Vibrations, Steering Wheel Pulsating
 

Hey guys,

I've got some crazy vibrations on my cx. My car leans to the driver side and my steering wheel 'moves' left and right on it's own. If I leave the wheel alone, the wheel will turn to the left and keep turning (Which is the direction the car is leaning).

On certain pavements, when I'm rolling slowly in traffic, the car almost seems to rock left and right, almost like I've got warped wheels or square wheels. ;) I'm pretty sure the wheels are fine though.

I had the car aligned 4 months ago, it's within the green but always pulled to the left a little bit. They could never get it perfect. But nothing like this has ever happened, until like 3-4 weeks ago. Now it pulls really badly if I let it.

...I replaced all my struts, but haven't done the rear-driver side, which I will do when the weather gets better --- The rear driver wheel has a very minor gap, less than two fingers, compared to the other wheels which are like 4 fingers or more... (Stock suspension).

Do you guys think this is because of my "Honda Gangsta Lean" or something else that's about to fail? Maybe one of my coils is broken?

yeah, spring on that side is possibly broken, or a bushing has failed totally in that area. a properly aligned car doesn't pull to any side. also, check the car for squareness... has it even been in a huge accident? I wouldn't even drive the car like that if I were you.

could also be cvjoints/driveshaft. my boot broke and i guess all the salt and **** got inside and now it makes a hardcore clicking noise and the wheel feels like im fightin a fish on a fishin rod sometimes...but ive got more of a jerk then a pull feeling on the wheel.

Doesn't feel like a CV problem... No clicking at all. :/

The steering also doesn't wander over uneven roads, so I'm not sure if I'd suspect it's a bushing that's completely failed.

I can't look at the car because my stupid lock on my garage is frozen, which also means I can't switch to my other car until I find out what's wrong with this one. :( I wonder how unsafe this is. Today when I was driving in, I noticed everything in the car was vibrating.. I could see the passenger seat (empty) was vibrating and my cell phone holder on the dash was vibrating like crazy. I guess I just got used to it and didn't notice. I think it's getting worse...

I think I'm gonna take it to my mechanic right now and get it checked out lol. The "I wouldn't be driving it" comment has me worried now. ;)

It was my front driver side tire... ;) I had a similar problem with my other car years ago --- You would think I could recognize the symptoms. I love how cheap stock Civic tires are $45 a piece installed... I did both front tires. I can sleep easy now. Thanks guys.

ever figure out why the rear dr side of the car is an inch lower than the rest of it??

I said I wouldn't drive it like that cuz those symptoms can range from something really minor like in your case, to something really serious and unsafe. So best to figure out what it is first, then decide if it's safe or not.

Oh I know... I was worried the whole thing would come apart on the HWY. I'm GLAD it was a cheap fix... By the time I usually take something to the mechanic, it's usually not a simple fix. :)

I think the car leans that way because the rear-driver side strut needs to be replaced. I did the other 3, but didn't manage to get to that one.

I also noticed that my "Omni Power" (I only bought them for the new bushings, not for a performance upgrade ;) rear lower control arms don't quite fit like OEM. I only have one in, because I didn't do the rear driver side yet, but on the right side the strut and the top of the lower control arm touch. I don't think that's normal... I can't remember if it fit like that originally, or if the bushing on my ... argh, can't remember the part. That arm where the brake/hub assembly (on the rear) meet. There's a really big bushing there, that's kind of under the rear passenger seat. That bushing is really bad. I wonder if that bushing finally went, if it would case the strut to sit on the lower control arm, because I think that's what's happening now.

To make a long story short/recap: there is a very small gap between the rear LCA and the bottom of the strut on the driver side, unlike the passenger side (With the omni's). I was taking a turn sharply on the way to the mechanic's today and heard a really loud BANG from that side, which is why I suspect another problem... The joys of working on cars yourself...

coudl be lower control arm bushings are toast...or if it shimmy's alot and you have a warped rotor feel it coudl be a warped spindle

dude, did you put the wrong side control arm on? like pass side control arm on the driver side of the car and vice versa? I dun even know if that's possible, but by the sounds of your clearance issue between the LCA and shock.... it wouldn't totally surprise me.

I was thinking that as well. I'm pretty sure I didn't, I remember putting it over the original ones and they matched, so I threw it on. Maybe they're meant for cars that are lowered? I don't think many people would throw them on their stock rides? As soon as the weather gets better, I'm gonna look at the back end with more detail. Something sure isn't right...

I guess it doesn't make sense that a lowered car would make a difference. The gap would be there no matter what, the angle of the LCA would just be different. Maybe I do have them on wrong.

may also wanna check your tires, tire pull is whats causing my car to pull to the left right now. switch the tires on the left side to teh right side and right to the left, see if it changes anything