Car feels wobbly!!!

Mr_Bun

I have a 2004 Vectra and recently it has felt really wobbly and bouncy when driving:eek:
I feel it more at lower speeds and when braking or turning corners,but not really when I am driving at speed on a motorway.
Any ideas,and is it dangerous to keep driving?

shop-to-drop

Get the tyres checked.

forgotmyname

Probably. You will soon find out if a wheel falls off.

I wouldnt drive a car then didnt feel right in the steering / suspension department.
But i have seen the aftermath of what can go wrong.

Iceweasel

I would get the tyres and the shock absorbers checked.

But don't go to Halfrauds or Kwiknit as they will likely perform open-wallet surgery and replace everything.

Potentially dangerous as the roadholding will be affected.

spacey2012

Wheel nuts first.
If the MOT is close by, a MOT check will soon show any faults and you can fix and have a 12 month MOT at the same time.

Mr_Bun

Tyres are all o.k.and car just passed m.o.t. about a month ago.
It needed a new front spring,which got replaced.
Have noticed also when braking at slow speeds it kind of shudders a bit too.

spacey2012

So the wheels came off to do the work.
Get the wrench and go check the wheel nuts are tight before driving it again.

PLEASE !

Mr_Bun

If it's not the wheels,then how would I know if it was the shock absorbers?

Strider590

It'll be the shock absorbers and most likely the springs too, this may sound like a nightmare but these are wear and tear items, just like tyres.
Symptoms are obvious, the car becomes bouncy and "twitchy" over bumps in the road.

I have 04 Vectra, I changed the shocks and springs about 5 years ago, swapped them for higher quality items (anodised springs, which don't rust and Bilstein B4 shocks). It actually worked out cheaper than buying the standard rubbish from a VX dealer.

I would advise changing all 4 shocks and all 4 springs, because when I changed mine, 3 out of 4 springs had rusted and snapped (which can then dig into your tyre).

This is a problem that A LOT of different cars suffer with, it's by no means a VX thing, in fact last shape Ford Fiesta's are known for it too. Primary cause is cars are heavier these days, the springs are powder coated (which flakes off) and of course we also spray our roads with salt instead of buying winter tyre's.

Swampy3k

Could also be a wheel bearing, I have had similar issues with mines, and it also tended to pull to the left (NSF bearing shot) when I braked. definatley get it checked asap.

Norman_Castle

Mr_Bun wrote: »

Tyres are all o.k.and car just passed m.o.t. about a month ago.
It needed a new front spring,which got replaced.
Have noticed also when braking at slow speeds it kind of shudders a bit too.

Did the problem start when the spring was replaced?. If it did, ask whoever did the work to check it.