Still not happy with handling.

pol · Post by **pol** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:47 pm

I still dont think it's quite right.

I've replaced all the shocks with gas ones, replaced pretty much all the bushes bar the torque arms on the rear.

I've put stiffer springs on there, had it tracked a couple of times but there's still something lacking.

I bought another 480 Turbo today from a forum member and was expecting to be driving a sloppy wandering whale home. But it was quite the opposite. Overall my car handles well but there is something lacking in responsiveness in the first few degrees of turning the wheel ie. you can shake the wheel left to right and it hardly moves the car. It feels wrong to me and i really want to sort it.

My wheel bearings may be on their way out.

What else is there?

Can there be a problem with my steering rack? Subframe? Tie rod ends?
Where else can I tighten up my responsiveness?

Should I have my tracking set up differently to the bookto compensate for the slightly altered camber?

Any thoughts welcome.

Thanks,

pol

martinholmesuk · Post by **martinholmesuk** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:19 pm

replace the rack / check the steering rod

pol · Post by **pol** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:26 am

What's the steering rod? Tie rods? Or steering column?

Ta

pol

martinholmesuk · Post by **martinholmesuk** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:35 am

steering column,

sorry I could not find the word

pol · Post by **pol** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:25 am

Do these wear our then? I guess I have a spare car now...

pol

480_rocket · Post by **480_rocket** » Fri May 04, 2007 12:33 pm

Mine had terrible slack on steering when I bought it. The recon steering rack was only a year old, and something like the bearings had gone in it. A new one was fitted under warranty and was a lot better, enough to pass an MOT but not perfect. Hopefully going to try sorting that out in the summer.

Brasco · Post by **Brasco** » Sat May 05, 2007 3:39 pm

pol wrote:Do these wear our then? I guess I have a spare car now...

pol

Your rack will wear... what mileage has the car done?

The way I look at it:-

Bad response = steering problem
Bad handling = suspension problem

(but I'm only about 2 spanners level in the HBOL competancy quotion

)

How's the power-steering? Is it quiet?

catgroom · Post by **catgroom** » Thu May 10, 2007 7:03 pm

Pol!

I have just had a thought about your steering not being quite schhweet.

Suspension Top Mounts matey! This would give the feel you describe...

Theyre Ã‚Â£35 each from Volvo.I'd give Steve at Braydons a go as he always gives me discount.0208 525 7285

Volvo Part No.s are 3472743 and 3472744

Groompa

pol · Post by **pol** » Thu May 10, 2007 9:52 pm

Cheers groom...

They looked quite good when I changed the shockos though... ??

I have just removed one seriously fucked wheel bearing.

They are getting pressed in this week, hopefully be back on by sunday along with a new track-rod end and balljoint...

I'll report back..

pol

hjkort · Post by **hjkort** » Fri May 11, 2007 10:12 am

Also check the universal coupling from trhe rack to the steering column.
a universal coupling

pol · Post by **pol** » Fri May 11, 2007 11:00 am

Thanks, I will.

I had heard that the Universal joint is part of the complete steering column. Is this true or is the UJ replaceable?

I will get this handling sussed!

pol

pol · Post by **pol** » Sun May 20, 2007 9:09 pm

Well, after a good few weeks and good few hundred bucks it's actually feeling pretty tight!

All back together, got it tracked again, this time had it set to book standard, then toe-ed in by 1-deg. Tyres were a bit flat too, so pumped them up and it's feelin gooooood!

pol

martinholmesuk · Post by **martinholmesuk** » Tue May 22, 2007 6:53 pm

Pol, sent you a PM about the part you want. I had to cut the bloody thing off vader!

Brasco · Post by **Brasco** » Thu May 24, 2007 7:42 pm

So what did you have done in the end Pol? Was it one thing or just lots of little things that were screwed?

pol · Post by **pol** » Thu May 24, 2007 9:15 pm

I think the big problem, after doing the shocks and the bushes, was a seriously knackered wheel bearing.

What had also happened which would have caused the majority of the wear was this. Where i have snapped the locating screws for the disk brakes to the hub is a little stump of the old locating screw. Somehow, by me or whoever fitted my tyres (i'd rather blame someone else!) the disk had been refitted to the hub without the locating 'stump' being in the hole on the disk. This would have caused an off balance disk. It actually bent it's own space in the disk so fitted alright, but i presume the vibrations knackered the bearing and the hub nut came lose. Which wore out the cv joint and snapped the CV joint's spline.

Soooo. Replaced the bearings, replaced the CV joint, replaced 1 ball joint and 1 track rod end, got it tracked to the book standard then towed IN by 1 degree, and it's pretty damn nice now! Very tight, very responsive for these cars and seems fairly glued to the road!

Feel free to ask any questions if you're thinking of replacing any suspension parts.

pol