Steering and what is not a box of bowling balls.

[Derision]

Okay. So I'm running an '85 Pontiac Grand Prix. It has the HO 305 from a Monte SS, and it's got the turbo-350 trans (three-speed).

A few months back, I noticed that the front passenger wheel was grinding. No problem there, wheel bearings. I also noted a little bit of play in the wheel, which I took to be the idler arm.

I replaced the idler arm. I was working a lot and didn't have time, so I took it to the shop to get the bearings replaced. The mechanic there (who owns an '87 442, ironically) replaced the bearings in both front wheels, replaced the rotors and did some brake work. I asked him to check the idler arm, just to double-check my work. He says the front end is tight.

For some reason, though, my steering seems a lot looser than it used to. I don't know if it's because something has changed, or if it's because I haven't driven the car in a while (having taken it off the road for about a month to deal with the bearings, and I was driving an '89 Jeep Cherokee), or what. It used to be very sensitive... to the point where the minute slope of the road made the wheel pull very slightly to the side. It still does that, but steering kind of feels more like I'm suggesting a direction to the car, and it decides where to go a second or two later.

It's tough to describe, and that's probably a terrible description, but... yeah.

Also, twice now, when I've come to a stop, I feel a... er... it's kind of like if I had a box of bowling balls in my trunk, and they shifted as I stopped. My first thought was that someone had very slightly tapped my car from behind, but when I looked, the closest car was like 20 feet back. I do not have a box of bowling balls, or anything of that sort, in my trunk. And I can't find anything that would cause it.

Any thoughts?

AJ

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

I think I know where the problem is: The Steering Coupler. Also known as a rag joint, it looks like a recycled piece of tire cut in a circle with bolt holes in it. I have killed two of them as they tend to dry out after 20+ years and then the holes get larger and this causes slop. You can get a new one from Autozone in their Help! section. Be sure you get the right one for your year as early couplers and Ford couplers are too big and will not interchange with the later "metric" cars. It is located under a plastic cover that covers the steering shaft and is usually gray but may be black or blue depending on the year and model. I test them by putting the ignition in the "on" position with the engine off and then grasping the shaft. You then rotate it a little and see if there is any play between the movement of the output end and input end of the coupler. If there is, that's your problem. It may also be the U joint in the shaft, but this is rarer than the coupler. The last problem may be the steering box could be out of adjustment. I have had to adjust the boxes on every vehicle I have ever owned with this form of steering as they need to be adjusted to compensate for wear over time.

 

[megaladon6]

the noise in the rear,is it a grinding noise or is it a solid thump or a series of thumps? a thump could actually be the rear brakes are over adjusted (if it happens with relatively light braking) or possibly loose brake shoe springs. if it sounds like a bowling ball rolling down the lane it could be small chunks of rust in the drums or the backing pplate front or rear.

 

[Derision]

Thanks for the quick response, guys!

I think I know where the problem is: The Steering Coupler. Also known as a rag joint, it looks like a recycled piece of tire cut in a circle with bolt holes in it. I have killed two of them as they tend to dry out after 20+ years and then the holes get larger and this causes slop. You can get a new one from Autozone in their Help! section. Be sure you get the right one for your year as early couplers and Ford couplers are too big and will not interchange with the later "metric" cars. It is located under a plastic cover that covers the steering shaft and is usually gray but may be black or blue depending on the year and model. I test them by putting the ignition in the "on" position with the engine off and then grasping the shaft. You then rotate it a little and see if there is any play between the movement of the output end and input end of the coupler. If there is, that's your problem. It may also be the U joint in the shaft, but this is rarer than the coupler. The last problem may be the steering box could be out of adjustment. I have had to adjust the boxes on every vehicle I have ever owned with this form of steering as they need to be adjusted to compensate for wear over time.

I hadn't thought of that. I'll check that when it's light out and let you know what I find.

the noise in the rear,is it a grinding noise or is it a solid thump or a series of thumps? a thump could actually be the rear brakes are over adjusted (if it happens with relatively light braking) or possibly loose brake shoe springs. if it sounds like a bowling ball rolling down the lane it could be small chunks of rust in the drums or the backing pplate front or rear.

It's more of a solid thump. Like I said, I originally thought someone had very lightly rear-ended me.

I know that my rear brakes need adjustment; they're not working as well as they should (they haven't been adjusted since I replaced them in 2004, so it's about time). But I would think they're under-adjusted, rather than over-adjusted.

AJ

 

[ryanwitski]

yes the rag joint is a common problem. everyone should change thiers just to be safe.

The weird sound from the rear, I'd say check your trans mount and the bushings in the control arms. Sounds like something is a little loose. hopefully not a body mount. Does it do it when you take off?

 

[Derision]

The weird sound from the rear, I'd say check your trans mount and the bushings in the control arms. Sounds like something is a little loose. hopefully not a body mount. Does it do it when you take off?

It doesn't do it when I'm moving at all; only after I've stopped. And, as said, it only did it twice. I haven't been able to repeat it since (though I'm trying).

AJ

 

[megaladon6]

i though maybe your mechanic adjusted them as part of the brake work.
i had a similar sound on a custorems hyundai, it was a worn control arm bushing. i found it by having someone lightly bouncing the rear while i was underneath twisting/holding the arms. you usually only get it when first going forward but i guess it's possible that a driveshaft u-joint is loose. that's a WAG though.

 

[Derision]

i though maybe your mechanic adjusted them as part of the brake work.

That'd be nice if he had, though he unfortunately just looked at the fronts.

i had a similar sound on a custorems hyundai, it was a worn control arm bushing. i found it by having someone lightly bouncing the rear while i was underneath twisting/holding the arms. you usually only get it when first going forward but i guess it's possible that a driveshaft u-joint is loose. that's a WAG though.

You mean, wag as in, a wobble back and forth? Like a dog's tail? How do you check for that and, if so, how much of a pain in the arse is it to fix? Likewise, how annoying is it to replace the control arm bushings (if it's not a pain, I might just do it anyway; I'm sure they could use replacing).

Sorry for the barrage of questions... I don't usually muck with the rear end and such unless I need to.

AJ

 

[megaladon6]

sorry WAG is an old engineering term-Wild *ss Guess.
the best way to change bushings is usually a press or a ball joint kit.

 

[Derision]

sorry WAG is an old engineering term-Wild *ss Guess.
the best way to change bushings is usually a press or a ball joint kit.

D'oh. Shoulda known that. Now I feel silly. Heh.

Okay, and how annoying is it to fix the driveshaft u-joint?

I'm fairly certain that I also need rear shocks... springs are fine, but playing with the back end of the car before, it's getting mighty soft back there. Wondering if that might have any bearing on my "symptoms".

AJ