[airguitar]

I had left my car ( swift vxi 2008 ) unused for about 6-7 weeks.

I'm back to driving after a hiatus of 3 months due to a leg injury. During my first drive after the break, the car suddenly feels very wobbly - most noticed when in low-mid speeds ( < 40 kmph; above which it seems to feel usual ).

The behaviour is best described by imagining the drive quality when you've kept the tyre pressure 6-7 units below standard recommendation. I always keep the tyre pressure 5 units above the recommendation ( I have 185x70x14 Yoko A-drive which I got October last year, and no problems observed since then, have done 6k with them) - I'm used to my car tyres thudding hard into the potholes/crests on the road until now. So it's a serious worry now, when I drive over potholes, it softlands ( like if there was insufficient tyre pressure ) and on a smooth road it seems to wobble left-right-left-right. ( Current Tyre pressure is at 37, I think 4 more than recommended, and always been so )

Does it need a suspension job ? What could be wrong ? I'm taking it to the service station this week, but I'm losing sleep over this.''

(There are a lot of rats around my place, I hope they've not been gnawing at stuff although hard to tie any of their activities to this )

[Tapish]

It could be the wheel bearings. I had a similar problem that was rectified by a change of the wheel bearings.

Cheers,
Tapish

[airguitar]

Originally Posted by Tapish

It could be the wheel bearings. I had a similar problem that was rectified by a change of the wheel bearings.

Cheers,
Tapish

Thanks, Tapish. In fact I had to get the bearing on one wheel changed ( because of excessive humming noise ) just a week before I stopped driving. So it could be the other wheels then :(

Regards

[Tapish]

Originally Posted by airguitar

Thanks, Tapish. In fact I had to get the bearing on one wheel changed ( because of excessive humming noise ) just a week before I stopped driving. So it could be the other wheels then :(

Regards

Surely. Get it checked.
By the way, why did you get the bearings changed on one wheel? As in was the problem traced to only one wheel??

Cheers
Tapish

[airguitar]

Yes there was an awful noise the car made and the service guys traced it to bearing on one of the wheels, replacing which the noise went away.

[theMAG]

Firstly, 37 is above any recommendation this forum offers. Manufacturer mentioned figures are always on the higher side for mileage considerations, and to maintain tyre pressures higher than those are not recommended. Around 28-30 psi for all 4-tyres is a better option.

Secondly, since the car has been leaning on the same points in the tyres - having been disused for 6-7 weeks, try a simple rotation/balancing/alignment while getting the air pressures checked.

Thirdly, if I understood your problem right, you feel a softer/mushy ride compared to earlier. It could very well be due to the reduction in tyre pressures over a 7 week duration, and therefore, just a valid perception. Worn wheel bearings typically have little to do with a softer ride.

Finally, if a car is known to be disused for as long as your has been, it is recommended to jack the car up so that all 4 wheels are off the the ground. Good tyre maintenance activity to prevent potential weakening of the sidewalls owing to constant pressure on the same points of the tyres .

[mooza]

Hope you had not loaned the car to an over enthusiastic driver while you were taking a break from driving

I presume you have checked all the wheel nuts for tightness, just in case ?

[rahul4640]

Originally Posted by airguitar

In fact I had to get the bearing on one wheel changed ( because of excessive humming noise ) just a week before I stopped driving. So it could be the other wheels then :(

I suggest that you may please check the steering knuckle (on which the bearings are mounted) too, as they may also suffer due to faulty bearings.

[PAVAN KADAM]

6 to 7 weeks of keeping a car idle means nothing... Most of the vintage/ classic cars i have maintained are kept idle for over a year, and inspite of that, you start them and run it, it will still run like before...

Get the car serviced at the A.S.C before experimenting

[s4ch]

I must say that I agree with theMAG, the tyre pressure may actually have gone down while you didnt use the car. Get it checked. Best to do a rotation also. BUT I wouldnt recommend you have such a high psi in your tyres for long periods of time as they are only going to damage your Yoko's (and your back!).

[airguitar]

Thank you all.

Originally Posted by theMAG

Firstly, 37 is above any recommendation this forum offers. Manufacturer mentioned figures are always on the higher side for mileage considerations, and to maintain tyre pressures higher than those are not recommended. Around 28-30 psi for all 4-tyres is a better option..

Originally Posted by s4ch

I must say that I agree with theMAG, the tyre pressure may actually have gone down while you didnt use the car. Get it checked. Best to do a rotation also. BUT I wouldnt recommend you have such a high psi in your tyres for long periods of time as they are only going to damage your Yoko's (and your back!).

Thanks, guys. Will reduce it ( for some reason, I've worried about flats being caused by lesser tyre pressures, but I guess was just being paranoid )

Originally Posted by theMAG

Secondly, since the car has been leaning on the same points in the tyres - having been disused for 6-7 weeks, try a simple rotation/balancing/alignment while getting the air pressures checked..

Originally Posted by theMAG

Thirdly, if I understood your problem right, you feel a softer/mushy ride compared to earlier. It could very well be due to the reduction in tyre pressures over a 7 week duration, and therefore, just a valid perception. Worn wheel bearings typically have little to do with a softer ride. .

Thanks - no, but the first thing I did was get the tyres pumped - it's still softlanding despite keeping a 37. It just seems to bounce off the potholes like a rubber ball.

Originally Posted by theMAG

Finally, if a car is known to be disused for as long as your has been, it is recommended to jack the car up so that all 4 wheels are off the the ground. Good tyre maintenance activity to prevent potential weakening of the sidewalls owing to constant pressure on the same points of the tyres .

Originally Posted by mooza

Hope you had not loaned the car to an over enthusiastic driver while you were taking a break from driving

I presume you have checked all the wheel nuts for tightness, just in case ?

No to both questions . Taking to the service station first thing this week.

Originally Posted by rahul4640

I suggest that you may please check the steering knuckle (on which the bearings are mounted) too, as they may also suffer due to faulty bearings.

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

6 to 7 weeks of keeping a car idle means nothing... Most of the vintage/ classic cars i have maintained are kept idle for over a year, and inspite of that, you start them and run it, it will still run like before...

Get the car serviced at the A.S.C before experimenting

Taking it to the ASC guys, will post back on this thread later this week.

[VCheng]

Tires will develop flat spots over time. A few warmup cycles usually correct this condition if not too bad.

[mayankjha1806]

3 to 4 months parked at one place will not cause any problems in suspension, or other areas. All you might have to do is get Tyre pressure checked, wheels aligned and balanced. There are chances that the friction in the bearings and other moving joints would be high as they have not moved for such long time hence its wise to get them opened and greasing/oiling might be needed.

Other then that i do not see any other areas that could cause this.

[airguitar]

The service guys didn't quite agree that there was a problem. Anyway, after service, reducing the tyre pressure and driving it out for a few hundred kms, it feels like what it was earlier..