Paging car mechanics

I've had this problem with me mooter for a few weeks but going up the
offie just now[1] has reminded me I need to ask WTF is going on.

Right, I can only describe it as a weave. The steering stays straight
and doesn't exhibit and signs of the wobble you get when your wheels
need balancing but where is a distinct wobble. ICBW, but it feels like
it's coming from the back. I've checked the pressures and the wheel nuts
but apart from that I haven't got the foggiest.

There's no noises to suggest it might be a bearing or whatever so there
you go. With that short and brief description, has anyone who knows got
a clue?

It's a Ford Mondeo Estate if that helps[2]

[1]Thought I'd try a few Thwaites Liberations. Not bad.
[2]May be a problem generic to this car.

Ta muchly in advance, obviously.

 

Whinging Courier emerged from their own little world to say

[snip weaving car}

I think the answer is in that very paragraph.

Offie + car = weave IMnrE [1]

[1] nr not recent

 

If you think it's coming from the rear, I'd have said rear subframe
bushes - but that's normally accompanied by a clonking sound over bumps
and potholes. Could be worth investigating, though.

 

I've had this problem with me mooter for a few weeks but going up the

Ring me and fetch it over 'ere you twat..............
I'll have a gander


--


--
Robbo

Trophy 1200 1998
BotaFOF #19. E.O.S.M 2001/2002/2003/2004.
B.O.S.M 2003, 2004, 2005
FURSWB#1 KotL..YTC449
PM#7
..

 

Sounds like play somewhere

Have you checked the wishbone bushes ?

I'd get it up in the air and have a good prod at all the bushes and
balljoints

HTH

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, SteveH amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

Now you mention it, there is a knocking noise, most noticeable when I go
round right handers.

I was let to believe it was the rubber exhaust hangers that were worn
and the silencer was knocking on the underneath of the car.

Is it serious? I mean is it the sort of thing that can suddenly go and
cause a brown trouser moment? It only seems to do it randomly and mostly
at speeds of less than 30 or 40 mph.

 

Have you had a puncture recently? Or any reason to jack up the rear?

It's quite common to bend the rear arms on these as they are very close
to the jacking point.

Have a look under the car at the back, just forward of the rear wheels,
and check the arms (they are flat pressed steel on these). They should
be dead straight.

 

It won't go suddenly, just get progressively worse. Pretty sure it'll be
an MOT fail though.

Might not be those, but it's definitely something worn / bent in the
rear suspension.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, Robbo amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

I want to be sure it's safe to drive first. It's got worse over the last
few times I've driven it. Being driven into by a lorry[1] on the
motorway yesterday didn't help either...

[1] Slow speed, about 5mph, but put a nice ding in the back door and
stoved the rear bumper in. It did it before btw, but that incident
yesterday has made it more noticeable.

And btw, if it needs money throwing at it then that's something to do
once I'm working. It gonna be credit card city very, very soon

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, SteveH amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

Right, ta. I'll have a look just as soon as I'm able.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, Andy Hewitt amazed us all with this pearl of
wisdom:

Not since I've had it. It's been up on a ramp to have the tracking
sorted because it pulled to the left.

*Dingalingaling* The steering still pulls to the left. Do you think this
rear wobble might have something to do with that?

Right, I'll have a look. I don't remember it always being like that but
then it's been quite a new car to me.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, Bear amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

When I first drove it I noticed that. I've got used to it now, but yes.

That as well. From the back.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, Bear amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

Nah, there's nowt wrong with the steering AFAICT. It pulls to the left.
I thought this was the tracking and got it "fixed" but all this did was
relieve me of twenty quid for bugger all.

The back's knocking but the "exhaust knocking on the underside of the
body" excuse sounds plausible[1]

"Splaying". LOL. I love a bit of splay, don't you? heh, Hahahaha!

Well, I'd hazard a guess that the cunts who owned it before[1] did a bit
of that, too.

[1] Or at least the brother of the **** that sold it to me.

 

<no comment>

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, petrolcan amazed us all with this pearl of
wisdom:

I saw the way you drove that Volvo.

Stolen cars have been driven less harshly

 

"Drive it like you've hired it"

 

Heh, an irishman did own it, all legal and everything. I just drove
like an utter **** seeing as it wasn't mine

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, petrolcan amazed us all with this pearl of
wisdom:

Heh, True...

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, Bear amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

That's not fair. He jumped at least one red light and I'm sure I saw at
least one pedestrian out on the streets when we went for a test ride.

 

Pulling to the left is something all Mondeos do. I got so pissed off
with Watchdog while I worked at a Ford dealer. I could always
demonstrate that the pull was caused by road camber. Most owners could
only demonstrate steering pull by letting go of the steering wheel, if
you held the steering wheel normally, they didn't pull.

You can test the camber theory by driving along a quiet straight road on
the wrong side.

On the odd occasion we found one with the subframe misaligned, but it'd
have to be miles out.

The front lower arm bushes often wear and cause strange steering
symptoms. This is usually more associated with torque steer though
(handling changes as the throttle is applied and released).

They can also cause clonking too.