On my 87 NA. The rear end is really loose. It seems to move on its own while driving. Seems like it sways back and forth once and a while. I have checked all the bushings, all seem okay. I have checked the differential mounts. Look to be in good condition. Everything feels tight to the hand shake while on the hoist. Tires are good.

I have come to 2 conclusions, has anyone experienced these syptoms. I think it is either the DTSS bushings are pooped or the struts. But when the car is on the ground, the rear struts seem to grab when pushed on.

So what do you think, DTSS?




Thanks

 

Title of this post sounds like my last girlfriend....

I would put the blame squarely on the struts..

However, i think the cheaper thing to do would be to install the rear steer eliminator bushing from Mazdatrix or Racing Beat and see if that solves your problem. I've never seen a car where the rear steer busing actually went bad though....

you may want to check the tightness of all your bolts and check the sway bar end links and mounting bushings, if they are shot, it'll feel like your driving on ice at times.

 

Go out to the car and push down a couple of times on the right and left rear corners of the car. The car will start bouncing...When you pull your hands off, does the car continue to bounce? If it does, the rear shock on that corner is bad. Very common. If the shocks are good, the car will immediatly stop bouncing when you stop pushing on the car.

Next place to look would be things like the sway bar bushings. On the S4 cars, they are made out of rubber. The rubber dries out and the bushings fall apart.

Lastly I would look at things like the rear hub bushings (DTSS), rear control links, etc...

SUMMARY: Probably the rear shocks.

 

Ha ha i am laughing so hard at that^^^^^^^^

Anywaus it's like they said on "days of thunder"

"if the rear end is loose the car is fast"

I like the back of the car to be a little loose makes for spirited driving!

P.s years of decay- watch out for those girls with the loose rear ends.......they don't come out of the box that comfortable they have to be broken in.....wear a hat!

 

I had this happen once, turns out I forgot to bolt up the rear crossmember after I swapped trannies...one drive and something wasn't right, easy fix.

 

After Struts & springs, DTSS, you might want to check your subframe end links. You should be able to take these off without disassembling anything. If the pillow ***** inside the end links are not rock hard, replace the end links.

Note at 125K miles I found my subframe end links were toast, the body-subframe end link is fine, and the swaybar end links were fine. There might be some Series IV vs Series V differences with the swaybar end links, but I believe the subframe ones are the same.

 

Like I said ealrier. The bushing oare good. I checked the anti sway bar end link bushings, the subframe link bushings, the differential mounts, the trailing arm mounts, everything, They all seem okay, no huge cracks, all seem tight to the shake while the car is on the hoist.

With the car on the gorund, the shocks grab when pushed on. The springs are fairly stiff tII springs, seem to be okay. The only bushing I cannot actually see is the DTSS bushing. And it controls the way the rear of the car would track so I am thinking it might be that. I was just wondering if anyone else had this before and waht your problem and fix was. Thanks for all the responses.


I named the thread so people would look in it as opposed to the which rims fit threads that are so common.

 

I have the EXACT same problem with my car...
it likes to sway back and forth...
Also, sometimes my car likes to pull to the left, other times to the right.
Also, when I go over bumps, when the bumps hit the back, the back of the car likes to step out to either side like crazy.
I also now have a nastly rattle/clunk back there that sounds like loos arm or rod of some sort.
Could very well be the DTSS though, It's just too cold to check.

 

Just because the end links are not cracked, it doesn't mean their worn out. Same with the bushings. Replace these only after you've done springs, struts, DTSS toe eliminator bushigns, and a full allignment & balance, and you still have some slop.

 

Aside form visual and shaking of the part, is there any other ways to check a bushings integrity while on the car? I think I am going after the DTSS and see how that goes. I bought them for my other rexx from Racing Beat, but this time I will try to make my own delrin sleeves.

 

My 7 started doing this just over a year ago.

The rear shocks were toasted. Replaced them and the symptoms disappeared.


Btw, I don't recall the rear end feeling loose, but to each their own...

 

nothing wrong with a loose end, but if it's all sloppy, then NO thanks !

 

Doesn't feel like shocks, there is no oscillation or anything, tires stay planted firmly on the road, they just like to go in different directions.

 

well thats solves my question I was going to ask later of how good are my shocks