I have XJR asteriod rims on my 2000 VDP and 245/45/18 Continental Contiextreme contact tires.

My car is wandering and I decided I had enough and want to fix this.

• It feels like there is wind tossing the car side to side.
• Its mainly noticeable on the highway.
• I have normal tire wear, and my steering is tight and centered. But it returns to center slowly after a turn
• The mechanic replaced my tie rod ends (i think?) about 10k miles ago.
• They were replaced because an incompetent alignment shop damaged something that created this wandering problem right after my new rims were installed. They said they couldnt get the alignment into specification.
• The new tie rod ends helped about 50%.
• My upper shock mounts are wearing and I have clunking over bumps.

I am in a different state so I cant return to the original alignment shop. Could I just need another alignment even though I have normal tire wear, tight feeling steering, and the steering wheel is centered? Can an alignment shop damage somthing expensive? Being a college student, $ isnt unlimited, so could I just compensate for all this by getting another alignment done? I wondering this because the botched alignment the day I got my rims installed caused this whole problem about 15k miles ago.

 

Btw. the wandering first started before the suspension clunking. The clunking started after my car was shipped 1500miles on a truck.

 

The clunking could be a few things, you need to isolate it, both sides? Bottom suspension bushes? grab hold of the shock absorber at the bottom and pull/push it see if there's play. When does it clunk, going over stuff? where does it sound like its coming from because it probably won't be!
Steering again could be a few things, the chassis is very fussy about tyres, have you rotated them? Put the rears on the front? Get them force balanced. Are the wheels after-market or genuine Jaguar?
Racks, never heard issues, so it could be worn bushes, they're cheap enough to replace, and would get the alignment back to factory.

 

The rims are Jaguar Asteriod rims from the XJR.

A huge crashing clunk occurs over sharp bumps that hit both wheels at the same time ( like train tracks). I think this is related to my wearing engine mounts and strut mounts, as I see alot of cowl (scuttle) shake when this happens. This is another recent occurance that first started much later than the steering issues.

When changing lanes for example, the car will turn, but will keep turning after I center the steering wheel.I have to turn the opposite direction to pull it back.

Should the alignment shop align my car to the XJR spec because of my XJR wheels or the VDP (or is there a difference?).

I'm thinking my alignment might be worse because the guy doing it was using all his body weight to adjust things, seemed too aggressive and seemed baffled and inexperienced with the car.

I do need to have my tires rotated. Could stabilizer bar bushes cause wandering steering?

My tire pressures are all the same.

 

I would say your problems are much deeper than a slight misalignment- Find what is loose and fix it.

 

Check your upper and lower ball joints. They are the biggest issue I've seenb so far with the steering on our cars. If the boots are cracked/split they'll need to be replaced.

 

may i inquire whereabouts the upper ball joint is located? Ive located the lower one and if one is to replace these ball joints what assembly goes with it? Control arms? Id rather not have to buy an arbor press

 

Upper balljoint is under the number 3. You can replace only the balljoint. But originally you need tho replace whole control arm. To replace the lower ball you need to take spring off first. To do that you need a special tool. Someone will link home made tool for that but personally I do like my hands, feets, head and torso. So I will not suggest home made tools. Spring in x308 is way stronger than lets say a small Kia's spring. X308 is tire groove hungry what 18" and bigger wheels do increase.