Hello Chaps,
Does anyone have any thought on the symptoms that a bad ball joint on a front anti roll bar drop link will have. The car is an Omega.
I'm getting an occasional click which I can feel through the steering. This only happens in two situations:
1) Turning right - not all the time and never ever when turning left. Sometimes worse then others but is 100% replicable given the same corner/speed etc.
2) Less frequently when accelerating (hard) over a bumpy surface - i.e. just about hard enough to make the traction control twitch a bit
Given that I had all the springs/shocks/both rollbars/all suspension bushes replaced 1,000 miles ago and that the problem was there before that, looking at Haynes made me think about the drop links as a possibility. My Vx dealer has little idea of what may be causing the problem.
So, opinions please gents. The car is being serviced next week & these are @ 0.2 hours each to change ..........
In anticipation.
Robert
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one would imagine that a sloppy joint on the roll bar would simply cause the car to feel wallowy in corners. Doesn't seem logical that one would be able to feel this through the steering. But then, not everything automotive is logical.
Have you kerbed the car at all? Could the steering rack be ever-so-slightly bent? Or a tooth chipped? Can you feel anything unusual if you jack up the front of the car and take the steering from lock to lock?
Does this car have a subframe that the steering gear is attached to. Have you checked the security of the bolts holding the subframe?
Some cars use the roll bar as a tie bar also, to control the fore-aft movement of the wheels, others use independant tie bars. Whichever set up the Omega has, have you checked the security of the tie bars?
Check the track rod ends for wear with the steering at the angle you experience the problem.
Alternatively, why not demonstrate the problem to the service manager and then task him with diagnosing it. Set a maximum repair cost, above which they must ring you for clearance to repair. If they cannot diagnose it ask for a report on what they checked and its condition. If they advise you to change xyz and it doesn't cure the problem, refuse to pay - make sure you have written evidence of the original contract to fix the problem not just change things in the hope that it will work!! Also set a time limit, or else make sure you have one of their cars as a loaner.
Good luck.
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Unlikely to be antiroll bar links, they might rattle on a bad surface, but that's about it. I'd be a bit wary about manufacturers repair times as well. Your 12mins per bush doesn't include other timed work such as getting the car from forecourt to ramp, removing other bits, collecting parts etc - and a seized bolt will make nonsense of the recommended repair times.
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Robert,
As Steve says the noise from a worn drop-link is quite distinctive and more of a rattle on certain broken surfaces.
Sometimes they can be difficult to diagnose but once you've heard a few and have a suitable bit of road that excites them it is easier.
Some folks (garages even) do not find them because mostly the anti-roll bar puts some tension on theses joints, even at rest, so they appear OK. If you disconnect the anti-roll bar one end then the play is easier to feel.
I would think of something in the steering if that is where you feel the click.
David
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Sorry this is not much help, but the only way to check it properly is to have experience of common faults, i.e. mechanic knows what wears out without looking or to pull the thing apart and inspect the components.
Good luck, please let us know how you get on. If you can persuade a garage to replace parts and only get paid if they cure the fault then please let me know how you managed it!!
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