Epileptic FTO

bass_twitch · Post by **bass_twitch** » Sat May 21, 2011 5:40 pm

Ok so I have had enough..
I've spent waayy too much and I'm not getting anywhere with this problem.
Problem:
I am getting steering wheel shake at anything over 80km/hr. (and sometimes at lower speeds).
Also the steering wheel will often throw me all over the road whenever it is a bumpy road and tries to fight me all the time as soon as I get a bit of speed.
Also my car is 'clunky' over bumps/ there is a rattling in the steering wheel.

Now you may be saying "easy, just get a balance or maybe you have buckled wheels".
Let me tell you what I have done to fix this motherfarthin' issue:
- 4 x new mags (with 4 x used tires)
- Steering rack reco (as it apparently needed to be done.. I paid an arm and a leg and it honestly doesn't feel much better nor did if fix my issue - going to abuse my mechanic this week. I'm not impressed).
- Obviously a wheel balance was done with the new wheels (it has had 3 in the last month now).
- A wheel alignment (because after the rack was done it needed an alignment - it has had 2 in the last month and a half now).
- replaced front 'd-links'.

Now according to my 'mechanic' the front drivers control arm bracket is also screwed. He didn't fix it last time I put the car in because.... I don't know why actually.
Now I have no idea what the front drivers control arm bracket is! (I can guess, but no idea really).

Soooo
Overall I have had jack and I'm just wondering if the control arm bracket being screwed could make all these problems or where else should I be looking. If I don't get any progess within the next 3 weeks (i.e. 2 pay weeks) the car is going to MEEK. apparently they might know what they are doing with an import mitsubishi.

End vent/rant.

silverGPX · Post by **silverGPX** » Sat May 21, 2011 5:48 pm

Are your shocks loose?

bass_twitch · Post by **bass_twitch** » Sat May 21, 2011 5:51 pm

silverGPX wrote:Are your shocks loose?

no idea.. how would I check? (at the strut tops)

silverGPX · Post by **silverGPX** » Sat May 21, 2011 6:09 pm

Yep tighten those. Take the wheel off check the two bolts are tightened on the lower shock mounts.

rock_it · Post by **rock_it** » Sat May 21, 2011 6:39 pm

Yeah.. MEEK are good blokes.. And definately Evo specialists.. And the set up is pretty much the same..

Are they close to u?

If not, my mechanic at Peakhurst would be able to settle the problem..

bass_twitch · Post by **bass_twitch** » Sat May 21, 2011 7:02 pm

rock_it wrote:Yeah.. MEEK are good blokes.. And definately Evo specialists.. And the set up is pretty much the same..

Are they close to you?

If not, my mechanic at Peakhurst would be able to settle the problem..

Yeh Girraween isn't too far from where I am. Might give them a call this week then.

silverGPX wrote:Yep tighten those. Take the wheel off check the two bolts are tightened on the lower shock mounts.

Hmm sounds like simple, I'll check it tomorrow if I get a chance

-Nighthawk- · Post by **-Nighthawk-** » Sat May 21, 2011 11:48 pm

I have the same problem with my steering turning to the left and trainlining all over the road when it's bumpy.

So would the first point be to tighten the shocks do you think?

Gholdwayne · Post by **Gholdwayne** » Sun May 22, 2011 12:08 am

Brendon, i'll contribute my 2c, i had a little hiccup too with my steering system before, like it vibrates and it gets faster as the car goes faster, turns out, my tyres were egged - one spot was protruding, and on the other side, there was a flat spot

and this was when the car was off the road for about a month. Funnily though, it was only the 2 front tyres. - Try to jack the car up and spin the wheels by hand, look at one position of the tread while doing so, and see if the tyres are perfectly round.

As for clunking, obviously rubber doesn't do that, same with the rattling, so, got no contribution there but i'll be wishing you luck with that - frustration of these things get us so depressed...

Post by **Bennoz** » Mon May 23, 2011 4:25 pm

If the steering is shaking after you replaced all 4 rims then clearly you have a warped brake rotor(s). Either get them machined or replace them.

As for a bent "front drivers control arm bracket" thats a worry if true, as there is no bracket. Its part of the subframe where the control arm bolts up to...

I'd be simply replacing all front bushes. Sway bar to chassis bushes (D bushes,) lower control arm front bushes & lower control arm rear bushes... and thats it, there are only 3 different bushes up there.

The only other thing that could cause issue is worn / cracked rubber strut tops (which are visible from the engine bay where your strut brace goes) or if you've snapped your swaybar or bent a swaybar link (drop link.) Have you or the previous owner ever under steered the car into a gutter?

Astron_Boy · Post by **Astron_Boy** » Mon May 23, 2011 5:09 pm

ball joints!

that's at least one of your problems.

bass_twitch · Post by **bass_twitch** » Mon May 23, 2011 11:09 pm

Bennoz wrote:If the steering is shaking after you replaced all 4 rims then clearly you have a warped brake rotor(s). Either get them machined or replace them.

As for a bent "front drivers control arm bracket" thats a worry if true, as there is no bracket. Its part of the subframe where the control arm bolts up to...

I'd be simply replacing all front bushes. Sway bar to chassis bushes (D bushes,) lower control arm front bushes & lower control arm rear bushes... and thats it, there are only 3 different bushes up there.

The only other thing that could cause issue is worn / cracked rubber strut tops (which are visible from the engine bay where your strut brace goes) or if you've snapped your swaybar or bent a swaybar link (drop link.) Have you or the previous owner ever under steered the car into a gutter?

I replaced the rotors only 8 months ago to RDA slotted... so I don't think that is the issue..
I'm thinking maybe tie rod ends or something..
I have sent MEEK an email, hopefully they'l get back to me tomorrow.

I will check the strut tops (I think they are fine though), and I'm not sure if previous owners have understeered into a gutter - it did have at least one buckled wheel when I got it... so that is definately a possibility.

Post by **Bennoz** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:09 am

Tie rod ends dont vibrate, they are stationary on the rack unless the ball joints in them are severely worn (never seen it on an FTO), further more they should have been swapped out as part of your streering rack reco.

Do you do any 'spirited' driving?

bass_twitch · Post by **bass_twitch** » Tue May 24, 2011 1:09 pm

Bennoz wrote:Do you do any 'spirited' driving?

Short answer: yes
She gets driven rather hard at times..
But only within the speedlimits and in all constraints of the law :p

Gholdwayne · Post by **Gholdwayne** » Tue May 24, 2011 1:33 pm

bass_twitch wrote:
Bennoz wrote:Do you do any 'spirited' driving?
Short answer: yes
She gets driven rather hard at times..
But only within the speedlimits and in all constraints of the law :p

Sames bahz!

Post by **Bennoz** » Tue May 24, 2011 2:26 pm

Yeah me too, so the disc rotors could well be warped

bass_twitch · Post by **bass_twitch** » Tue May 24, 2011 7:54 pm

Bennoz wrote:Yeah me too, so the disc rotors could well be warped

Even though they are only 8 months old...
Hmm.. well the car is probably going to be taken to MEEK late this week, so they are going to look at it for me.
They're an honest bunch of guys hey?
Because basically everyone has an idea on what is wrong, and every option is different!!

Here's hoping it is simple and not too much out of pocket!

payaya · Post by **payaya** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 10:17 pm

Bennoz wrote:Tie rod ends dont vibrate, they are stationary on the rack unless the ball joints in them are severely worn (never seen it on an FTO), further more they should have been swapped out as part of your streering rack reco.

Do you do any 'spirited' driving?

Serious? Both mine when and caused play in the ball joints.

bass_twitch · Post by **bass_twitch** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 12:49 pm

Old thread revival,
But I'm just wondering if a busted diff could cause this?

Post by **Bennoz** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 1:17 pm

No. Busted diffs are significantly more 'crunchy' than they are 'shuddery'

Taz · Post by **Taz** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 1:21 pm

Bennoz wrote:No. Busted diffs are significantly more 'crunchy' than they are 'shuddery'

mmmmm crunchy

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