problems with my AU ! ute

[la Huerta]

hey guys...

thought i'd post up the problems i have with my ute...

steering is terrible, handles like crap, on the expressway it wants to float away !...and the steering wheel is not in center...figured it needs new shocks, springs and a wheel alignment...what do you reckon...


bad rust at the bottom of the rear window, and starting to apear on some other sections of the back of the cab, like where the welding joins are....has anyone ever seen this on a AU before...

i probably just got a bad one knowing my luck, don't want to spend much on it as i'v almost finished paying it off and rather get that done first...




La H

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by la Huerta

and the steering wheel is not in center

Please tell me when you find out what's the deal with this. I have the same thing, countless wheel alignments haven't done squat...

[KOUPE76]

I'd check youre steering rack, same thing was happening to the wifes AU ( car wants to float away), cahanged the rack got a wheel alighnment and runs true to the point you let youre hands off the wheel and goes dead straight.

Mick

[la Huerta]

Originally Posted by BLUPRNT XR8

I'd check youre steering rack, same thing was happening to the wifes AU ( car wants to float away), cahanged the rack got a wheel alighnment and runs true to the point you let youre hands off the wheel and goes dead straight.

Mick

you mean one of these, click here



La H

[KOUPE76]

Yep, that's the one, have a look at the rubber boots on your rack and see if they are split/torn, if they are I'm pretty sure the rack is stuffed as all the dirt and grime flying in their doesn't do it any good.

[la Huerta]

yeh they look pretty crapy, and some black oil around them too...

what's involved in replacing it...i usually do what i can myself

[KOUPE76]

I took mine to the experts, maybe someone else could help as I don't like messing with steering components.

[la Huerta]

i was just thinking it's probably one of those jobs where i need to get the steering rack put on and a wheel alignment at the same time?


nice wheels bluprnt, love the dark wheels instead of chrome, makes it look like one of those USA stock racing utes

[Racecraft]

how much travel do you have in the steering wheel before the wheels start to turn?

I'd be looking at the lower steering shaft before the rack myself to make sure the pin is tight.. If your steering wheel has more than 5 degrees either way before the wheels start to move it really accents as you pick up speed and gives a floating, lack of response to the car

[TheSneakiness]

Interesting Tibbo.

I hold mine roughly 10° to the left to keep it straight. I get told everytime that it's the alignment, I had one about two weeks ago and it still did it when I drove off. I've always thought it was a steering rack problem, that it was bent or something like that...

[la Huerta]

yeh there might be a little slack before the wheels move, not much though, less than 5°...it does feel as though the wheels are slightly free moving even though i don't move the steering wheel, like there is some sort of play there, noticable too if i go over a rut in the road, it wants to go with the rut instead of keeping straight, on the freeway it floats like i said and tends to either steer to much or not enough, rather than being solid feeling...

got new tyres a while back before last rego, but it was doing it a bit before then , so not the tyres....

[la Huerta]

Originally Posted by Racecraft

how much travel do you have in the steering wheel before the wheels start to turn?

I'd be looking at the lower steering shaft before the rack myself to make sure the pin is tight.. If your steering wheel has more than 5 degrees either way before the wheels start to move it really accents as you pick up speed and gives a floating, lack of response to the car

the lack of responce in the steering kind of sums it up...

would worn shocks have an effect too, this would cause the car to float a bit on the freeway would'nt it.?

[The Monty]

My rear end was floating all over the road when I put my 15's on the back and left the 17's on the front. Kind of like I was half out of control sometimes, put the 17's back on the back, and it went straight again.