Hi,
I'm sure there's something strange going on with my '95 Escort 1.6 LX but i'm not entirely sure what it is, so if i could get a few pointers as to where to look it'd be a real help!
Last night i was driving along a country lane at around 50mph when a wandering 4x4 forced me right over to the edge of my side of the road. There was a fairly loud bang where i either went into a large pot-hole or may have nudged the kerb slightly with the left side of my car.
After this point, the handling felt 'weird'. It drives, accelerates and brakes in a straight line, but definitely has a lot more 'bite' when turning right, as if the car was close to oversteering. I keep thinking that it's a little rattlier/noiser over bumps now too, although that could just be my imagination.
A visual inspection on the dark night/wet morning hasn't really shown me anything wrong, but i haven't had a chance to get on the floor to check for bent rods etc yet. Tyre pressures are fine, there are no vibrations through the wheels.
From a bit of research, is it likely to be:
1. Suspension bushes (front or rear? How to spot a knackered one?)
2. Toe-in/out or Camber been knocked
3. A bent track rod or something?
4. Something else?
I had an advisory on suspension bushes at an MOT last September, but with no changes they weren't even mentioned two weeks ago at the latest MOT.
If it is the bushes, are they DIY, and if not what would be a decent cost for a garage to change?
Currently i'd estimate that the problem isn't severe enough for someone like my mum to even notice it, but as i can tell something is wrong i want to sort it properly.
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1/ unlikely you wouldnt get a sudden change in feel
2/ possible and likely
3/ possible,
4/ anti roll bar, macpherson strut,
you relly need to get down and get dirty to check it all out
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Could even be the track rod end itself bent.
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On an Escort would suspect wishbone being bent,not uncommon on these/track rod end -unlikely-track rod possible
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Steve
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Thanks for the repies
Good point RF about the sudden change making the bushes an unlikely cause - it was definitely a sudden change.
Managed to get on the floor under the car this afternoon during a brief dry spell, and as far as i can see the track rods are fine. Basically i still can't visually spot anything wrong, but then i'm still only a beginner level mechanic really.
Wouldn't the camber or toe-in have an effect on the tracking though? It definitely still tracks straight-ish, and brakes and accelerates straight.
Think it might be a case of asking the local garage to see if they can find a problem.
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Steve.o,do you mean track control arm,there are no wishbones on Escorts,at least,not in the front suspension.Having said that on an Escort I owned I ran a front wheel into a virtually immoveable object and the only damage I could find was a definite kink in the stud part of the trackrod end.I replaced it,reset the tracking and had no further problems with the car and neither had the subsequent owner when I met him four years later.
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