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Path: utzoo!utcs!mnetor!clewis
From: clewis@mnetor.UUCP (Chris Lewis)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Strange Suspension Problem, Need Advice
Message-ID: <1951@mnetor.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Sep-85 09:49:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: mnetor.1951
Posted: Tue Sep  3 09:49:30 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 3-Sep-85 11:20:37 EDT
References: <234@cylixd.UUCP> <1983@vrdxhq.UUCP>
Reply-To: clewis@mnetor.UUCP (Chris Lewis)
Organization: Computer X (CANADA) Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Lines: 38
Summary: 

In article <1983@vrdxhq.UUCP> dennis@vrdxhq.UUCP (R. Dennis Gibbs) writes:
>In article <234@cylixd.UUCP>, dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby) writes:
>> I have a 1975 Buick Electra 225 that has developed a strange and
>> annoying problem: it tends to shake from side to side when I drive
>> it on any marginally bumpy road. The least little bump the car runs
>> over causes a sideways oscillation to commence; several bumps spaced
>> at random over a road cause the oscillations to build and re-inforce
>> each other.
>> ...
>> Dave Kirby			"There is no great genius without
>
>Perhaps the problem is that your tires do not have stiff enough sidewalls to
>control the side to side motion. Try this:  ...

Another possibility is worn ball joints.  My '75 Valiant had a tendency
to do this - it would really swerve when going over the crown of the
road.  On some roads it was quite unstable - at times it felt as if the
car was oscilating horizontally around the middle of the front seat.
Supposedly you check this by jacking up one front wheel (getting it out
of "rebound" (off the rebound bumpers)), and using a prybar to see if
the wheel has any vertical slop.  Though, when I tried it I couldn't
tell for sure - the book for my car shows use of a special gauge.  The
easiest thing to do is take it into one of those tire and brake chains
(Firestone or Goodyear) and ask them to inspect it.  My car had lots of
other problems, and Firestone itemized all of the problems for $15.
(rear axle bearings, front calipers/rotors/pads AND the ball joint).
My father and I then did all the work ourselves (<$400 rather than
>$800).  We didn't change the ball joint as they recommended because at
first we thought they may have been fooled by a loose front bearing,
BUT, the car is still somewhat sloppy.  We'll probably replace it on the
next iteration.

Firestone earlier had fixed a similar problem on the car (which they
called "doglegging") by freeing up the CAM bolts. (whatever they are).
-- 
Chris Lewis,
UUCP: {allegra, linus, ihnp4}!utzoo!mnetor!clewis
BELL: (416)-475-8980 ext. 321