Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Missy_MV6 on 26 June 2009, 16:12:55
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Hi guys thought I would ask your opinions before I fork anymore money out :(
Whilst my hubby was doing another job with the car jacked up we noticed that the passengers front wheel was quite wobbly.Hubby did some investigating and found that the track rod end was poo poo so he bought a new one and fit it 8-)
He then took the car to get the tracking done and the guy at the garage tried for over 2 hrs to get it tracked 100% but couldn't he then showed my hubby why..the wishbones were poo poo too. :(.So..we ordered some new ones and 2 anti roll bar drop links.He fit them and took it back to be tracked.The garaged did it this time with no bother :)
The car still feels odd on the front end though,it's perfect going along a straight smooth road but it feels odd going around bends say at 40 mph.It feels like the wheels are trying to grip the road but cant do..And it feels awful going over ny slight bump or pot hole.
We are thinking it could be the front struts ....
What do you guys think
Thanks Angie x
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Worth checking for play in the front strut tops, I guess.
Did you get an alignment report? Might be worth posting it so we can see if it was set up sensibly?
Kevin
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Camber would be my guess
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Unfortunately didnt get any report with the tracking..We don't have any places near us that does the 4 wheel allignment :-[ :-[
Angie x
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Are the shocks and springs ok not knackerd? worth checking the tyre pressure to
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Well we had the rear shocks and springs replaced for the mot so we are thinking the fronts could probably do with doing too.
Angie x
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Well we had the rear shocks and springs replaced for the mot so we are thinking the fronts could probably do with doing too.
Angie x
if you push down say two times on the front end of the car does it whip up and down or does it just come up and stop?
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Well we had the rear shocks and springs replaced for the mot so we are thinking the fronts could probably do with doing too.
Angie x
if you push down say two times on the front end of the car does it whip up and down or does it just come up and stop?
After pushing down it bounces back up maybe 2 or 3 times before stopping.
Angie x
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sound like the shocks are gone or on there way out.
might be time for new ones.
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Thanks for that ;)
Angie x
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Sounds like your Omega needs a good geometry check.
Spend the £30/£40 on 'four wheel allignment and full geometry check', it will show up the problem :y
regards
richard a
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Sounds like your Omega needs a good geometry check.
Spend the £30/£40 on 'four wheel allignment and full geometry check', it will show up the problem :y
regards
richard a
I would think about getting it done if I could find a place near that does it ;)
Angie x
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Sounds like your Omega needs a good geometry check.
Spend the £30/£40 on 'four wheel allignment and full geometry check', it will show up the problem :y
regards
richard a
I would think about getting it done if I could find a place near that does it ;)
Angie x
Ok, chances are, well, most probably actually, that your camber is out. I strongly urge you to find your nearest 4 wheel alignment centre and go there, no matter how far it is from you. From what your saying the car has never been done in your ownership so the settings have been left and could be all over the shop as well as your current issue.
Trouble is your miles away from your nearest set up centre and you may need new shocks, which obviously you should change first (as the bottom 2 bolts give the camber setting) before the set up, or youll have to set up again, a waiste of money.
So, standard operating procedure is check wishbones(done) stearing idler for play, and springs for breakages. Do any other work you you think necessary(shocks in your case but only you can decide if they need doing, imho they dont ever come up and stop dead, there is always a slight bounce or 2) then get the car set up.
Trouble with driving miles for the set up is your camber is out and will wipe miles of tread off the inside edge of your tires getting there. Normally i would suggest checking the gap from shock body to wheel rim prior to any work, then re set the camber to the same amount when the work is done.
But you dont know the original settings prior to your wishbone change so....find something 15 mill diameter wide(e.g. my 11 mill socket is exactly that) and use it as a feeler gauge between shock and the vertical 10 mill rim edge (not the little lip nearest the tyre). That should give you camber settings close enough to get you to your geometry set up without buggering your tyres on the way.
Hth and ive made it clear enough. :-)
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I don't know where you are in West Gods country Angie but you could try Nigel Langs in Bolton they are very good and Tony at WIM recommends them
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1245947806/new#new
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Thanks guys..I think I have found one in Halifax which is nearer to me than Bolton :)
You know..the front end felt okay until after we had the rear supsenson re-newed by the garage who did the mot...(Hubby wished he had done the work himself but we left it too late )..
Angie x
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Trouble is, fixing one fault highlights another.
I had to have new shocks and springs on the rear of mine (broken spring, leaking shock), when these were fitted the front of the car then felt very soft and unstable. So I then fitted new struts, springs and droplinks to the front and the car is totaly transformed!
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Trouble is, fixing one fault highlights another.
I had to have new shocks and springs on the rear of mine (broken spring, leaking shock), when these were fitted the front of the car then felt very soft and unstable. So I then fitted new struts, springs and droplinks to the front and the car is totaly transformed!
Hubby ordered new struts from Vauxhall this morning using the trade card :y
Thanks again xx
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When you fit the new struts you will destroy the camber settings so no point doing the geometry until then.
Depending on how the wishbones were replaced you may have only slightly affected the camber or set it miles out.
Anyway in my experience bad camber and bad toe in can have a massive effect on how the car feels.
Even with the toe slightly out (-ve) rather than positive the car will feel really loose and vague.
The car should be great when set properly with all those new parts.
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When you fit the new struts you will destroy the camber settings so no point doing the geometry until then.
Depending on how the wishbones were replaced you may have only slightly affected the camber or set it miles out.
Anyway in my experience bad camber and bad toe in can have a massive effect on how the car feels.
Even with the toe slightly out (-ve) rather than positive the car will feel really loose and vague.
The car should be great when set properly with all those new parts.
Yeah totally agree..hubby will fit the new bits next weekend and then we will get it booked in for the 4 wheel set up :y
Angie x
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Thanks guys..I think I have found one in Halifax which is nearer to me than Bolton :)
You know..the front end felt okay until after we had the rear supsenson re-newed by the garage who did the mot...(Hubby wished he had done the work himself but we left it too late )..
Angie x
But is he any good, Pete at Nigel Langs knows what he's doing and has the Omega settings off Tony at WIM ;)
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Thanks guys..I think I have found one in Halifax which is nearer to me than Bolton :)
You know..the front end felt okay until after we had the rear supsenson re-newed by the garage who did the mot...(Hubby wished he had done the work himself but we left it too late )..
Angie x
But is he any good, Pete at Nigel Langs knows what he's doing and has the Omega settings off Tony at WIM ;)
I don't know if they are any good.Don't know of anyone who has used them..I was just looking for someone near me that does it..I live not that far away from Bradford in West Yorkshire
Angie