Issue: car feels like it is swimming left or right, even on flat roads. Kind of like when pavement of different levels meet and your tire has to deal with it.

The car wants to wander as i drive. Seems related to weight distribution.

today I noticed that at 30 or 40 mph, when I hit gas the nose rises a bit normally but the car does a short left right weave.

I will check to ensure rear axle bolt is tight. Look s like one front shock upper mount only lasted 35000 miles, height down 1 inch.

where else should I look/check?

thanks, john

 

If you decide to replace your upper shock mounts again, go with the Welsh Enterprises poly kit. Quite a few of us have been running them for several years now and remain quite pleased with their quality and longevity....

 

Thanks Jon i agree. Unfortunately , these are the Welsh units you mentioned. Looked at my receipt, bought them 1.5 yrs ago, so no warranty. More info later after I look more closely. Gotta prioritize the other issue first but thanks again for the heads up.

as far as the wandering: it worsened as i drove. Now = acceleration car steers left. Deceleration (foot off gas) car steers right.

I am betting its a loose right rear axle nut. Will pull wheel off later 2day. If it is, I guess I'm fed Loctite. This was a new nut last time I put it on, about 4 or 5 months ago.

nasty scary feeling. TTYT I hope it is the nut. I still welcome your thoughts.

John

 

I wonder if your Welsh upper shock mount actually failed, or if something else is causing the height to drop. Keep us posted on what you discover....

 

Your issue is much more likely worn upper wishbone bushings or rear suspension mounts. You could also have a failing wheel bearing or various other suspension components. Get in there and look around.

 

Thanks guys. I figured it out. The dam right rear axle nut loosened a bit. I kind of figured that's what it Was, but it made no sense. Thought I torqued the new nut to proper spec, did not use lock rite thread locker.

well I'm annoyed, happy, frustrated, and relieved, perplexed and enlightened - the joys of out X100s.

I must not have torqued it tight enough. Specs call for a huge number, well beyond any torque wrench I own. Guess I'll have to buy another $40 nut and swing by a professional to get it ready for the long term.

an I going to screw anything up if I ignore the forums collective advice and use blue thread lock?

hey at least I defined a clear set of symptoms and the root cause right? What fun.

thanks again

John

 

Well, don't forget the basics. Torque in ft lbs is just some weight at some distance. For big torque, just weigh yourself then figure out the distance so that the product equals the original torque. For example, if you weigh 200 lbs, and you need 300 ft lbs of torque for some bolt, just stand on a breaker bar at a foot and a half.

If you want something more sophisticated, you can stand a bathroom scale and push on a breaker bar with your foot until a pre-calculated (lower) reading of the scale. For example, if you put a long pipe on a breaker bar and can get 3 ft of leverage for your foot, stand on the scale, put pressure on the bar with your foot until your original reading of, say, 200 lbs, becomes 100 lbs for the same 300 ft lbs of torque..