activa pulling to the left

holmedog · Unread post by **holmedog** » 23 Feb 2011, 20:36

long story short. kerbed s2 activa sideways in snow at aroun 10 mph, temporary short bolt pulled thread out of hub.replaced hub car still pulls hard left at low speed. changed front wheel for back still same. any advice
cheers holmedog(mark)

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 23 Feb 2011, 20:53

I'd say get the car on a hoist first, look for obvious damage.

If it's all normal enough then you'll need to check the chassis/subframe alignment and it may need some work on a rack. Not the old "chains on the floor" type but a proper repair fixture like a Celette or Globaljig - this should be achievable with minimal stripping of the car, so ought be cheap enough.

handyman · Unread post by **handyman** » 24 Feb 2011, 16:54

You may possibly find the trackrod end swivel is bent. They do do it, as the threaded rod has a kink in it causing it to deform when any sideway force is applied to the wheel/hub assembly.

Alternatively, get a long tape measure and measure wheel centres on the offside and nearside. They should be equal. If not something is out of alignment and you need to start looking deeper.

Bent lower wishbone or twisted lower hub assembly?

Handyman

lefgrter · Unread post by **lefgrter** » 24 Feb 2011, 17:25

addo wrote:Not the old "chains on the floor"

I had a better experience some years ago. I had the same problem with my Alfa 33, and the mechanic chained the front right of the car to a concrete column, put reverse and started to pull the column. Magically he managed to fix the problem. (I assume he was (I was) lucky)

holmedog · Unread post by **holmedog** » 24 Feb 2011, 18:12

thanks for the response.looked at the track rod ends and on first inspection they seem o.k but have no ramps or anything so just to be safe i think it's best to replace them and get it all tracked and balanced. then i'll let you all know the out-come and maybe get more advice if this doesn't work. thanks again for the feed back

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 24 Feb 2011, 20:19

Most likely, the "P" bush has collapsed and is allow the wishbone end to move around all over the place...

The "P" bush is the back mount on the wishbone and is, in effect, a rubber donut. It's a known trouble point and if already a bit perished, a good knock could well have finished it off Mark.

The subframe is very strong in that area and I doubt it has suffered.

Remember the wishbones on the Activa are special as they have the Activa roll corrector link rods attached to them. However, that said, the wishbones are meaty old things and unlikely to have suffered.

My money is on the "P" bush...

holmedog · Unread post by **holmedog** » 24 Feb 2011, 21:21

cheers jim. It a big job to replace the 'p'bush

handyman · Unread post by **handyman** » 25 Feb 2011, 13:03

No, car on axle stands, wheel off, spanner and air ratchet unbolts it, slip it off the pin on the wishbone and refit new unit. A little spit or washing up liquid helps ease the new one on, or KY jelly, if you are Citronut. As BOL states, assembly is the reverse of disassembly.

It is a relatively simple job, if you know the right end of a spanner.

If you do change the bush, get the tracking (wheel alignment) checked and adjusted if needs be.

Just thinking, have you checked the rim and tyre for any damage, like buckles or bulges in the tyre? These can cause the symptoms you describe.

Handyman

holmedog · Unread post by **holmedog** » 25 Feb 2011, 21:36

Already looked at that handyman and changed front for back to make sure

but will definately check the bushes

many thanks holmedog(mark)