My suspension is starting to scare me

[Bigsyke]

Picked up an S14 a few weeks ago. I noticed when turning only right, it would turn normal- untill I turned the wheel a "touch" more to the right, the car would PULL to the right, HARD.

Off/On ramps are interesting because I could have the steering wheel almost full lock to the right, and then suddenly the car would start going straight forward like the steering tie rods disconnected.

The T/C bushings are leaking, but would that cause this issue?

When I have the car jacked up, and i move the steering wheel to the right, there is almost like something catching on the wheel at a certain point. I checked the steering rack bushings, they look good. T/C bushings as my main suspect?

Also car shakes at 60-75mph really bad, steering wheel is cocked to the right. I ordered TC bushings and steering rack bushings. But dont want to find out its my tie rods. thnks

[stinky_180]

alignment??????

[Z33dori]

sounds like busted tie rod...

find out before u pay for an alignment

[lflkajfj12123]

check wheel bearings

[Bigsyke]

holding the wheels at 12 and 6 is 0 play, but 9* and 3* is a different story, a little play.

[Forge_55b]

sounds like the rack is done

[Bigsyke]

ouch, any sure diagnosis on rack failure? I have searched but usually a rack is not servicable.

[holemilk00]

If its your rack there is usually signs from under the car, you can tell the ends on the rack are usually twisted on the ball joints. I will tell you this, if it is the rack don't even bother calling the stealership, I recently had to pick one up and it was over a grand from there. Advance has one for just over two hundred.

[silnismo]

ill put my money on it that its the front lower ball joint from your control arm.

its that or the tie-rods, take your pick.

[Bigsyke]

ill put my money on it that its the front lower ball joint from your control arm.

its that or the tie-rods, take your pick.

For an update looks like you are probably right. Drivers wheel looks like its loose on the lower ball joint. It can shift around and the ball joint has alot of play.

Did T/C bushings and didnt fix it,

ill try rack bushings just because I have them, and then looks like I need a LCA, because nissan doesnt sell them seperately.

[lflkajfj12123]

http://www.pdm-racing.com/products/pdmcontrolarms.html

[DriftCat]

the vibration at speed sounds like unbalanced wheels. sometimes you don't notice til you're going faster. find a tech @ a tire place and talk him into throwin it on the machine if he's cool he might check you for like $10 or so. then you'll know for sure if its that or I'm an idiot haha

[devnull]

For an update looks like you are probably right. Drivers wheel looks like its loose on the lower ball joint. It can shift around and the ball joint has alot of play.

Did T/C bushings and didnt fix it,

ill try rack bushings just because I have them, and then looks like I need a LCA, because nissan doesnt sell them seperately.

You can buy a ball joint from a parts store for $40-$50. Why would you buy a $200 arm when replacing a ball joint is so easy? You can rent the special tools you need from autozone for free.

[Clowny]

You can buy a ball joint from a parts store for $40-$50. Why would you buy a $200 arm when replacing a ball joint is so easy? You can rent the special tools you need from autozone for free.
if you see the link in the earlier post to the pdm site, youll see that you can get both lcas with new balljoints already installed for 115.00 extra 15 bucks and you have new, not 14 year old or older, arms and new bushings. plus, no special tools needed.

[Bigsyke]

if you see the link in the earlier post to the pdm site, youll see that you can get both lcas with new balljoints already installed for 115.00 extra 15 bucks and you have new, not 14 year old or older, arms and new bushings. plus, no special tools needed.


that looked like it was for an S13 tho, i have a 14

[JRas]

alignment and get the wheels balanced

[gixxer103]

ball joint it is i agree...had same problem with my s13 wen im turning slightly to the left it will just pull to da left hard ....

[devnull]

if you see the link in the earlier post to the pdm site, youll see that you can get both lcas with new balljoints already installed for 115.00 extra 15 bucks and you have new, not 14 year old or older, arms and new bushings. plus, no special tools needed.

The S14 LCAs are $200 each and unless his car has been into a curb or they're rusting through, there's nothing wrong with his control arms being old.