I’m stumped. My passenger front wheel locks up in reverse if I turn to the right, and the passenger front side rises up. I end up having to shift into drive, straighten out the wheel, and try again in reverse. Keep doing this until I get the car out of the driveway or parking spot. To folks on the outside of the car it must look like I don’t know how to drive.

No codes recorded on OBD II. I raised the car the onto jack stands, removed the wheel, and shifted the gear from park, to reverse, to neutral, to drive, back to neutral, and reverse and then turned the steering wheel left and right.

(see video link: https://youtu.be/fMUC3W-E_lY?feature=shared ).

As I shift, the rotor/wheel assembly jumps and jerks. I’ve replaced the transaxle, the lower control arm, and the struts. Looking closely at the transmission lines, I noticed the engine rises up and down as I shift the gears. I previously replaced the upper engine mounts (dawgs ?).

I suspect it might be related to the suspension because I hear a thud occasionally as I’m driving forward and turning left, or if hit a pothole at slow to moderate speed.

Yep, I’m at a loss. My son and I have put a lot of time getting the car running after his grandfather gave it to him a few months before he passed way.

Any thoughts?

 

Holy hell stop driving it like that. Youre gonna kill yourself. Lol Im saying that nicely, no offense intended.

Can you get a video from the other side with the wheel removed and the plastic cover behind that wheel removed? I suspect the trans mount. Just run the shifter from R to D a few times.

Could also help to get a video under the hood under the same conditions.

 

Thanks for the response. Let me know if this is what you suggested I record.

Here are the video links of the driver’s side front wheel

And of the engine compartment

 

Looks like the trans mount is shot. The engine mount will probably be just as bad. There seems to be something more going on here though. That rack is moving a lot it looks like. Maybe its just an illusion with the trans lines being so far back from the (seeming) pivot point, the engine/trans mounts.

Gonna need two more angles to say for sure. Need to see the rack being moved, still moving the gear selector. Also need a view of the whole subframe (4 corner bushings) from the underside doing all the same stuff.

Sorry, I was positive that trans mount was going to be shredded.

How do the mounts look? Do they look covered in grease and kinda deflated?

 

I am with the others, there are some significant issues. In the first video, I saw the trans lines moving around a LOT. Each video shows a lot of engine movement too. Hard to say for sure, but looks like the steering rack might be moving (and if so, that is the most serious issue). I would check that the subframe points for the rack are not cracked/damaged. And I suspect lower motor and trans mounts need changed too.

I would agree with some other statements, do not drive this around until fixed. It could create some serious hazards.

 

Yes, the steering track moves as the gears are shifted from park to reverse to neutral to drive and back again.

Followed the recommendations and haven’t moved the car. I replaced the passenger side motor mount because it seemed worn. I also replaced the transaxle again. Oddly, I didn’t have much fluid come out when I replaced the transaxle. So, I checked the fluid level after the car was at running temperature. I added more fluid.

What’s troubling is that the wheels are not moving in unison. In the video below, I go from the passenger's side and the driver’s side to show how the passenger wheel is not aligned with the steering wheel when the car is shifted into reverse. The driver’s side wheel tracks well with the steering wheel.

It might not be clear, but both wheels are lifted off the ground. The car is resting on two jack stands. The steering rack moves erratically as the car is shifted.


I mentioned earlier that I had already replaced the lower control arms, the trans mount, the upper and lower motor mounts. The cradle bushings are intact (I forgot to take a picture). The sway bar links could be replaced but I haven’t done so yet because I can’t think it’s related.

 

Ok first. Youll probably be fine with the little bit you let it go BUT, letting one wheel spin like that while the other is stationary can burn up the diff. The only reason the rotor is spinning and the wheel is not is because of the weight wheel is so much more. Just how an open diff works.

As for the ongoing problem, how is the rack attached to the subframe? Both bolts still tight?

 

Yes, the bolts are attached to the subframe.




Below are images of the cradle bushings. The one that appears damaged is the rear, driver’s side bushing.






I thought getting a video from underneath while the shifting the gears, but it’s a bit tight under there. The jack stands I have don’t raise the car very high.

The power steering rack is leaking so my son and I are looking to replace it next. Holding off for now until we get this other issue resolved. Unless the consensus is that issue is we have is with the rack. Any recommended videos?

 

Something is clearly wrong around the rack. There are two bolts to hold the rack to the subframe. I see one of three-four problems:
- Broken/missing bolt
- Broken subframe mounting point
- Broken mounting point on the housing for the steering rack
- Rack was not seated and the bolt is just passing through the subframe mounting points (and not the rack's mounting point).

The side that appears to be the problem is the passenger side. I would get under there and see if I could get my hand on the rack and move it by hand. Perhaps get some mirrors and see what you might be able to see around the mounting points.

 

Thank you all. I think we’ve seemed to have addressed this problem by replacing the rack & pinion. As suggested, the mounting point on the steering rack was sheared off on the passenger side. Not sure why this happened. For now, we will take the MC to get the wheels aligned next.