ok, so i've got some problems. not sure if this is suspension or general maint. but i put it here because you guys are the experts. i've got an '04 cavalier with RK Sport Coilovers. Stupid move since day one as i dont even really want them anymore, and wasnt really impressed from day 1. anyway, i put them on without new struts because i more or less didnt care, i just wanted to test the waters a bit. this was in july. ok so anyway, there have been pops and noises since day one, what am i to suspect though cheap coilovers on a cheap car with crappy struts, so i dealt with it.
until this week, i can actually feel things different, like its looser and when i hit bumps (and believe me, there are plenty of them) i can feel the wheels just kind of go wherever they want, like swerve and stuff.
so this morning i'm on my way into work, doing about 35-40 down my road hit a little bit of slush, no big deal, the wheels kind of do their thing but i correct and all is well. until i look down and my steering wheel is about 3-4 inches out of whack pointing to the right? ummmm...wtf? so i'm thinking, ok something broke...but what broke.
anyway, i kept going, took I90 and did about 80 all the way to work because I was late, thinking if my wheel falls of i'm a goner and at the very least it will look good on the evening news. but, what do you guys think it is? is it possible that the sleeve on the coilover slipped or something? or is it something as simple as my alignment going out of wack from hitting the slush?
thanks for your help, and spare me the "should have gotten struts" comments as i had either planned on replacing them come summer or taking the coilovers off completely...which now is leaning towards the later.
Brian
well one those arent bad coils if you did the setup properly. im gonna go head and say your tie rods are probably broken.
tie rods or tie rod ends
id check the ends first, those are cheap to replace
question , if you open your hood and look at your strut mounts in the center
is there rubber , that looks like its trying to hug the nut ?
as far as the moise goes , with the car on the ground take a flash light and look in at the top of the coil overs , and see if the top hat is close to the mount
if there is little to no clearence with the mount and top hat , then that is where the noise is coming from
thanks guys....going to look into it when i get home, if i make it that far. the wheels are still straight, both castor and camber wise so i'm really confused
Brian
I don't have much to add other than that you're a total idiot for continuing to drive the car like that, from the moment it started to feel a bit unstable. You could have killed someone that people care about!
Have a little consideration for others the next time you decide the road-worthiness of your vehicle doesn't matter.
^ ^ ^ ^ A little harsh but I have to agree with him. If you think your cars not safe you have an obligation to not drive it on the streets endangering anyone else. You may not care if you wreck but what if you hit a mini-van with a family in it? It could get real UGLY !! Be careful and safe just get it towed. It may cost you but I doubt you could afford the what if
Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.
yeesh....thanks for your opinion Weasel, I will be sure to take it to heart and abide by every word, as I always do.
Brian
You can eyeball caster changes?
Easy way to test your steering linkage:
Try rocking the front of one wheel to the left and right (with respect to the car's centerline). Works best when you have someone else do it while you look at the TRE's.
To check for a loose suspension/ball joint:
Try rocking the top of the tire to the left and right.
