Wobbly S

[toast boy]

Morning all, my S seems to wobble about a lot more than I remember compared to before it was restored, is it possible the body is not quite aligned correctly or is my memory rose tinted? Alternatively, are there any points on the chassis that can be strengthened with additional tubes or steel webbing?

[GreenV8S]

What do you mean by wobble? Do you mean the body is moving on the chassis, or the chassis is flexing, the the whole car feels under-damped when you're driving?

[S2Andy]

following my rebuild, I couldn't believe how tight my S felt with scuttle shake all but eliminated except on the biggest potholes. I would check the obvious things first:
=wheels running true and well balanced
-dampers settings tight enough or replace dampers if still using the originals. Are the spring rates too high?
-check all suspension bolts
-check the body to chassis mounting bolts as these can give a bit when the shimming rubbers compress
-tyre preesures can affect the feel of the car enormously.
-On previous cars worn engine and gear box mountings can make the car feel as though its falling apart so probably worth a look.

Good Luck. Andy

[Last S4]

I had a really serious wobble on my van recently. It got so bad I actually pulled over on the hard shoulder to check the wheel nuts were not loose on the way to the garage.
It turned out to be the tyre wall damaged due to pot holes! Apparently the garage are getting lots of customers with tyre wall damage and are putting it down to more pot holes after the bad winter.

[toast boy]

It feels like the scuttle shake but thinking about it it could just be that the body isn't located quite true on the chassis. The rubber blocks were in a pretty bad shape and had to be replaced so maybe they aren't quite right just yet. As I haven't made any geo alterations or major chassis changes it's unlikely to be the chassis if it's not a common characteristic, more likely to be the body.

Cheers.

[S2Andy]

A couple of other things to look at:
When I first got my S I couldn't believe how loose it all felt. Major culprits were the windows rattling in the frames which because they are so close to your ears sounds dreadful. Also is the steering column tight and the bulk head bush OK. All these little things can add up making the car feel like it is falling apart. As regards the body on the chassis, mine was quite a tight fit location wise, but it may be worth checking that the packing pieces are tight between the tub and plates. Is the bonnet adjusted right and tight as this is a big piece of structure which if loose will shake.
Hope this helps.
Andy