgrade so it's easy to assume (since that's what you're suggesting I do with the rest of his post), this is a new problem he's not had before. If he has well then that info being left out makes it difficult to diagnose. Were did you get a live rear axle from? I don't recall him mentioning that piece of info? I certainly don't take anything for granted here, he could have meant coil overs front, nothing is obvious on here but thanks for the needless correction anyways.

I do agree with your tire PSI recommendation though, 28 would be way too low..

Edited October 24, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[1BADDAT]

As some have said above, steering tie rod end, or inner tie rod end, ball joint if applicable, steering rack possibly, is it rack and pinion? Not likely to be shocks or springs or tire size, what your describing is the vehicle getting light going over a bump and the steering pulling you one way or the other when settling down again and due to road friction this is usually an indication of slack in one the above mentioned parts. Presumably the car has 4 wheel independent suspension and if the back alignment is out of whack that can also cause the car to lurch left or right when it gets light on it's suspension but usually that doesn't happen at low speeds only higher speeds like cresting a rise or something at a reasonable pace.

not likely to be tire size? He had 265 series 35 profile tires. Have you ever driven a vehicle in thailand with 35 series tires? Have you ever seen 265mm width of flat road surface in thailand?

I can tell you from experience in USA with roads that far surpass almost anything I have seen in thailand that wide low profile tires will pull in any direction on anything but a perfectly level road.

He may have any number of issues that you mentioned but with his tire combination (and unknown vehicle) he can never expect a reasonable ride quality in thailand.

By the way..you think he has coiliovers on a live axle rear end? Obviously he has 4 wheel independent suspension.

Ok so like I said not likely to be tire size, he doesn't mention anything about having just made a tire upgrade so it's easy to assume (since that's what you're suggesting I do with the rest of his post), this is a new problem he's not had before. If he has well then that info being left out makes it difficult to diagnose. Were did you get a live rear axle from? I don't recall him mentioning that piece of info? I certainly don't take anything for granted here, he could have meant coil overs front, nothing is obvious on here but thanks for the needless correction anyways.

I do agree with your tire PSI recommendation though, 28 would be way too low..

my post was a bit harsh admit..had a few drinks...sorry about that.

What I meant to say is that he would most likely have 4 wheel independent suspension since he has coiliovers. There are very few coil over setups with solid rear axles.

My man point is there is no way these are stock tires and wheels on the vehicle. There are 1000 different things that can contribute to his problem. And with his wheel tire size combination it is unlikely he will be able to improve it much.

[WarpSpeed]

Well possibly but like has been said, he just posted this up as if it is a new problem not something he's had for some time, so assuming it is new, tire size, while not helpful, is not likely the problem at least not exclusively. All things being equal though, they may have exacerbated an already existing issue until it's finally caused a more serious issue, that is now magnified by their size.

Edited October 24, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[Don Mega]

My Vigo starting doing similar.

Had new shocks and bushes fitted all round and the issue went away.

OP. I would look for any worn suspension bushes and if the coilovers are adjustable ease off the rebound a touch.

Edited October 24, 2015 by Don Mega

[Alration]

It sounds to me that the steering rack is the thing to look at. Had a similar problem with a Toyota Sportrider that would loudly clunk but not veer. Is there any play in the steering ? Jack up a front wheel and see if you can wiggle it any ? Whilst it is up in the air check the track rod ends and suspension bushes though if the tracking has been checked they should and I say SHOULD have already checked these

"Had a similar problem with a Toyota Sportrider that would loudly clunk but not veer."

You see a similarity between his car that veers and your car that doesn't?

[Alration]

Tom, try slowing down a bit, that might help.

What is it that has 265/35/18 front tyres that you're driving so fast onto bad roads?

[kartman]

As the OP said my car RX8? if so Wheeler Dealers just had same problem on a Honda S2000, fault electric power steering rack cure replace rack.

[BSJ]

Could it be that the tyres have been mounted the wrong way around? I just recently had tyres fitted to new rims and it states outside on the tyre. Maybe som chai put em on the wrong way???

[JaseTheBass]

Apparently asking what car the OP has is against TV rules...

[WarpSpeed]

As the OP said my car RX8? if so Wheeler Dealers just had same problem on a Honda S2000, fault electric power steering rack cure replace rack.

He has an 8? I didn't see that? In that case could just be dirty/corroded connectors on the steering rack plugs which are located underneath the airbox on top of the radiator where they get coolant dumped on them if the car overflows at all, sadly because the over flow hose is so short and dumps directly over top of it, is a common problem, but if the car IS over-heating that's another massive issue all by itself and if it is an 8? Mileage is a big indicator, it may even be an impending sign of engine failure.

[WarpSpeed]

Could it be that the tyres have been mounted the wrong way around? I just recently had tyres fitted to new rims and it states outside on the tyre. Maybe som chai put em on the wrong way???

Yes, could be uni-directional but usually that doesn't effect them like this, just mostly poor cornering, wet grip and braking.

[WarpSpeed]

Apparently asking what car the OP has is against TV rules...

Yes it's been mentioned several times but OP has posted and darted it seems, hasn't been back since for all of the good advice he's been receiving. Maybe he crashed?.............................................................. The car I mean.....

Edited October 24, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[IMHO]

We don't know what car it is, but it has coilovers (the type of suspension you out in a trackday car) and extra wide, low profile tires - i.e. nothing like what it came out of the factory with.

I'm still betting it's a geometry problem... I'm yet to see/experience a well tuned coilover mod on a non-track-raced car - most of them just ride (and steer) like skateboards.

Edited October 24, 2015 by IMHO

[JDGRUEN]

A friend of mine took his car in for a similar problem but only one side was affected. The mechanics found a belt in the tire had become lose / warped ... New tire and an amazing difference. Having this on both tires at the same time would seem somewhat implausible but ... it should be ruled out and is easy to do that...

[kartman]

We don't know what car it is, but it has coilovers (the type of suspension you out in a trackday car) and extra wide, low profile tires - i.e. nothing like what it came out of the factory with.

I'm still betting it's a geometry problem... I'm yet to see/experience a well tuned coilover mod on a non-track-raced car - most of them just ride (and steer) like skateboards.

So that would be in line with his SR20DET mods so i'm betting on the RX8

[WarpSpeed]

Oh so if he's modding an 8 and the engine in there previously was toast it likely over-heated on to the steering rack connections like I mentioned so it's quite possible they're corroded. BTW people there are a lot of cars that come with stock coil overs which merely refers to the type of suspension, just being coil over as I'm sure you know just means spring coils over top of the shocks instead of beside them or torsion etc.. Now, adjustable coil overs are a bit different with adjustable spring seats and sleeves but the stock coil overs are still coil overs which the 8 comes with stock just not height adjustable.

[stoli]

By "tracking" do you mean wheel alignment?

From the sounds of it, either your car doesn't have the correct toe-in amount, or the front suspension is faulty. You might also want to check for a loose/damaged sway bar too I guess.

Edit: Seeing as you have aftermarket coilovers, it could also just be poorly setup. Cars generally have a slight amount of front toe-in to keep them going in a straight line (unless it's FWD?), but if the suspension compresses or is lowered too far, that can leave it with dead straight front wheels, or even toe-out, which would explain what you're experiencing.

Are you hitting the bump stops?

After 28 years in the vehicle suspension business, the above is incorrect in every detail. I would have the CV joints checked to see if one or both have gone bad.

[IMHO]

By "tracking" do you mean wheel alignment?

From the sounds of it, either your car doesn't have the correct toe-in amount, or the front suspension is faulty. You might also want to check for a loose/damaged sway bar too I guess.

Edit: Seeing as you have aftermarket coilovers, it could also just be poorly setup. Cars generally have a slight amount of front toe-in to keep them going in a straight line (unless it's FWD?), but if the suspension compresses or is lowered too far, that can leave it with dead straight front wheels, or even toe-out, which would explain what you're experiencing.

Are you hitting the bump stops?

After 28 years in the vehicle suspension business, the above is incorrect in every detail. I would have the CV joints checked to see if one or both have gone bad.

All of it, i.e. RWD don't normally have slight toe-in? FWD don't normally have slight toe-out? Toe doesn't change with suspension height? If the car's been lowered too much, it won't hit the bump stops?

Why are you assuming it has CV joints? Everyone else here is guessing it's RWD

Edited October 25, 2015 by IMHO

[IMHO]

Oh so if he's modding an 8 and the engine in there previously was toast it likely over-heated on to the steering rack connections like I mentioned so it's quite possible they're corroded. BTW people there are a lot of cars that come with stock coil overs which merely refers to the type of suspension, just being coil over as I'm sure you know just means spring coils over top of the shocks instead of beside them or torsion etc.. Now, adjustable coil overs are a bit different with adjustable spring seats and sleeves but the stock coil overs are still coil overs which the 8 comes with stock just not height adjustable.

You normally wouldn't make it a point that you had coilovers if it wasn't custom suspension Still, yes, it could be OEM.

[Ace of Pop]

Toyota Owners think it normal, just tooo fussy some folks.