Steering 'wobble'

[ForcedTorque]

My 89 Did'nt wobble with the targa off but my 88 did. 89+'s have more reinforcement to dampen the wobble.

Ditto......My 87 shakes like Shakira Hips with the top off at 55mph. My 90 is not anything like it. I get a little vibration out of it on the interstate, but very tolerable.

 

[SPD TRP]

Lower control arm bushings will cause a steering wheel shimmy too.

Wayne

 

[toml]

OK, thanks guys - I'll check both the lower bushings and the lower balljoints.

Shagged, stuffed, pick one IJ. Your Aussie lingos throwin me off.

I understood him! Thanks maaaaate

 

[toml]

But to replace lower control arm bushings I need to replace the whole lower control arm?

 

[IJ.]

But to replace lower control arm bushings I need to replace the whole lower control arm?

No

 

[toml]

I jacked my car up and tried to 'wobble' the wheels myself. I couldn't get much play either front/back or up/down.

Is there a better way I can test that the balljoints / bushings do indeed need replacing? (short of pulling them out and looking at them, I suppose)

 

[IJ.]

Try from side to side as well Tom!

Jack from under the control arm as close to the lower balljoint as you can get.

 

[toml]

Yes I tried side-to-side, up-and-down, etc... maybe a mm of movement either way.

I tried to jack the lower control arm, but all it did was raise the car, didn't shift any of the suspension components around seperately!

 

[IJ.]

If you jack under the car it drops the suspension and it might be tight at that point but wobbly at normal ride height.

 

[toml]

Ahhh OK, so I need to jack up the car and then jack up the suspension on one wheel so its at normal ride height?

 

[IJ.]

Yep

 

[toml]

Hmm... I jacked the car up so the wheels were off the ground, then jacked the RHS lower control arm up a bit further (it wouldn't go all the way up to 'ride height').


I couldn't get the wheel to 'wobble' in any direction.

I climbed under and had a closer look at the ball joints and bushings. Not knowing what I'm actually looking for didn't help, but the lower bushings looked quite worn out / disintegrated...

Also noticed a _lot_ of wear on the inner edge of the front tyres.


Any other suggestions? otherwise I'll just take it into a suspension shop and get them to have a look at it (they'll probably try and sell me thousands of $$ of stuff )..

 

[Allan_MA70]

lower inner front control arm bushes / bal joints i'd say

 

[johnathan1]

can the control arm bushes be replaced easily? Or do they have to be pressed in/out? How about the ball joints?

 

[toml]

can the control arm bushes be replaced easily? Or do they have to be pressed in/out? How about the ball joints?

What he said... ?

 

[Allan_MA70]

the bush's are a bitch as you typicaly have to bbq the old rubbers out but the bal joints are easy

 

[toml]

Will it be easier for me to take the arms out and take them + the new bushes into a suspension shop and say "replace these for me" ?

 

[toml]

... ordered two lower ball joints today from Toyota...

 

[Allan_MA70]

i'd do the bushs myself just for peace of mind... last time i let someone work on the supra was todo the bushs and i checked over it when i got it back to find split pins missing from my baljoints!

its your life, for me i learnt my lesson even if its a prick of a job i dont want todo myself do it because no one loves your supra besides you!

 

[toml]

Apparently the lower bushes need a decent workshop of tools... I'm thinking about taking the lower control arm out and getting them to put the new bushes in whilst i'm watching

The upper bushes and lower balljoints I'll do myself...