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HI:
I'm driving an 04 GS430 on Michelin Primacy, Bilstein HD shocks, and I've already had new steering and sway bar bushings installed. Only 105,000 miles. Lately I've noticed a weird floaty feeling. Not up and down, but more side to side. On the highway, it feels like the wind is pushing the car around even when it is not. When windy, the car is definitely being pushed around too much. I feel it when taking a fast corner as well. At slower speeds I feel it when going over bumps, like the back end is wiggling side to side.
Any ideas as to what the car might need? New bushings somewhere? New springs? Adding an STB? I'm looking for a direction to steer my mechanic..........
Mine seemed like that, was the outer tie rod on the right side. They wear out faster than most cars I've had. I'm on my 3rd outer tie rod on the right side in 138k miles. My upper arms were starting to go too (upper ball joints, the bushings were ok). Add the 2 problems together and it gets real annoying....
With the tie rod worn, it might be in alignment going slower, but the faster you go the more load on it and the worse it gets. Then turning it almost immediately gets hosed up.
Toe in symptoms are a less responsive turn-in in a turn. Toe out the turn-in is quicker, it feels more responsive, but of course will wear tires out on the inside, tow in will wear the outsides. Bilsteins should be here in the mail next week....
I've driven a LOT of miles on my GS and I have had plenty of steering components wear out. But you describe what I saw on the last outer tie rod and upper arms. Replaced them and aligned it (I align mine at home) and is very nice now.
Like RamAirRckt states these GS's are very finiky to worn suspension parts. And it is true that a worn part elsewhere in the car can make it feel like it an issue in a different area. Such as a front part making the rear feel like it's the issue. And realistically at 100k miles every joint/rod/arm/bushing should be replaced because people end up doing a continuous chase around the car replacing each thing at separate times taking more downtime and wasting money on multiple alignments. But it does cost a couple grand to do everything at the same time, so it's not in everybody's budget, which is understandable.
Don't forget about about the ****ty rear lower knukle bushings. They will cause a rear end wobble and also cause some rear bumpsteer. Once they are worn out they will cause the rear end to feel like it has to 'catch-up' and then it rebounds abruptly when going thru a corner, and the faster you go in a turn the more dangerous it feels. It will do it on low speeds as well when going over a significant sized bump or a even speed bump if you are paying attention you may feel the rear wash over a little.
The rear lower knuckle was designed to accommodate a little bit of left to right movement for the Aristo's that were equipped with the rear wheel steering. And the non-rear steer models still incorperated the same rear bushing. It is rubber and once it is worn it will allow very sloppy movement side to side, and the faster you push the 4000lb car through turns the more it shows.
If it is these bushings it feels very dangerous pushing turns at speed, everything feels good and in control when entering and during the cornering event but the transition exiting the corner when the car is straightening out is when the rear will counter on you, and then rebound from the counter. It can get scary I've been there.
It will also cause minor rear bumpsteer going straight, and is more pronounced on a lowered car. When you hit a good size dip in the road at speed the rear will wiggle or pull over slightly on you.
Not saying 100% this is your issue, but it is commonly fogotten about or overlooked on the GS, and I have seen it on a few GS's, mine included. I replaced mine with the Fig's Spherical replacements that do not allow that side to side movement and the car became predictable and solid in corners again. There was a seller on ebay that was selling a Delrin style replacement as well, but it has been a while since I have looked and am not sure if they are still available.
I have been able to press them in on the car with the knuckle/axles still attached to the car using a typical balljoint c-clamp press, so you can do these at home diy if you have a little patience.
I'm going to replace my rear knuckle bushings. This could be the "rollover" feel I have been complaining about for years. In a harder corner, the car suddenly feels like it rolls over even more, but I'll bet it is what 99 GS3 described . Now with the Bilstein B6's in, it feels worse in a corner, in the wet,scary. They didn't seem frozen when I was under the car doing shocks, but they did feel easy to move. Cheap to replace, and not hard at all.
Now, if the front shocks were as easy as the rear!
Thought I'd reply with what happened with my car. Besides the floaty feeling, there was an odd sensation that the body was pointed in one direction, while the wheels were going straight. Like floaty feeling, it was subtle, but made me unsure of the car. FYI the lower 'knuckle' bushings had already been done.
My mechanic then changed out the front LCA's that are rearward, and the rear UCA's. That helped a lot and then an alignment helped with that funny misdirection feeling. The steering still felt imprecise and with a bit too much play in the wheel. A 1/16 tighten of the steering pretensioner and success!
The car and steering now feel much tighter and more confident.
02-26-17, 08:33 AM
That floaty feeling.....advice?
