Drop links ? Rear-end Sway ? ...

[lozz]

If the Drop-links fail on the 406"s Does it cause the Rear-End to Sway,
ive swung on wheel moved it side to side nothing moves,

this is bugging me now as it passed its mot like this,
on bends the Ns rear wheel feels like its skidding round corners ..drifting,
even @ low speeds,

can also here a clunk when going -over humps bumps sounds like the zorst is loose but its not -its all on the same corner of the car,
any ideas if it couid be the drop links,?.

im tempted and getting to the stage where imight just - get one side of a 406 off a breaker and just swap everything over

thanks inadvance,

[Doggy]

I'm trying to track down some related info myself - I understand the rear suspension is adjustable to some extent - the camber can be altered by loosening the nut & rotating the bolt holding the inboard end of the upper suspension arm. I have also read that the toe-in/out can also be adjusted, but don't know how.

I reckon something's out of kilter on mine as it has worn out two back tyres on one side in an unusual manner. The tread wear is near enough even, but the inner shoulder has gone 'lumpy' for want of a better description. My rear drop links are OK, (I checked them & it passed the MOT yesterday).

I have noticed a difference in feel on left & right handers too.

So, any experts out there able to point the way?

[lozz]

Ive no noticable tyre wear on the side that as the "sway" nothing is loose,
But im getting a clunk -over bumps and you can feel the bumps the other side of the car goes over bumps smoothly,
Going round bends you can feel the n/s rear fighting with the other side,

To look at the rear camber everything is "straight"
i Thought the mot inspector wouid of picked up any faults but none where noted,
at 1st ithought it was just me and my imagination but iwont be driving the car anymore till ifind out what it is,
ilost the back end of the car last night and very nearly Wiped out the Front end of the car Narowly avoiding a high curb which wouid of caused alot of damage,

it felt like ihad a caravan on the back in Gailforce winds which sent the car snaking at 1st iwas just going to let it go no one around and no one in the car but ithought of my 5 yrs ncb too lose and resorted to Steer out of it,

No wonder my mate decided to park the 406 up and buy another motor ibet hes had the same Experience with it and felt weary of it,

[lozz]

ive just been doing some reading!

ive heard mention of Anti-roll bar bushes being knackerd and them not being failed on the mot,
ive noticed some Chaffing on one of them on my car its not totaly perished but this might be a good thing to change 1st and work from there,

so im Going to order Arb bushes both sides and drop links for both sides: and work from there Me thinks,
Idont think itl be Good practice to change just - one side , imight as well just go the whole Hog Dont have to Worry about the other side Failing the same then,
Heres hoping its just the Arb-bushes causing the sway !

[steve_earwig]

An mot is only as good as the guy that's doing it on the day, I seem to remember (don't have one for reference any more!) it even says it's no guarantee of roadworthyness. Plus if he's been out on the piss the night before it's not going to be that thorough... I have actually asked testers to check stuff out on the mot, ok it might fail on it but at least I know.

Man, there's a shedload of bushes on the back end to look at. I'm sure the arb is just designed to transfer the loading of one side of the car to the other so it doesn't lean too far, the Shermans actually call them "sway bars", but I can't actually see them having much effect if the bushes are worn unless they're disconnected. Seized balljoints might have an odd effect though...

[Welly]

I'd be looking at the main trailing arm bushes (the big ones forward of the rear wheels) the 406 has passive rear wheel steering non? then you will get some feel of the back end getting lively but with worn and tired bushes it'll be more pronounced....but as steve said there's loads of bushes and mountings back there

The anti-roll bar bushes are a common weak point and lead to a slight knocking back there, replacing them may well help tighten things up a tad too.

To check all these things out properly you need to get the thing in the air with the wheels hanging freely and go about every joint/mounting with a pry-bar looking for excess movement.

I remember when mine felt overly rear-endy to the point where it felt like it would swap ends on some corners.......new FRONT tyres sorted this overnight

[lozz]

had the car checked today:

it needs anew shocker and 1 drop link,
the shocker is not leaking but its not dampening the blow of the bumps the "spring" is doing all the work,

[Welly]

Makes sense now, more spring compression on one side would make it drive weird. You should always replace stuff like this in pairs really.

[lozz]

Makes sense now, more spring compression on one side would make it drive weird. You should always replace stuff like this in pairs really.

Yes iagree shouid be changed in pairs,
but lack of funds is the problem, Got a Quote for a shocker today £53

iwill have to just change the one me thinks,

[lozz]

so if anyones got rear end Sway/ car drifting round corners,
and carnt find anything loose,

put a Trolley jack under the rear of car raise the car up abit .
then lower the jack down not too fast but fast enough for it to allow a jolt onto the shocker,
(idea is to re create the effect of a bump )

if the car lands with a bounce and settles shocker is ok,
if it lands and no bounce and slides abit to the side shocker is Goosed,

!!obviously if you try this make sure the car is in Gear "Front wheels chocked " and no other cars parked at side of it. !!