81 Spider Pulls Very Hard Right

[inzanaro]

I have an 81 Fiat Spider automatic and everything was running just fine and then it started pulling hard right at all speeds with or without braking. Checked right brakes, tire pressure, caliper and bushing(s) but nothing is jumping out at me. Can anyone advise any specific items I should look at next ? Was running straight and great . Now when your driving down the road and let go of the steering wheel it will try to take you in a right circle. I forgot to mention this all started happening after the wife took the car out for a day trip.

[azruss]

check to see if you have a flat tire when you jack each wheel off the ground does the tire spin free. if one doesnt then you have your answer. would suspect the caliper slider isnt working or you have a collapsed brake line. any chance your wife hit something and screwed up the alignment? i would look at the bolts that hold the lower a-arms on to make sure all is okay there.

[TulsaSpider]

Inspect the point where the crossmember bolts to the frame. The bolts work themselves out sometimes with very bad results! Also inspect the crossmember for cracks. If the control arm bushings are gone that would do it too. Something has massively failed in your suspension I'd wager. That car is unsafe to drive until the problem is located and resolved.

[inzanaro]

Update: No Flat tire Both front tires spin freely on jack. All bolts, nuts, control arms, wheel bearings look ok. The bushings definitely look worn and could use replacing but I am not sure it would cause such a drastic change. Now... Looking at the right side where the front sway bar attaches to the control arm I can see the assembly or the sway bar have moved. In fact the sway bar is almost half way out of the bushing (1") where it attaches to the control arm.. The left side of the sway bar looks fine and from what I can see the bushing in the middle look ok too. I am beginning to think it took a hit (wife says no) or maybe one of the bushings failed enough to move the assembly. I guess I will have to do some dissasembly to check further. Might be easier to replaced the bushings and have it realigned. Any suggestions to keep me from circling all day in the driveway. Would make a good track car with the current alignment.

[Sunracer]

Inspect the front of the cross member where it meets the frame for cracks, do the front wheels look visibly mis aligned?

check tie rod ends too for play by twisting the link between them and watching for play when the steering turned slightly from side ot side

[inzanaro]

Update - No cracks in the cross member, front wheels look visibily aligned, tie rod ends look good too. Here's what I found: when the front end is up on jacks and I turn the wheels all the way left and all the way right I am rubbing (inside rim) on the upper control arm. In fact I can turn it so far that the tire comes within an 1/16 of an inch from the sway bar. Wife has come clean and said she was turning it really hard and could here something rubbing when leaving her friends house. I suspect the tight turn did something to the sway bar and knocked it out of alignment. This only happens when you tun it really hard to the left. I don't know how to load attachments and I have some good pictures. Any suggestions ? I think it needs aligned.

[Sunracer]

What wheels are you using? got the spacers installed?

[TulsaSpider]

There are many posts on how to post pics.

[124JOE]

when this happedend to me,i found a (widely)cracked subframe and a bad bushing mount.
it was $119 for the crossmember and $72.50 for the lower contol arm
then an alinment

[inzanaro]

Got it up on the rack and can see there is definitely a problem with the lower tie rod (bent). No cracks in anything else. I just ordered a pair of lowers from International Auto Parts and they will be here Friday. I do not have spacers on the wheels. I am running a custom 14" SuperLite (Australian Made) Perfomance Rims. Plan is to do the lowers this weekend, align it, and then when I put it away for the winter I may just do a complete upper and lower control arm on both sides. Might as well replace the shocks and sway bar too. Maybe I can convince the wife she caused all this and try to get some funding

[124JOE]

ok so i just got done doing a passenger side lower Aarm
a 22mm wrench is needed for the ball joint and the bushing nuts and bolts
a 19mm for the Aarm to the crossmember.
remove the shock,
i used a hydrolic jack to raize the car(use stands)
then the tire under the balljoint
undoing the joint nut untill the bolt is under the nylon
using a spreader from behind the ball and no jack
after its lose jack up 1inch and remove nut
stand way back and let it down slowly.
after the spring is out make note of the shims.
then remove the 19 mm nuts
at this point grab the upper Aarm and wiggle front to back
then remove it.or it will be in the way
(i did ths and had alot of play)when it go's back together you can tighten untill it stops
in the up position then losen till it drops
you need a inner sping compresser ,the spring needs to be compressed at least 2 inches
after you jack it up with spring losen compresser then lower only untill the lower plate comes lose
then put the shock in and reassemble upper with spindle ,do a ruff alinement
(tow in a little)then get a real alinement
ps.if you undo the steering bracket from the back side
youll have to remove the brake rotor to rebolt it!
hope this helps

[Daniel]

I don't know how to load attachments and I have some good pictures. Any suggestions ?

here is a link on how to upload photos and site to do so .

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... 18&t=12141

[inzanaro]

I fell like an idiot. Put it up on stands and just found the problem. The lower front crossmember bolt area has a small crack causing the movement of the lower arm and the hard pull to the right. Anyone have a crossmember ? Can this be repaired ? Looks like quite a job to get that crossmember pulled (support engine in cradle, etc).

[124JOE]

ok back in 96,when i took my car to the european repair guy in town.i asked him why it pulls
when i stop he said,its your balljointsand bushings! so i had him replace them with delrin bushings,it still pulled!
then he told me my crossmember was cracked we welded it.that helped not were on the tires
after alinement, but it still pulled while stoping.yes to the right.so i ask him again
he said it must be your rubber lines(colapsed)SOB still pulls to the right!!!
at this point im not impressed at ALL with him.next i asked his employee
he told me its just the pads.$25 later it stoped straight finaly.
ive figured my front end was to be good for ever after all that,
but the steering components needed attention by 98 i had her
buttoned up and went to paint.i didnt have much for money
so i found a body guy that was willing to take payments.
that was like going to school for body work.(ask alot of questions)
as i helped out around the shop i learned enuff to be dangerous.
same thing with the mechanic! and yes ive been stuck along the road
upset and frustrated. but i still love my spider.after all they still sell parts.
hey guys thanks for letting me share.

[Sunracer]

I fell like an idiot. Put it up on stands and just found the problem. The lower front crossmember bolt area has a small crack causing the movement of the lower arm and the hard pull to the right. Anyone have a crossmember ? Can this be repaired ? Looks like quite a job to get that crossmember pulled (support engine in cradle, etc).

Find a good frame shop or 4x4 shop and see if they can just weld it up for you. Changing the cross member is a big job. PB