One of my Omegas is twitchy

[terry paget]

I've had lots of Omegas, currently have 6. One of them has the worrying habit of its back end breaking away in gentle bends. It is currently the spare car, a 2.5 petrol manual estate. It was my main car, and it gave me a few frights, I drove it to Chippenham last Friday, to exchange with Jonny's 2.2. Following a Renault between Bradford on Avon and Chippenham, entered a bend and out went the back end. Bit of quick opposite lock caught it, but it should not have happened. No other Omega does it.

I recall a year ago another forum member had a similar problem. Tyres look OK. What else might it be?

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Well, in theory the common one is the rear donut bushes, which are £100 for your aussie Pedders poly ones, or well under half that for normal rubber ones. 

[Kevin Wood]

You can also get a similar sensation (although ultimately, if you keep your nerve, there is grip there) if the rear wishbone bushes at the front are shot.

Also: Tyre type, pressure, condition, quality, correct fitting if directional?
Condition of the doughnut bushes and the ones to the rear of the diff.
Shocks, springs OK?
Suspension geometry way out?

[Mr Gav]

I had this before and the primary culprit was the tyres, the donut bushes were fine but I replaced them with the Pedders polyurethane bushes, also after a bit of further investigation I found that one of the diff mounts was fubar.

If the tyres are decent quality then I would look at the diff mounts next.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Aye, couldnt remember if diffmounts were a cause of not.  So, OP has the choice between a bush that's a pain of a job... or a bush that's an easy swap, just unobtainable! 

[terry paget]

Thanks gentlemen. More info follows. Car was purchased March 2014 from forum member ajsphead, mileage 148K miles. It had new diff fitted 07/12 at 135K. I fitted new wishbones at 148K. Current nileage is 166K. In that period tyres will have been changed. I have no reason to doubt alignment, springs or shock absorbers. My fear is donuts gone. How do I check this?

[biggriffin]

I would say diesel on the road.

[TheBoy]

WHat make tyres on the rear?

Swap them with fronts, does it understeer now?

[VXL V6]

I've had lots of Omegas, currently have 6. One of them has the worrying habit of its back end breaking away in gentle bends. It is currently the spare car, a 2.5 petrol manual estate. It was my main car, and it gave me a few frights, I drove it to Chippenham last Friday, to exchange with Jonny's 2.2. Following a Renault between Bradford on Avon and Chippenham, entered a bend and out went the back end. Bit of quick opposite lock caught it, but it should not have happened. No other Omega does it.

I recall a year ago another forum member had a similar problem. Tyres look OK. What else might it be?

There's your problem, French cars, don't trust them!!!