Just spotted a problem with my cally?

[truxx]

I noticed yesterday,when i look at my car from the passenger side all is well,but when i look at it side on from the drivers side,the gap between the tyre and the arch is a lot smaller:



I have replaced pretty much all the suspension parts on the front,and as far as i could see theres been no crash damage,infact it's pretty clean and tidy under there for the age.

Now this is the weird bit.
I have to turn full right lock to get off my drive,which is fine,i drive away afterwards and the steering is perfectly straight,but if i stop and turn left lock i hear a sort of twanging noise then after that the steering is constantly pulling to the left.
To get it right again i have to stop and turn right till i hear it twang again then the steering is perfectly straight again.
( im assuming the 2 problems are related? )

I have replaced
ball joints
track rod ends
anti roll bar bushes
wishbones

I havent changed the struts but the car passed the mot the way it is so there is nothing visual wrong with them.
Im assuming the twanging noise is the lowering springs maybe not seated right and there moving slightly when turning,but i dont understand how the wheel can be pushed back.

Any ideas what could be causing this?

[jonboy78]

Steering rack ok????????? Have you checked that out? Sounds like a stab in the dark but that could be your noise when turning

[truxx]

Nah it's not that,but thanks for the reply.

It's gonna be one of them nightmare things to find.

[STEVA]

When you replaced the ball joint did you put the whole arm on?

If not it could be that, it doesnt take to much impact to bend them
Had the same problem on my cav and it turned out to be the arm


Steva

[truxx]

When you replaced the ball joint did you put the whole arm on?

If not it could be that, it doesnt take to much impact to bend them
Had the same problem on my cav and it turned out to be the arm


Steva

Yeah the ball come fitted to the wishbones i put on.

[tazz666]

check that the spring is seated right in the strutt properly?

[truxx]

check that the spring is seated right in the strutt properly?

Yeah that would explain the twanging noise,but still dont understand why the wheel is further back on 1 side.

[tazz666]

could be that the sring seat has been put on wrong at some point , that might cause both problems

[kdchorse2]

We had a cavalier on which a front spring snapped some inches from the bottom.. but it got through MOTs for years. This would explain the drop.. and the twang could be a sharp edge on the snapped bit catching on the collar that needs sorting ASAP(nex spring or file and grease). If you develop a rattle, that could be the broken bit sitting somewhere strange.

[truxx]

Thanks
Yeah im assuming the spring hasnt been fitted right at some point,but i have checked and there definately not snapped,will take them off at some point and sort it out.

The suspension sits at the right height on both sides,the problem is that the drivers wheel is actually about 1-2 inch further back (towards the rear of the car) than the passenger side.

[Calibra_Mike]

I would get the whole front in the air on axle stands and have someone turn the steering wheel while I was under the car checking where the noises source is, does sound spring related, best to get it sorted sooner rather than later...