OshawaHHRss

Okay so I'm in Sudbury Ontario, the roads are brutal. I know this has something to do with alignment/ sway bars/ or control arms. Nothing looks bent, my steering feels loose lately and I get a bit of steering wheel shake on the highway. My tire pressures good and alignment looks okay visually. Does anybody make chromo lnf FE5 control arms? How much will this cost? Thanks

Grizzly old man

I had similar problems with my '06.

I replaced pretty much everything on the front end except for the steering control box inside the car.

When my car started wobbling around and the wheel felt loose I replaced the outer tie rod ends then the inner tie rod ends then finally the rack and pinion.

At the time I could not get a new or rebuilt rack and pinion so I got a used one. The original tie rods were probably fine, so replacing them was probably not necessary.

Replacing the rack and pinion has stopped most of my problems.

whopper

If "has something to do with alignment/ sway bars/ or control arms" - it sounds like it might be best to take it into a shop for a full inspection of the front suspension before one starts singling out items to start replacing.

Ie: check it out first before you start throwing $'s at it by replacing various parts until the problem goes away.

cannuck

All my problems were solved with new control arms. U can polish the aluminum to get that shine yourself

gamma-wes

Yeah, get it inspected. You could put a complete suspension under it without targeting the issue. Suspension is simple, when it comes down to it. The shop doesn't need to know your specific vehicle, only a broad knowledge of suspension.

That being said, not all shops are created equal. A lot that deal with suspension are going to push you for work that has a higher profit margin. Some will claim that they do it with conscience in mind, which some do. Just be careful with your mechanic choice and find someone you can trust.

I, personally, would call this an alignment issue and start there. I would still visually inspect end-links, bushings, mounts, ball-joints, brake components, etc before I took it anywhere. Check the balance on the tires, even if you have to take it somewhere else. That provides a little extra noise and rattle on the road if they're out.

On a modern car, this could cause more issues the longer it goes, so be quick with this. Take it to a shop before you're stuck having to work on more than just what's out right now.

firemangeorge

Pssssst.
You do realize that the OP has not been back here to follow up on his issue.

gamma-wes

I still bump resurrected posts. Thought I'd have learned to check dates by now.