[seen]

does ditchin the sway bar make it any worse onroad bcoz i hav jst realised that mine hits on the steering damper

[clare]

I've been getting the death wobbles for a little while now too, if I hit an uneven bit of road at anything over about 75-80k's, which is a bit of a bugger if I'm driving along the Westgate highway in afternoon traffic.

The wheel bearings seem fine so I'm going to see how I go with a new damper. I got quoted $88 for the damper and $35 to fit, sounds reasonable to me...? There also seems to be a bit of play in the steering, so I'll get the steering box checked as well at the same time, since I don't want to stuff it up by doing it myself!

[royce]

that sounds like a good price for the damper, given coilies dont have one from factory it should make a difference

I have also heard trailing arm bushes can do it too, be careful of fitting urethane ones as things might break

[Scrawny]

Just be aware Clare that a damper will only 'mask' the problem. There is something else that is causing it.

It seems that everyone that has this problem has a different cause, things like uneven tyre wear, king pin bearings/shims, swivel hub seals, trailing arm bushes (as Royce suggested), etc... Might pay to get everything checked for play or wear.

[clare]

Thanks guys! I'm ok with things under the bonnet but a novice when it comes to suspension, so I need all the help I can get I'm thinking of taking it to Suziworld since I figure they'd have an idea of what to look for, and I don't know any local mechanics...

[royce]

ScrawnC wrote:

Just be aware Clare that a damper will only 'mask' the problem. There is something else that is causing it.

It seems that everyone that has this problem has a different cause, things like uneven tyre wear, king pin bearings/shims, swivel hub seals, trailing arm bushes (as Royce suggested), etc... Might pay to get everything checked for play or wear.

dont make me type my death wobbles post out AGAIN

in short yes the damper is a cure for the symptom, not the cause BUT sometimes the cause is a combination of tyre size, lift, shock valving or things you just cant change
I had it real bad in mine after fitting power steer, everything was on right so I put it down to my suspension design

[steve]

clare wrote:

I've been getting the death wobbles for a little while now !

ahh the shining has arrived ......

"a while now" ... far out it's been months and you still haven't fixed it!!

[Scrawny]

Sorry Royce, I wasn't trying to shoot you down there. Just thought her car looked pretty stock so it might be wear and tear rather than modifying? Just my very uneducated guess...

[royce]

hehe I was agreeing with you

but suzukis is all about bodging the problem not fixing it

[clare]

steve wrote:

clare wrote:

I've been getting the death wobbles for a little while now !

ahh the shining has arrived ......

"a while now" ... far out it's been months and you still haven't fixed it!!

I know I'm the only one in the family with a car at the moment, which is making it hard to find even one day to put the bloody thing in She's overdue for a service too, so I'm doing my damnedest to organise getting the whole lot done in the very near future...

[Scrawny]

Aaahhh... we're all tight arses at heart. My wife says I squeak when I walk... better than being too loose isn't it?

[steve]

clare, have you tested your car out with standard rims and tyres? i see you have the big ATs. Would be good if you could borrow some stocker wheels to try and see if that helps.

[clare]

No, I haven't. The AT's were on when I bought her, and I don't really do anything to them apart from checking the pressure and tread. I don't know anyone in the area with a Zook either, so I can't borrow some stockers easily