Car front end floats on highway
j
When I drive, my front wheels seem to "float" on the road and car drives all
over the place. I had stiffer shocks put in but it did not help much on the
freeway. I have been told the following on my 102K mile Maxima:
1. Sagging spring in the front needs to be replaced (but another person told
me that springs do not affect the ride only the travel between the body and
tire)
2. Front RIM is out of round (another shop that balanced my tires said the
balancing took care of the problem.)
3. Engine mounts need to be replaced (another shop told me they were ok and
would not affect the ride as it does)
4. Something feels loose in the front end (all steering parts are perfect
and tight.)
5. Need new front tires (replaced them and problem continues)
6. Alignment is off (car was aligned and problem is still there.)
Any tips? Suggestions? I am desperate since the car is not safe on the road
currently.
JB
JS
hard to control on the freeway, If you change lanes, it goes all over, If
this sounds familiar, his prob startted when he turned too fast at an exit
and lost control..i'm thinking since he has about 100+K miles on it, some
part might have wore out and thus when he turned fast, the weight might have
damaged something. not sure if he has taken care of this yet since he
rarely drives it now, but i'll keep ya posted if interested.
j <n...@no.com> wrote in message
news:7dmm65$hrs$1...@ash.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
NissTech
joints, and dont overlook the tie-rod ends
i would suspect the ball joints myself
j wrote in message <7dmm65$hrs$1...@ash.prod.itd.earthlink.net>...
Jim Anderson
ends (inner and outer) and everything else I could think of. I had it
aligned and they told me the lower control arm was bent. They were wrong!
I ended up replacing the steering rack and that fixed it.
Hope this helps.
PS. It was not a fun job.
D. Heronemus
wrote:
Sounds like shocks to me, I'd replace those first, I bet it solves your
problems.
Ryan_Arjoon
90 Maxima SE?
--
Ryan N. Arjoon
NissTech <w4...@email.msn.com> wrote in message
news:O#jee7je#GA.190@upnetnews05...
> you might want to check the power steering rack bushings, and the lower
ball
> joints, and dont overlook the tie-rod ends
>
> i would suspect the ball joints myself
> j wrote in message <7dmm65$hrs$1...@ash.prod.itd.earthlink.net>...
sl...@banet.net
the poly urethane bushings. After 70k, the stock rubber ones where deformed
and that had left some void on the steering response. For 4th generation
models,
the should be four of them and cost only $10.
Maafu Shabaz
place. Has anyone had any luck with this ?
K.S
<sl...@banet.net> wrote in message news:3706D573...@banet.net...
Maafu Shabaz
I'm having the same problem as another person on this list. I have a '92 SE
and when I drive, my front wheels seem to "float" on the road and car drives
all
over the place. I was told to do the same things as the other person on the
list.:
1. Sagging spring in the front needs to be replaced (but another person told
me that springs do not affect the ride only the travel between the body and
tire)
2. Front RIM is out of round (another shop that balanced my tires said the
balancing took care of the problem.)
3. Engine mounts need to be replaced (another shop told me they were ok and
would not affect the ride as it does)
4. Something feels loose in the front end (all steering parts are perfect
and tight.)
5. Need new front tires (replaced them and problem continues)
6. Alignment is off (car was aligned and problem is still there.)
Lately I've been told to get a Strut Tower Brace and Anti Sway Bar Kit put
on to see if that helps.
HEEELP
KS
j
Interesting. No one has recommended this to me yet. Where do I get the
bushing you mentioned installed?
My car, Maxima 93, GXE, still has the problem and seems to be getting worse.
Since my last posting, I've
1. Gotten different Monroe Shocks (Monromatic), not the sensitrac. Question:
What are "stiffest shocks I should get, KYB or Tobico?
2. New tires
3. Rims were checked for "out of roundness" but are ok.
4. The higher the tire pressure, the worst it gets.
5. Front suspension parts seem tight an OK.
Thanks for the tips!
JB
<sl...@banet.net> wrote in message news:3706D573...@banet.net...
> Did you check the front stabilizer bar bushings? I have just upgraded mine
to
> the poly urethane bushings. After 70k, the stock rubber ones where
deformed
> and that had left some void on the steering response. For 4th generation
> models,
> the should be four of them and cost only $10.
>
> j wrote:
>
> > Hello,
> > When I drive, my front wheels seem to "float" on the road and car drives
all
> > over the place. I had stiffer shocks put in but it did not help much on
the
> > freeway. I have been told the following on my 102K mile Maxima:
> >
> > 1. Sagging spring in the front needs to be replaced (but another person
told
> > me that springs do not affect the ride only the travel between the body
and
> > tire)
> > 2. Front RIM is out of round (another shop that balanced my tires said
the
> > balancing took care of the problem.)
> > 3. Engine mounts need to be replaced (another shop told me they were ok
and
> > would not affect the ride as it does)
> > 4. Something feels loose in the front end (all steering parts are
perfect
> > and tight.)
> > 5. Need new front tires (replaced them and problem continues)
> > 6. Alignment is off (car was aligned and problem is still there.)
> >
Kevin
1. At what rates of speed does this happen?
2. Does it get progressively worse as your speed increases?
3. What alterations/modifications have you done to the suspension (be
honest)?
4. Have you changed tires/rims? if so, to what?
5. What if any modifications to the body have you made (i.e., spoilers, air
dams, etc.)?
6. Describe exactly what you mean by "Car front end floats on highway":
6a. is it pulling one way or the other?
6b. do you have excessive play in the steering (turn slightly with no
directional change)?
6c. car direction seems to bounce slightly from left to right without moving
the steering wheel?
6d. do you experience a hydra-planing effect WITHOUT rain on the highway?
--
Kevin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why do they sterilize the needles for lethal injections?
Maafu Shabaz <maafu....@mci.com> wrote in message
news:%muP2.6604$XV6.57632@PM01NEWS...
: Hi,
: I'm having the same problem as another person on this list. I have a '92
SE
: and when I drive, my front wheels seem to "float" on the road and car
drives
: all
: over the place. I was told to do the same things as the other person on
the
: list.:
:
: 1. Sagging spring in the front needs to be replaced (but another person
told
: me that springs do not affect the ride only the travel between the body
and
: tire)
: 2. Front RIM is out of round (another shop that balanced my tires said the
: balancing took care of the problem.)
: 3. Engine mounts need to be replaced (another shop told me they were ok
and
: would not affect the ride as it does)
: 4. Something feels loose in the front end (all steering parts are perfect
: and tight.)
: 5. Need new front tires (replaced them and problem continues)
: 6. Alignment is off (car was aligned and problem is still there.)
:
: Lately I've been told to get a Strut Tower Brace and Anti Sway Bar Kit put
:
:
j
Kevin <Live_Spam_Free_Or_Die@Internet.(QQ)> wrote in message
news:3TIP2.5428$tY1....@wbnws01.ne.mediaone.net...
> Couple of q's to help you out with this...
>
> 1. At what rates of speed does this happen?
About 55 and up.
> 2. Does it get progressively worse as your speed increases?
Yes
> 3. What alterations/modifications have you done to the suspension (be
> honest)?
None. I installed 4 sensitrac Monroe shocks (probably not the best
solution). They were too soft on the car. Lasted about 30,000 miles.
Replaced the front Sensitrac with Monroematic (closer to OEM) shocks. The
rear stayed Sensitrac. Nothing changed at all. Same thing.
> 4. Have you changed tires/rims? if so, to what?
The rims are the same steel wheels. The tires have been changed to several.
Now I have Bridgestone Potenza 92 in the front, Goodyear HP in the back. The
problem the car has causes my wheels to last about 10000 miles without
gettting either cupped and loud. I once had 4 new Bridgestone tires on the
car and the problem was the same.
> 5. What if any modifications to the body have you made (i.e., spoilers,
air
> dams, etc.)?
None
> 6. Describe exactly what you mean by "Car front end floats on highway":
On any road, above 55 mph, the steering gets very light (which these models
usually do) but it
gets so light to where it is dangerous. On the road, it seems that you might
lose the car at
anytime, it might sway or get off the road somehow. If you are driving on a
narrow street and see a
cyclist, you have to hold the wheel tight, slow down, and hold tight.
Because the steering feels so light,
their is a floating quality to the front end.
> 6a. is it pulling one way or the other?
If you drive about 30 mph on a flat road, car is going straight. If you go
faster, it pulls to the right a little bit.
REcently had the car aligned.
> 6b. do you have excessive play in the steering (turn slightly with no
> directional change)?
No. I turn the steering wheel, I feel the tires move. It seems to be a 1:1
ratio.
> 6c. car direction seems to bounce slightly from left to right without
moving
> the steering wheel?
Yes.
> 6d. do you experience a hydra-planing effect WITHOUT rain on the highway?
In a way. When I hit a bump, the front end bounces but comes down fast.
there is no extra bounce. But when the body goes down after a bump, it feels
like the wheels do not come down straight.
>
> --
> Kevin
>
Thank you for your help and questions!
James
