# Driving problems!!! PLEASE HELP!!



## xcrunner18 (Jan 1, 2006)

Okay i need as many inputs into this as i can get PLEASE. I love my s14, but its beginning to have numerous problems, and i wanna know what is wrong, rather than taking it to a mechanic and them charging an arm and a leg just to tell me whats wrong...

Okay so here's my list of problems...

1) I just had my tires balanced and rotated but my steering wheel still shakes and vibrates quite noticablly. It gets really bad around 60 mph then goes backt to just vibrating after 68 or so. Could it be a bent rim? What else?

2) When driving I notice that the steering seems very "loose" idk how to exactly to describe it but it just seems like normal driving the steering wheel seems to be to loose. idk...

3) This problem has been with my car since I bought it. Okay this is gonna be hard to describe but just bare with me. Okay when I go over bumps going around 10-20 mph my back wheels seem to skip and bounce up and down. Now this also happens when i go around turns to hard, the car seems to jump around while turning. I mean I know my car's rwd but it still shouldn't do it this bad i don't think. Any one know? 

4) Lastly i know 240's are light but does anyone elses seem to move a little too much in the wind? I mean the biggest winds i normally see are 15 or 20 mph winds...

Okay my 240 also has 187000 miles, its alot i know, but the KA has only about 45,000 and i just put a clutch and flywell a week ago. Anyway, idk if the struts have ever been replaced so could that be a big issue? ALso is there anyting else i could do to make my s14 seem a little stiffer when i drive as in it seems more sturdy and stable while driving?

Thanks!!!!!!


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

1 - Possible bent wheel(s). Steering rack bushings may be shot.

2 - Steering rack bushings may be shot. Look at the TC rod bushings for signs of fluid leak or severely cracked rubber. On the lower control arm bushings, look for signs of severely cracked rubber or missing pieces of bushing. To check the ball joints for excessive wear, place a floor jack under the lower control arm of the side you want to check. Make sure the jack point under the control arm is out bound as far as possible; preferably under the ball joint. Jack the control arm up until the tire is about 2" off the ground. Now take a long pipe and push up on the tire while observing any movement at the ball joint; there should be zero movement. You can also place your hand around the ball joint and while pushing on the tire, feel for any movement; again you should feel zero movement.

3 - Possible worn struts.

4 - The 240sx is a very stable car. I can attest to that since I have 91 fastback. Your problem may be due to items 2 and 3 above.


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## S14240SR (Aug 20, 2004)

Have you replaced your front ball joints, inner AND outer tie rods? If you haven't then I would go about replacing them. What condition are the boots that connect to the steering rack in? 

David


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## xcrunner18 (Jan 1, 2006)

Dude, rogoman you pretty much are the man... LOL, but my only problem is now i'm looking into the $3000 range just to fix all that, and for that i could just buy a new car... Because somehow i only [aid 1500 for my s14, but it had new engine, trans, clucth, brakes, throw out bearing, tires, but now i'm realizing why it was so cheap =(


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## xcrunner18 (Jan 1, 2006)

s14240SR what do you mean by inner and outer? I thought there was only one?


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## xcrunner18 (Jan 1, 2006)

who makes steering rack bushing besides nissan? Because energy suspension doesn't make them =(


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