Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: bestseany on 11 February 2007, 19:26:55
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My Omega's always felt shaky through the steering wheel after 70mph, but today I've been up to Cumbria and back, and I think it's starting to feel worse on the motorway now.
The steering feels really vague and twitchy, and seems to wonder a bit so I have to keep correcting it. There's a bit of play when I turn the wheel too. I've tried turning the wheel whilst parked up with the engine off and there's about an inch each way when turning from the centre where's there no resistance at all through it.
I had to replace the steering idle arm a few months ago for the MOT, but I used a second-hand one as I was short on money. Could this have gone again? Also, the handling feels wobbly sometimes, but I'm not sure if it's related to this.
Any ideas?
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My Omega's always felt shaky through the steering wheel after 70mph, but today I've been up to Cumbria and back, and I think it's starting to feel worse on the motorway now.
The steering feels really vague and twitchy, and seems to wonder a bit so I have to keep correcting it. There's a bit of play when I turn the wheel too. I've tried turning the wheel whilst parked up with the engine off and there's about an inch each way when turning from the centre where's there no resistance at all through it.
I had to replace the steering idle arm a few months ago for the MOT, but I used a second-hand one as I was short on money. Could this have gone again? Also, the handling feels wobbly sometimes, but I'm not sure if it's related to this.
Any ideas?
Jack it up, check for play.
Could be wishbones, drop links, trank rod ends, idler, srpings/dampers etc etc...
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As well as TB's points don't count out wheel balance and tracking.
Too much toe out will make the steering twitchy. The cause could be any of the points TB mentions.
Wheel balance will cause a vibration at speed. I had one wheel / tyre that started vibrating at about 70mph and just got worse and worse the faster you went (private road of course).
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Have you taken it up to Buckley tyres yet?
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I haven't taken it up to Buckley Tyres yet mate. I've never had the tracking or geometry checked, so it could probably do with it.
I just wanted to see what I could check first, as I don't want to spend money getting a full geometry check, only to find I have to replace something on the car, and then have to pay for a second geometry check afterwards.
How much of my problems could be related to mis-alignment?
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Aye, that certainly makes sense.
Still amazed at the difference it made to the CDX, totally different car to drive.
Going to get mine checked as well soon as I have time, get it right now I've got new tyres on, before they wear badly.
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Aye, that certainly makes sense.
Still amazed at the difference it made to the CDX, totally different car to drive.
Going to get mine checked as well soon as I have time, get it right now I've got new tyres on, before they wear badly.
I think my plan of action then, is to check for any play or any obvious signs of problems with the bushes and then get a full geometry check. I'm off work next week so I'll get it done then :y
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I've got exactly the same problem, does yours seem to be driving straight then all of sudden it will start to wander either left or right - no pattern and does it seem like you have a lag between turning the steering wheel and the wheels actually moving?
I've checked drop links, wishbones, new suspension, track rod ends and had a full geometry check... last thing is steering idler which I'm having a new one fitted on Wednesday
I've just come out of 2 months hire of a brand new Vx Astra (Omega was smacked)and drove my Omega for the first time today, god damn I will take an Omega anyday
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...did you check the shocks? :o
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I've got exactly the same problem, does yours seem to be driving straight then all of sudden it will start to wander either left or right - no pattern and does it seem like you have a lag between turning the steering wheel and the wheels actually moving?
I've checked drop links, wishbones, new suspension, track rod ends and had a full geometry check... last thing is steering idler which I'm having a new one fitted on Wednesday
I've just come out of 2 months hire of a brand new Vx Astra (Omega was smacked)and drove my Omega for the first time today, god damn I will take an Omega anyday
Adjust the play out of the steering box.....
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...did you check the shocks? :o
Me? Yea, they were shockinly buggered!
Mark, sorry mate, in laymens... What does that mean?
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Me? Yea, they were shockinly buggered!
So if I understand correctly you are driving with buggered shocks… probably you have also got broken springs, disintegrated bushes, and punctured wheels and you wonder why the car wanders (excuse the pun)? ;D
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Dude, no no no...
I changed the shocks about 6 months ago as there was a bit of a bounce (honestly they were not as bad as i made out in my previous post... although the rears were dead :'( )
I rebuilt the shocks with brand new everything, bushes are all in great condition, ball joints have no play... Seriously it feels like the only thing left is the idler arm of which I have new part anyway
Am interested in the steering box job that Mark said about, cannot confess to knowing anything about it :o
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Dude, no no no...
I changed the shocks about 6 months ago as there was a bit of a bounce (honestly they were not as bad as i made out in my previous post... although the rears were dead :'( )
I rebuilt the shocks with brand new everything, bushes are all in great condition, ball joints have no play... Seriously it feels like the only thing left is the idler arm of which I have new part anyway
Am interested in the steering box job that Mark said about, cannot confess to knowing anything about it :o
There is an adjuster on the steering box to take out the play, but must be adjusted with caution. I'll let M_DTM describe how...
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I'm also interested in this "steering box" adjustment. Where/what exactly is the steering box anyway?
I've got exactly the same problem, does yours seem to be driving straight then all of sudden it will start to wander either left or right - no pattern and does it seem like you have a lag between turning the steering wheel and the wheels actually moving?
I've checked drop links, wishbones, new suspension, track rod ends and had a full geometry check... last thing is steering idler which I'm having a new one fitted on Wednesday
My steering wheels shakes whilst driving straight above 70mph, although it does stop if turning sometimes.
I'm not too sure if there's a "lag" in the steering whilst moving, but there certainly is whilst I'm parked up with the engine off. Normally, I'd expect lots of resistance all the time, but there is about an inch each way where there isn't when moving the wheel from the centre, which I find strange.
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Shake above 70mph will almost definitely be poorly balanced tyres....
The tweak involves taking out the vertical play in the steering box output shaft.
If you look at the top of the box you will see a bolt and locking nut type setup....you need the engine running and somebody wiggling the steering (they should be able to feel the play as lost motion), slacken the locking nut and slowly wind the bolt in a very small amount until the lost motion is reduced....it shouldn't be much, quarter turn max...lock it off and see how you get on it.....do not be tempted to over-do this adjustment.....
I have to say, it did apparently make a difference to The Boys car....
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I thought it would be tyre balance causing my problems, but I had two new tyres fitted a month ago, and it helped a bit but the shake is still there. Could tracking be causing it?
How do you get access to the steering box adjustment? Just not sure what I'm looking for.
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I thought it would be tyre balance causing my problems, but I had two new tyres fitted a month ago, and it helped a bit but the shake is still there. Could tracking be causing it?
But, did they do a good job, most only run the machine at one speed and fit a single weight to the inside or outside to balance them....this is not good enough for wide wheels.
How do you get access to the steering box adjustment? Just not sure what I'm looking for.
Incredibly easy....its the back left of the engine bay below the brake fluid res....you cant miss it ;)
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Cheers Mark :beer:
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But, did they do a good job, most only run the machine at one speed and fit a single weight to the inside or outside to balance them....this is not good enough for wide wheels.
Incredibly easy....its the back left of the engine bay below the brake fluid res....you cant miss it ;)
Pass. I've never been there before, so not sure how good they are. I'll get the balance checked when I get the tracking done, as I'm sure this needs doing after replacing the steering idle arm.
I'll be happy if the dodgy steering is fixed by a turn of a bolt :y
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Just a thought. I'm off work all next week so want to get everything sorted then.
Are the wishbones and drop links a likely cause of my wobbly handling and vague steering too? Should I get some new ones and replace them? The mileage is on 128k so I'm assuming they must be knackered anyway by now.
I don't mind having a go at doing them myself, but I'm far from an expert when it comes to mechanics. Are they easy enough to replace and would buying a ball-joint splitter be useful?
Sorry about all the questions, but I want to make sure I cover everything. :y
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Another thing worth checking is the strut top nuts, in particular the one that sits under the large domed washer; if you mope the bonnet you will see the nut that secures the large domed washer, remove this nut along with the washer and you will then see another nut which holds the spring/bearing assembly etc. together , make sure this nut is tight, if it is loose this can cause wobble as I have found on a previous Carlton I had; I had tried allsorts i.e balancing, tracking etc, even changed the strut bearings and problem disappeared, but after a couple of weeks it returned and this is when I found that these nuts had worked loose again, tightened back down and secured with loctite and hey presto no more wobble!
Worth a try
Cheers Pete
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That's another thing to check then mate :y
Although I would've thought that a loose bolt up there would cause knocking wouldn't it?
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They weren't loose enough to cause any knocking as it happens, but worth checking anyway
cheers Pete