I travel alot for work and as my SSEi approches 92K I am starting to get some vibration in the steering wheel over bumps. Its not a vibration like a out-of-balance wheel or such. It feels like the columb is loose, but I know it isnt because I checked. There are no clunks, no rattles or noise. My dads park ave does not do this, his wheel gives no 'feedback' like that from the road. I have a feeling that there is a bushing or something that has warn out. Help me guys!

I am going to change the struts at 100k to Monro Reflexes, does anyone recemond some other brand? At this time I am going to do some other PM too like tranny fluid and filter change, and such. The plugs and SC fluid were done at 84K.

Jay

I'm not sure about your front end problem(stabilizer bar maybe?) but I would look into KYB Struts/Shocks.

Vibration over bumps with no sound, this could be a number of things
Air in the power steering system
Low fluid level
Loose rack and pinion gear attachments
A loose intermediate shaft coupling
Loose tie rod ends

or it could be the struts which you are about to replace?

I jacked the car up tonight and checked everyting out and it all seems tight. Im lost here. Seems like it does it more when the passengers side hits a bump. Its really weird to describe what it does, but the best way to describe it is like the colum is loose. It isn't tho because when I grab the wheel it does not move. Maybe a mount is bad some where. Im thinking of taking it to midas to have them look at it. I know they might try to scam me, but maybe they can get me in the right direction. They are the ones that found the bad ball joints im my truck that was cousing the knocking noise. No one else could.

Jay

What about the passenger front wheel bearing?

Check your stabilizer bar endlinks. Do the washers feel loose, or jingle? You can check them by cranking your wheels one way or the other.

I checked them out, they look good and tight. I took it to Midas and they looked it over and could not find anything and they went over everything with two techs. Well, it wasnt a total waste of time, I got my NYS inspection done.

Jay

Ok, im still having the problem and i think I have it narrowed down.

When the car is sitting still and not moving, if I turn the wheel I get a clunking from the right side of the car. I had my roommate sit in the car with it running and turn the steering wheel 180deg back and forth, just enough to get the wheels to turn about 5deg, it makes the clunk when turning the wheel to the right. Also, when he does this at the same time the clunk is heard the passengers side wheel makes a jaring motion that is not seen on the drivers side. Im thinking tie rod?

Also, when I turn to pull out of a driveway if there is a bump and im in the turn I get the clunk. My Fieances car had a bad tierod a while back and it behaved differently, but it was one bump from breaking.

Any ideas? The end links looked good, and the lower control arm did not look like it was moving to cause the clunk. The strut mounts look good and it didnt look like the struts or the mounts were hanging up. It goes in wednesday, but I would like to have a good idea before it goes in. 1. Not to get screwed into a whole new rack or something. 2. To give them a place to start looking.

Jay

I heard a similar noise when I was bleeding out my power steering system the other day. Sort of a dull thumping noise, like hitting concrete with a rubber mallet? Mine turned out to be the strut retaining nut catching and releasing on the rubber bushing in the strut mount (underneath the dust cap on my '95). I made sure all the strut mount bolts were torqued correctly, and that seems to have helped a little.

No idea on that one -- mine may have been doing the same thing, but I didn't have anyone else to turn the steering wheel while I watched the wheel

-b

i'll check that out!

Jay