I have a 1995 Civic LX with 111k miles and I'm having some issues with handling. I bought the car at 107k and don't know the history of the car. It could of tagged some curbs but nothing cosmeticallyevident.

Symptoms:
The car tries to wander, especially when on uneven surfaces. It pulls left and right and I have a hard time keeping the wheel steady. When I compensate it seams to be delayed. The steering rack and tie-rods are tight. It feels like the chassis has play.

Short of repacing all suspension bushings and joints I don't know what to do.

 

misalignment maybe?

could also be a variety of other things like blown struts, damaged control arms and uneven tire wear.

takest thou to a pep boyz...

btw, i would highly recommend against replacing suspension bushings unless they're destroyed. they're a pain to replace and may not even be the culprit.

 

Thanks for the advice. I agree with you about the suspension bushings. I remember having to do them on a chevelle restore and it takes forever to press them all in then you have to start from scratch with the alighment.
I got it up on a rack today to shake it down. Everything is tight and looks very good.
After checking the manual I reset the fronttoe to zero. I was going to adjust the rack guide bolt but the rack is so tight I decided to not touch it. Before leaving I checked my tire pressure and found it to be between 32 and 34, I usually run my vehicles at 32 but its slick as all hell here in alaska soI lowered it to 28psi. On the way home the car handled way better. I'm running 15's with lower profile tires that are I think 225mm wide. I think maybe the tires are designed for a much heavier vehicle. We'll see how it goes for the next day or so but for now I'm happy with it.

 

I think I have similar problem with the steering system.
But they told me that the rack and pinion doesn't work properly.
I'll suggest to revise and change the lower balljoints then make alignment.
Doyou have any abnormal movement when you starting or braking?

I'll change my suspension soon and will see would I have any difference.
My car tend to pull left when braking and right when I'm starting.[]

 

if youve got 225s, thats part of the problem. tires that wide will cause wandering, and low pressure can cause the slow response. a full alignment would help too.

 

how can 225's not rub? tell me i want some for my next civic

 

My front is stock. The wheels are 175/65/R14
I did alignment 2 monts ago.
I changed the bushing only in the right side, should this be a problem?
They told me the rack and pinion needs to be changed.[&o]

 

Safety_Driver, The suspension and steering is very tight. The car wandered equally each way it just depended on the road surface. It sounds like you may have something going on with yours though. Shake it down and is the rack loose or what? You can tighten the rack guide.

sacicons, the problem with the handling was it was too fast. Lowering the tire pressure to 28psi eliminated the problem. It still handles quick but is now managable. I'm getting alot more traction too. You know how you adjust tire pressure depending on weight, more critical on trucks and trailers but applies to cars too. The tires are probably designed for a vehicle weighing 700lbs+ heavier. The car is just too light for these tires. Oh and 225 was a typo, the tires are 205's.

Thanks everyone! Its nice to know there are people willing to help when you're up **** creek without a paddle.