Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: colv6 on 10 February 2019, 14:43:04
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bit of history first
2002 2.6 cd bought after my mfl 3lt elite was rear ended and wrote off, noticed a bad clonk from front suspension and bad tyre wear after having a good look noticed it had new wish bones fitted so took it for a 4 wheel geometry in warrington.
still not happy with it so i took it to nigel langs in bolton who found that every time he set it right and took it for a test drive some thing moved and changed the geometry settings, so back up in the air and reset while checking all the steering joints with a big bar and finding all ok even checked the brakes on the rolling brake tester just in case, brakes are not the cause, so after asking is it possible to fit wish bones wrong i was told no.
I have a mfl 3lt elite donor car so in desperation i have changed the complete shocks on both sides over yesterday hoping it was the source of the noise it did not solve the problem, After a lot of head scratching and research i found that if you fully tighten the front wish bones up in the air its possible to knacker the front bushes.
so the next step bearing in mind i still do not no the source of the noise and clutching at straws do i.
option A undo the front wish bones bolts and redo them properly with the weight on them and fingers crossed ?
option B remove the wish bones from my donor car and have poly bushes fitted then fit to my car ?
option C some thing i have not even thought of ?
Please bear in mind i am working alone, i am a complete amateur spanner twirler, i have not won the lottery, work comitments and family life getting in the way what is the next step?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/156262213@N05/with/32105703527/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/156262213@N05/with/32105703527/)
i have tried to put a short video in here not even sure if thats allowed or will work but if it does will you can see how badly it is pulling to the right and after i deliberatley ran over the three kerbs on the u turn some thing has moved and it now runs straight and true untill you hit a bump or the brakes then as you can see and hear some thing clonks and the steering is back pulling to the right.
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Is the subframe moving?
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its not some thing i had considered but after having it in for two geometry settings and considering how thorough the guy at nigel langs was gong out of his way to check all the bushes and mountings i would suspect not but the short answer is i don't no any thing for certain
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Sound like subframe or similar to me too.
Easy way to check is to mark the subframe mounting points and the chassis with a white pen to see if they move after repeating your drive.
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Wishbones are shot. Only solution is replace either the bushes or complete arms.
Clonking is probably droplinks, either not tight enough or shot...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUSPENSION-CONTROL-ARMS-WISHBONE-KIT-LOWER-FRONT-OPEL-VAUXHALL-OMEGA-B-/381141643466
Buy and fit these. Correctly, and fit a pair of tyres and re set geometry.
Nigel Langs should know the correct set up for these, so the issue is the parts. :y
The above is from hard won personal experience. Ignore it at your cost and I will say 'I told you so'.
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Sound like subframe or similar to me too.
Easy way to check is to mark the subframe mounting points and the chassis with a white pen to see if they move after repeating your drive.
100% not the subframe ;D
See above.
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I don't doubt your experience I am trying to gather as much information as possible to avoid an expensive mistake.
Can someone explain drop links are they the bar running from the wishbones to the back of the shock
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Can someone explain drop links are they the bar running from the wishbones to the back of the shock
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Front-Anti-Roll-Drop-Link-Bars-VAUXHALL-OMEGA-CARLTON-SENATOR-1986-2003/123011484516?hash=item1ca40e4b64:g:oSkAAOSwFFtaoqu4:rk:3:pf:0 :y :y
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I don't doubt your experience I am trying to gather as much information as possible to avoid an expensive mistake.
drop links are the bars with joints both ends, running from both ends of the wishbones anti roll bar to the back of the shock strut
clicky licky to view and buy link (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Front-Anti-Roll-Bar-Link-Omega-Carlton-Senator-90445137-90468930-90334075/280794582068?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649) cheaper ;D 99p +P&P
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What you've experienced is one of the two real reasons for polyurethane wishbone front bushes: you can't wreck them by tightening their mounting bolts before you've lowered the car onto its wheels. The second is that they'll last the life of the car rather than a couple of years.
On a softly sprung road car, only the fantasy F1 test-drivers will actually notice a difference in the way the car drives......
It won't be the subframe moving unless the chassis rails have rusted away. And although they'll be a bit crusty(they all are now), you would have noticed if they were that bad.
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The drop links and the track rod ends are included in the ATP wishbone kits that Doctor Gollum referred to - Serek fitted them to my Omega a year and a half ago and they are still fine - touch wood!
Ron.
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The thing nagging at my mind as I spent all day Saturday swapping over the complete suspension struts on both sides from the donor car I left the drop links on each unit I must be really unlucky for all four to be shot ?
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The thing nagging at my mind as I spent all day Saturday swapping over the complete suspension struts on both sides from the donor car I left the drop links on each unit I must be really unlucky for all four to be shot ?
Which means they're (almost certainly) not your problem. But if you're prepared to do move from swapnosis to diagnosis, undo one end of each droplink and move both joints manually. Knackered ones will be obvious; you can't do this with them fitted.
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Can someone explain drop links are they the bar running from the wishbones to the back of the shock
They don't run from the wishbones. The drop links connect the body of the shocks to either end of the anti-roll (aka sway) bar. The intent is to reduce the body roll / diving effect when cornering. Worn out, poorly manufactured or incorrectly tightened links can cause a clonking noise.
A worn-out or loose nearside steering idler can also clonk and cause abnormal tyre wear.
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Ok thanks for all the input, decision made going to buy the full set the doc suggests just got to wait till end of the month pay day
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i have tried to put a short video in here not even sure if thats allowed or will work but if it does will you can see how badly it is pulling to the right and after i deliberatley ran over the three kerbs on the u turn some thing has moved and it now runs straight and true untill you hit a bump or the brakes then as you can see and hear some thing clonks and the steering is back pulling to the right.
A friend of mine had exactly the same symptoms on a 3.2 Elite - under normal braking the steering wheel would spin to the right, and the car would pull in the same direction.
It was the bushes on one wishbone - a new pair of wishbones cured it completely.