car troubles

[???]

haaving some car troubles, steering wheel keeps twisting, not shaking but pulling left and right all the time. cant quite figure it out, so if anyone knows a good forum for car help it would help me out alot.

[FlamesAllTheWay]

Heard a friend of mine mention this car forum once:

http://forums.beyond.ca/index.php

I hope that helps...

[???]

thanks that looks like what i was looking for.

[BlackArcher101]

What kind of car is it? There are car/manufacturer specific forums out there that may be better.

[Indi]

Originally posted by ???@Feb 3 2005, 11:22 PM
haaving some car troubles, steering wheel keeps twisting, not shaking but pulling left and right all the time. cant quite figure it out, so if anyone knows a good forum for car help it would help me out alot.

add some details...what kind of car, whats it doing etc....

jc

[???]

95 grand am, for some reason its twisting the steering wheel left and right around 50km/h and shaking like crazy above 80 km/h. im thinkin something with the tires but since they are not that old i dont want to spend 4 or 5 hundred dollars to find out something else is wrong. alomst feels like the tire is not screwed on tightly,{it is} basically it feels like the steering wheel is about to fall of when i hit 80 km/h. maybe a wheel balance? but would it shake so hard all of a sudden?

[Flame On]

Canadiandriver.com has a guide forum I've used a couple of times. Check it out.

[Ace]

Originally posted by ???@Feb 3 2005, 07:41 PM
95 grand am, for some reason its twisting the steering wheel left and right around 50km/h and shaking like crazy above 80 km/h. im thinkin something with the tires but since they are not that old i dont want to spend 4 or 5 hundred dollars to find out something else is wrong. alomst feels like the tire is not screwed on tightly,{it is} basically it feels like the steering wheel is about to fall of when i hit 80 km/h. maybe a wheel balance? but would it shake so hard all of a sudden?

That is most definatly a wheel alignment issue. Cheep repair.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally posted by Ace+Feb 3 2005, 11:03 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Ace @ Feb 3 2005, 11:03 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-???@Feb 3 2005, 07:41 PM
95 grand am, for some reason its twisting the steering wheel left and right around 50km/h and shaking like crazy above 80 km/h. im thinkin something with the tires but since they are not that old i dont want to spend 4 or 5 hundred dollars to find out something else is wrong. alomst feels like the tire is not screwed on tightly,{it is} basically it feels like the steering wheel is about to fall of when i hit 80 km/h. maybe a wheel balance? but would it shake so hard all of a sudden?

That is most definatly a wheel alignment issue. Cheep repair. [/b][/quote]
More likely a wheel balance issue

[CaptainCrunch]

Is it possible that its a bearing issue.

That would explain the shear your getting

What the hell am I doing talking about cars at 12:30 in the morning

[Draug]

Originally posted by ???@Feb 4 2005, 02:41 AM
95 grand am, for some reason its twisting the steering wheel left and right around 50km/h and shaking like crazy above 80 km/h. im thinkin something with the tires but since they are not that old i dont want to spend 4 or 5 hundred dollars to find out something else is wrong. alomst feels like the tire is not screwed on tightly,{it is} basically it feels like the steering wheel is about to fall of when i hit 80 km/h. maybe a wheel balance? but would it shake so hard all of a sudden?

For a Grand Am, the best forum I have found is:
Grand Am GT

I just recently used that forum to gather enough information to replace my Lower Intake Manifold gasket myself. The info was good, and did not lead me astray.


As for your specific problem, I would suggest there is a good chance it is more than just an alignment / balance issue. Normally, that would not cause such a violent shaking, but usually a shorter and faster vibration type jiggle.

It could, as Captain pointed out, possibly be a wheel bearing gone really, really bad. You would have noticed it get worse and worse over time.

Another possibility, and the one I would put my money on, is that you have a bad Constant Velocity Joint (CV Joint). If this is the problem, you will hear a slow "clunk, clunk, clunk" as you turn a tight corner at slow speeds. It might only make this noise while turning one direction.


Best of luck.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally posted by Draug+Feb 4 2005, 08:11 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Draug @ Feb 4 2005, 08:11 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-???@Feb 4 2005, 02:41 AM
95 grand am, for some reason its twisting the steering wheel left and right around 50km/h and shaking like crazy above 80 km/h. im thinkin something with the tires but since they are not that old i dont want to spend 4 or 5 hundred dollars to find out something else is wrong. alomst feels like the tire is not screwed on tightly,{it is} basically it feels like the steering wheel is about to fall of when i hit 80 km/h. maybe a wheel balance? but would it shake so hard all of a sudden?

For a Grand Am, the best forum I have found is:
Grand Am GT

I just recently used that forum to gather enough information to replace my Lower Intake Manifold gasket myself. The info was good, and did not lead me astray.


As for your specific problem, I would suggest there is a good chance it is more than just an alignment / balance issue. Normally, that would not cause such a violent shaking, but usually a shorter and faster vibration type jiggle.

It could, as Captain pointed out, possibly be a wheel bearing gone really, really bad. You would have noticed it get worse and worse over time.

Another possibility, and the one I would put my money on, is that you have a bad Constant Velocity Joint (CV Joint). If this is the problem, you will hear a slow "clunk, clunk, clunk" as you turn a tight corner at slow speeds. It might only make this noise while turning one direction.


Best of luck. [/b][/quote]
I forgot about a CV joint problem, but your right, he would notice it right away since it makes a horrible rythmic thumping noise.

I keep going back to a wheel bearing problem in my mind because he said its a the car is pulling in different directions which points to the bearings interfearing in the turn of the wheel.

At least bearing replacements aren't to bad as far as costs go.

I think its about 80 bucks a wheel the last time I did it.

[Draug]

Originally posted by CaptainCrunch+Feb 4 2005, 08:22 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (CaptainCrunch @ Feb 4 2005, 08:22 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

For a Grand Am, the best forum I have found is:
Grand Am GT

I just recently used that forum to gather enough information to replace my Lower Intake Manifold gasket myself. The info was good, and did not lead me astray.


As for your specific problem, I would suggest there is a good chance it is more than just an alignment / balance issue. Normally, that would not cause such a violent shaking, but usually a shorter and faster vibration type jiggle.

It could, as Captain pointed out, possibly be a wheel bearing gone really, really bad. You would have noticed it get worse and worse over time.

Another possibility, and the one I would put my money on, is that you have a bad Constant Velocity Joint (CV Joint). If this is the problem, you will hear a slow "clunk, clunk, clunk" as you turn a tight corner at slow speeds. It might only make this noise while turning one direction.


Best of luck.

I forgot about a CV joint problem, but your right, he would notice it right away since it makes a horrible rythmic thumping noise.

I keep going back to a wheel bearing problem in my mind because he said its a the car is pulling in different directions which points to the bearings interfearing in the turn of the wheel.

At least bearing replacements aren't to bad as far as costs go.

I think its about 80 bucks a wheel the last time I did it. [/b][/quote]
Yeah, that is the type of cost I was expecting too. BUT...

I own a 99 Grand Am GT, and the front passenger wheel bearing went at about 160,000 Kms. It never should have went that soon, but it did. The cost was $480 for the part (from GM, since I didnt have the opportunity to look for aftermarket ones). The cost was so high because the whole hub comes as a preassablembled unit, with the bearings already inserted and permanently sealed. I was shocked.

I never noticed any vibration at all. I heard the tick, tick, tick of the bearing long before I could feel any vibration. Just as I took it into the shop (maybe 200 Kms after I heard the tick, tick), the bearing started to whine at high speeds, but there was still no shake or vibration.

Another possibility for his current problem is that the front wheels are not connected to each other. I think the part is called a Tie Rod, and it basically makes sure that each wheel points the exact same place as the other one. Perhaps, if it is worn (has enough slop to let the wheel meannder where it feels like) or is broken, it might take to 50 km/h until the wheel starts to oscilate back and forth, which would create the violent shaking he is describing.

[shoestring]

I've got this great book I can't find the link????
What they said ,bearings,alignment,but first check your oil.

edited to clarify,check your "power-steering or whatevertheycallit oil"

And the posters above are still to be listened to.

[InTheSlot]

Sounds like you need a wheel alignment and/or balance and rotate your tires.

[Indi]

a bad bearing wouldn't have the symptoms that your car is showing. It could be something as minor as a tire starting to separate, all the way to ball joints on the way out. Take your hand (gloved) and run it over the top of your tire...is it smooth, or is it 'rippled' can you feel a big lump? Your best bet would be to take it into a shop and get the front end checked out. One of those 49 pt inspections are fairly cheap, just ensure that the shop knows that they are not to do any work until it is ok'd by yourself. If you need any shop recommendations...let me know

hope it works out ok

jc

[badnarik]

i had a 94 grand am that was pulling to the right and was also shaking when i got up to about 80kmh. one night somebody slashed my right front tire, and after i replaced the cut tire with a 20 dollar used tire the problems were gone.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Few possibilities...

It may be alignment issue, that has been known to cause problems.

Then again, it may be your tires. If your tires are fairly bald or worn, shakes can happen. The car can also pull to the left or right. Check your tires to make sure that isn't the issue. I can't tell you how many times I've experienced it with my own cars and my friends cars. Once the tires are changed, the problem is gone.

[Clarkey]

This may be rather obvious, but are your tires all inflated at the same pressure?

[Bill Bumface]

Originally posted by Draug@Feb 4 2005, 02:11 AM
I just recently used that forum to gather enough information to replace my Lower Intake Manifold gasket myself.

So you got the leak and a bad hub? I'm assuming you've got the 3400 then. Its rediculous how many n-bodies had the same problems that you had to fix. :angry: