Oldsmobile pulls to the right...

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12-04-2009, 06:58 PM
Al

Oldsmobile pulls to the right...

Here is a problem that I have not encountered before.

My 89 Oldsmobile Delta 88 is pulling to the right. To drive straight, I have to turn the wheel about 30 degrees to the left. What is unusual about it is that when I hit the gas, the car is even more prone to go to the right, so I have to turn the wheel about 45 degrees to the left. The opposite occurs when braking. If I slam the brakes, I can straighten out the steering to keep the car in line.

Overall, from full gas to full brake, there is about 45 degrees of movement. I already lifted the car up and found that nothing was loose when I tried to shake the tires. I am assuming that it mgiht be bushing gone soft due to the unusal play or I simply have an alignment that is really messed up.

Any input?
12-04-2009, 08:08 PM
pjturkey

Is the brake caliper stuck or hanging up? Jack up the front of the car and see if the right wheel spins freely.
12-04-2009, 08:31 PM
Yooformula

what he /\ said! sounds like a hung up caliper maybe a bad hub bearing?
12-04-2009, 10:32 PM
Ricky Bobby

deffinately sound like a caliper is not releasing all the way if its hangin up pretty good u will also smell the brakes and rim will be very hot after some driving which i dont condone if this is the case btw
12-04-2009, 10:53 PM
DR.FORD

check REAR bushings also.
12-05-2009, 01:43 AM
Al

I checked the brakes and they seem to be in proper working order.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DR.FORD

check REAR bushings also.

rear bushings on the front suspension?
12-05-2009, 06:54 AM
pashtrd

no, the bushings on the rearend, They could be loose / worn out causing the pull
12-05-2009, 10:20 AM
brotherbenn83

ply separation in a tire?
12-05-2009, 10:59 AM
wrath

Bad wheel bearing that lead to contaminated brake pads?

No matter what, I'd get the front of the car on jack stands.
12-05-2009, 01:50 PM
DR.FORD

Hmmm, gets more pull under acceleration, comes back when you lift.
Like I said, pay as much if not more attention to the REAR of the car as the front. Pinion rises under acc., drops when lifting off of acc., also drops under braking. Seems to me the rearend shifting would drive the car more than the front end when on and off of the gas. Look at the rear bushings and/or control arm mounting points.
12-05-2009, 03:29 PM
Rocket Power

Quote:

Originally Posted by DR.FORD

Hmmm, gets more pull under acceleration, comes back when you lift.
Like I said, pay as much if not more attention to the REAR of the car as the front. Pinion rises under acc., drops when lifting off of acc., also drops under braking. Seems to me the rearend shifting would drive the car more than the front end when on and off of the gas. Look at the rear bushings and/or control arm mounting points.

An 89 Delta is FWD.

I say it just wants to be a republican:goof
12-05-2009, 03:48 PM
LIL EVO

FWD RWD doesn't matter. If anything in the rear is compromised, it will effect the angle the car goes down the road.
12-05-2009, 06:44 PM
Yooformula

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrath

Bad wheel bearing that lead to contaminated brake pads?

just a thought because when the bearing went bad on our truck it was grinding and caused a signifcant pull to that side. when you jacked up the vehicle and spun the wheel it wouldnt spin for very long if at all. same issue happened on my firebird felt like it was dragging but turned out the bearing was shot. I also had a rear control arm bolt come out and caused the same issues.
12-06-2009, 03:37 AM
pjturkey

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocket Power

An 89 Delta is FWD.

I say it just wants to be a republican:goof

Oh ya, I forgot.....GM should've discontinued Olds before it disgraced itself by creating FWD crap (exception to the Toronado because it still rocked a BBO!)
12-06-2009, 10:47 AM
PB86MCSS

Quote:

FWD RWD doesn't matter. If anything in the rear is compromised, it will effect the angle the car goes down the road.

Well, there is less going on in the rear on these FWD cars than the RWD Delta 88's that could cause the issue, it's worth mentioning.

FWD may be lame but these cars are great daily drivers/beaters, I would definately say the Delta 88/LeSabre/Park Ave/Bonnevilles like his and others with the 3800 are generally solid cars. If anything a high point in GM especially during the era they were built.
12-06-2009, 01:02 PM
DR.FORD

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocket Power

An 89 Delta is FWD.

I say it just wants to be a republican:goof

OOPS-old guy moment!
Maybe cradle mount bushing??
12-07-2009, 02:31 AM
Al

Quote:

Originally Posted by DR.FORD

OOPS-old guy moment!
Maybe cradle mount bushing??

Do you mean that bolt that connects the metal frame containing the engine/tranny/suspension to the body of the car? I know that the frame of the car is completely rusted right below the firewall by the drivers side.

At the beginning of the summer, one of my friends said that the bolt had pretty much come undone. My car was making a loud twangy "thunk" during right-hand turns. We figured that this was the cause of the sound untill one of my hubcaps fell off while driving in Grafton. The noise is gone, but that bolt is still just floating there.

We have a really good welder. Do you think we should attempt to weld the the cradle and chassis together? It does not need to be pretty, just functional. The car was only $300 and I don't need it to be pretty.
12-07-2009, 08:26 AM
DR.FORD

Ummm yeah.
How you explained to repair it I don't want to know about:wooo
We call that ICE
(inner city engineering)!!
12-07-2009, 05:39 PM
PB86MCSS

Quote:

Do you mean that bolt that connects the metal frame containing the engine/tranny/suspension to the body of the car? I know that the frame of the car is completely rusted right below the firewall by the drivers side.

That sure sounds like a potential cause of the problem....anyway to see if there is movement or seperation with the car suspended somehow? My front end has some rust/rot issues as well but doesn't sound quite like that, more on the front part of the wheelwells, I think front end rust issues are common on these cars from what I have read. Should last me at least a couple more years before anything becomes compromised :goof .
12-08-2009, 01:46 AM
Al

Quote:

Originally Posted by DR.FORD

Ummm yeah.
How you explained to repair it I don't want to know about:wooo
We call that ICE
(inner city engineering)!!

But it works...sometimes.

Maybe I should just get a bigger nut and bolt to go through the hole.
12-08-2009, 01:59 AM
Al

I just found out that there was a recall on my Delta cradle bolts and retainers. I need to find an Oldsmobile dealership so that I can have the repair done!!!!!
12-08-2009, 08:25 AM
DR.FORD

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al

But it works...sometimes.

Maybe I should just get a bigger nut and bolt to go through the hole.

Just givin' you some sheeet-whatever it takes, right?!
12-08-2009, 07:49 PM
pjturkey

Blame ch*vy for all your problems.....that's what I do when I have a shitty day. ;-):rolf
12-10-2009, 12:24 AM
Al

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjturkey

Blame ch*vy for all your problems.....that's what I do when I have a shitty day. ;-):rolf

But it still runs!
12-19-2009, 11:22 AM
PB86MCSS

Any update as to what solved the issue (assuming its was fixed).
12-19-2009, 12:38 PM
Rocket Power

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al

I need to find an Oldsmobile dealership

And a time machine to go back to 2004 when they quit making Oldsmobiles:rolf
12-19-2009, 02:08 PM
PB86MCSS

Was Sindic in Muskego one of the very last ones? I thought I remember an article when they announced the axing of Olds that Sindic was one of like 14 left in the country that sold just Oldsmobiles.
12-19-2009, 11:16 PM
Rocket Power

I believe so. There was another one at one time in the middle of nowhere on hwy G in the caledonia/racine area back in the 90's I know.
12-25-2009, 09:43 AM
Coops Brother

Quote:

Originally Posted by DR.FORD

Ummm yeah.
How you explained to repair it I don't want to know about:wooo
We call that ICE
(inner city engineering)!!

Up north here we have a very specific word to describe such conditions...

JUNK

Sounds like it is bordering on unsafe to drive.
If the car has a rot hole in it where the cradle bolt goes, the dealer will not perform any repairs on it, liability issue there.
12-26-2009, 06:41 PM
lordairgtar

They have to keep parts available for 10 years, I think. Go to any GM dealer to have it fixed. They will have to order the parts.
12-26-2009, 11:56 PM
Al

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordairgtar

They have to keep parts available for 10 years, I think. Go to any GM dealer to have it fixed. They will have to order the parts.

I'm thinking about trying that on Monday.
12-27-2009, 12:26 AM
PB86MCSS

Quote:

They have to keep parts available for 10 years, I think. Go to any GM dealer to have it fixed. They will have to order the parts.

That's more of a myth, dealers can carry things much longer or shorter, depending on supply and demand. I've heard that before though. Even then the car is 20+ now :) .
01-15-2010, 02:02 AM
Al

Finally checked a dealership and they said my car was built after the recall. They then tried to sell me a $500 Ford Escort. I declined, but then they offered me $50 trade in.

My car is getting welded this weekend.
01-20-2010, 04:38 AM
Al

My friend and I welded the engine cradle to the frame of my olds.

On the drivers side, the frame seperated about 2 inches and the passenger side was movable. We used bottle jacks to press the frame back up and then used various pieces of 1/4 inch steel to weld the cradel to any strong part of the frame. It was ugly, so I took pics. I will post them soon.

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