Wobley Rear End?? What's Loose?

[eXc]

Hey Guys,

I went drifting on the weekend at wakefield. My car now is 'wobley' in the rear end.

I don't notice it on smooth road. I only notice it when I hit a bump like where they have re-tarred a section, so it's a bit higher.

The car seems to woble/bounce at the rear.

Can you throw some ideas my way as to what I should be looking for.

Things I have thought of;

Diff cradle loose - Checked it

Bushes - I looked, but I have no idea how to tell if they are dead? Advice please?

Loose suspension componants - I checked underneath the car, I will check the top of the suspension tonight

- HICAS - I still have it...the light isnt on, but perhaps it has something to do with it?

- Perhaps the shock is stuffed? And it's just bouncing around from a hit in the road - ie no damper??

Maybe I can get a free suspension check or something?

Cheers

Chris

[blind_elk]

If the rear shock is kaput, you should be able to easily bounce the rear end of the car. And it will just keep on bouncing. That's the only thing that springs to mind to cause the wobble if you've checked everything else.

Can you get someone to drive behind you and watch what the rear end does?

[eXc]

Ok I will try to get someone to follow me.

Can anyone tell me how to tell if the bushes are shot? Is it painfully obvious?

[BHDave]

Mine started playing up and it would just turn the rear wheels at random times. It's a bit funny having to correct the steering when you are driving at 110 in a straight line on the freeway.

I found that the subframe will still move around a fair bit with the stock bushes when you load up the suspension. Even with the hicas locked i found that my car would passive rear steer on hard cornering. I just put in some solid alloy cradles and it worked a treat.

Also get the rear wheel alignment checked out as the alignment may have been knocked about. A bit of toe out on the rear wheels makes for a very twitchy rear end, particularly on rough surfaces and when accelerating.

[Driver]

take to a pro to get checked out.

[hungry6]

They invented drift pineapples for a reason.

[nemz]

sounds similar to what my car was doing ages ago, i slid the rear end into the gutter at a fair speed and bent in the rear wheel, as in the bottom of the wheel went in more towards the centre of the car then the top, and this caused it to wobble when i hit bumps, i would say that maybe u have damaged ur control arm.

[eXc]

i would say that maybe u have damaged ur control arm.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Quite possible aswell, Although I couldn't see any damage. I will try to get time to get it to a suspension shop. But I can't see it happening for atleast 3 weeks

So any more ideas I can do at home is appreciated

[SkyGTRline]

mine used to do it with stock wheels...

but once i got the 19's it aint do it anymore..

So i was guessing it had something to do wiht the rubber.

[eXc]

the rubber that is on there now, is rubber i have been using for a month, (didnt use it at track) so that shouldnt be the prob.

thanks for the idea tho i will check it out, maybe somehting happened

[eXc]

Ok, I can move the shaft that runs from the Diff to the wheel. I can move it in/out of the wheel/diff about 3mm

The left hand side is solid as.

Would this be the problem? Any ideas how to fix it?

Cheers

Chris

[BHDave]

Thats the driveshaft but it wont effect the alignment of the rear end.

You've got me stumped

Edited August 18, 2005 by BHDave

[Mandingo]

When I had the same problem after a drifto hit (not too hard just a little gutter slap) Bent Tyre arm, would make the ass of the car slide out a bit, got it fixed think it was one part and 80 labour @ ozzy tyres.

Good luck

PS. After reading that youve looked at everything else I'm sure you would notice a bent tyre arm, in the case got me stumped too, have you gone to a specialist?

[eXc]

thanks guys

havnt been to a specialist. I can't get it to one until the weekend, and this weekend I am driving in a motorkhana...if i decide it is safe. so it will be next weekend

[nemz]

yeh im betting on it being ur control arm

[Cubes]

Mine does this, but much worse. It also steers the car under hard acceleration, mainly in second gear +. Second gear is a little freaky sometimes, feels very drifty. Tramlines easy etc.

My subframe bushes are nacked and were leaking.. Stopped leaking now. lol

On the dyno it looked as if the rear wheel was going to touch the front of the guard. argg. it also had heaps of toe in as it did so.

Unless you have hit something it won't be your control arm.

Noltec make replacement bushes for the arse ends of these. They are $190 for the set. Or you could simply throw in the solid alloy's. I personally don't like the vibrations and harshness they cause.

Some notice the harshness others don't.

I'm a finiky bugger, any rattle, squeek or grind drives me insane to the point where i'm bashing things to try and get it to stop while I drive.

Edited August 20, 2005 by Cubes

[CEF11E]

I have the same problem aswell. and it is my subframe bushes.

and i agree if you drive the car on the road and have coilovers that are a hard ride dont get pineapples. i had thm on my other car and it rattled like buggary... I ended up putting the stockers back in.

pineapples are only good for drift.

[eXc]

Yeah, well I am gonna get the car up on stands tonight or tommorow. I don't get home from work in time to get it to a shop, and I can't take it to work to do on lunch break.

And my saturdays are booked unti October. So I guess I gotta find it myself.

I did a motorkhana on the weekend, and it has gotten worse (not suprising huh?!)

So yeah, lucky it's not my daily driver.

I am gonna search, but if anyone has links to pulling out suspension/control arms etc, or even what parts are what, I'd appreciate it. I know nothing about the suspension componants...but I will by next week it seems!

Cheers

Chris

[Cubes]

I've been looking in to it.

Drop the subframe. Grab a hole saw, remove the old bushes, smack the new ones in. Drop in a couple of pinapples in to angle the subframe down to help with traction. Bolt it all up.

While your there check the diff mount bushes. Likely to be buggered also.

Edited August 22, 2005 by Cubes

[blind_elk]

Ok, I can move the shaft that runs from the Diff to the wheel. I can move it in/out of the wheel/diff about 3mm The left hand side is solid as. Would this be the problem? Any ideas how to fix it?

Maybe I am completely wrong, but that seems to be your problem right there. If you've been drifting, it seems that your diff is shagged, causing one of the axels to slide in and out of the centre. You shouldn't be able to move the half shafts in or out I don't think...

Yes, but that wouldn't cause other bits of the rear end to move around. If anything, I'd be looking at the other end of the shaft, at the wheel bearing maybe collapsing. However I'd expect that to cause a permanent instability in the rear end as the loose bearing allows the wheel to wobble around. That would also show itself in that the first application of brakes might be a bit hairy because the wobbling wheel has caused the disk to push the pads back on the pistons.

Its also possible your hicas rack ends are stuffed, causing random toe in and out at speed. What condition are they in?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That makes a bit more sense, but I would still expect a permanent state if instability rather than the occasional instances eXc seems to be experiencing.

Checking for worn / broken bits in the rear assembly requires a bit more than 1 man-power. When the car is moving, there are several hundred kgs exerting forces on the components, a lot more than a 100kg (for example) human can possibly exert. This is where crowbars and hoists come in handy.

I would recommend the only driving of the car is to the suspension shop for a full physical.