So last week we were headed up to the coast going through Portland and as I was going around a bend on the highway I nailed a pot hole (more like a crater) doing probably about 75 mph. Ever since then the cars steering feels a little "loose." There is no road noise and no wobble while driving but it does feel like there is more body roll. Also when I first start to steer to the left there is almost no resistance but when I start to steer to the right its noticeably stiff. I'm assuming something got bent or tweaked.

I'm going to get it up on the ramps tomorrow to have a look; any pointers on where to start looking? If I can't get it figured out by this weekend I'll have to take her in to the stealership.

Thanks guys.

 

to the forum awd4g63!

Yeah I'd say something is bent and also to be very careful when driving it until you figure out the problem or have it diagnosed by a garage.

You can check it out on some ramps, but to get a better idea it really should be on a lift. Some possibilities are a bent control arm, bent strut, bent tie rod end, bent sway bar end link, or the possibility of a broken ball joint which can lead to a loss of the suspension on that side.

Damage like this is covered on most auto policies, so you might want to seriously think about filing a claim with your underwriter. If it were mine I'd take it to a good chassis/alignment shop for an estimate before driving it too much longer, a bind in the steering is a serious safety issue.

 

Not meaning to change this thread, but here's a related question. I have always felt that the steering feel was too light on these HHRs and Cobalts. I am used to front engine/rear wheel drive,mostly on pick-ups, a few cars (some with manual steering boxes), and eventually I added a steering stabilizer to all to (1) absorb kick-back shocks, and (2) somewhat firm up the steering feel/effort. I know of no way to modify the spindly rack & pinion the same way. Does anyone feel the same about it, or has beefed theirs up accordingly?

 

Thanks 843de! Its nice to get back to a car that has an active community.

Yeah I swamped with work so I won't be able to get it in until mid week next week but luckily work is only a few miles away. If it gets any worse though I'll for sure side line it until I can take it in.

Also thanks for the tip on the insurance Ill check it out.

 

I think you'll find this is a very active community awd4g63, sometimes it borders on the hyperactive, but in a good way.

Well working on it, there isn't much that can be done about the steering feel on a Delta platform vehicle. I suppose that if you wanted to throw cubic dollars at the issue you could change the rack out to something from another vehicle with a different ratio. I know that on certain Toyota vehicles with electrically assisted power steering it is possible to have a dealer change the amount of power assist that the motor contributes. I've never run across a way to adjust the steering assist on a Delta, that even includes SAAB's.

The steering is over boosted a bit on the HHR, but I usually don't notice it unless I've been driving the SS or Challenger, we won't compare it to the steering on my '37....that's just plain heavy at all times. Whether you could adapt a steering stabilizer meant for a rack and pinion equipped 4X4 is something that a good off road shop might be able to answer.

 

I had thought about varying the input power to the power steering, but I don't know the parameters concerned. Is it 12v @ xx amps all the time, or is the voltage variable or the amperage? With my electrical expertise, it's a sure thing that if I start experimenting, I'll screw it up. Once again, short of a fool-proof method to adjust the motor controller, I'll just have to wait until the warranty is up.