Loose/floating steering after wheel bearing replacement

First post to the group!

So I had 2 wheel bearings replaced about 2 weeks ago (front left, rear right), and since then I've noticed that the car feels more floaty than before, particularly in the front. I know the lack of a rear sway bar induces a lot of body roll, but I've never felt the car be floaty in the front. I'm wondering if it's just a loose steering rack, or if something more devious is going on (bad tie-rod, bearing not installed properly).

On a semi-related note, the ABS light, along with the traction control light came on when I started the car and stayed on for a minute while I drove....Then it turned off. Took my OBDII reader, which could also read ABS, and no codes were available. I wonder if it has to do with just a loose connection from the bearing replacements or something else.

Anyone else had this happen?

Tire pressures looking ok?

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Originally Posted by Blargsphemy

First post to the group!

So I had 2 wheel bearings replaced about 2 weeks ago (front left, rear right), and since then I've noticed that the car feels more floaty than before, particularly in the front. I know the lack of a rear sway bar induces a lot of body roll, but I've never felt the car be floaty in the front. I'm wondering if it's just a loose steering rack, or if something more devious is going on (bad tie-rod, bearing not installed properly).

On a semi-related note, the ABS light, along with the traction control light came on when I started the car and stayed on for a minute while I drove....Then it turned off. Took my OBDII reader, which could also read ABS, and no codes were available. I wonder if it has to do with just a loose connection from the bearing replacements or something else.

Anyone else had this happen?

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Only when I was first using a splitter on my port to run a Veespeak bluetooth unit and a scanguage in parallel. It happened all the time. For some reason it calmed down and it's been 3 years since.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blargsphemy

First post to the group!

So I had 2 wheel bearings replaced about 2 weeks ago (front left, rear right), and since then I've noticed that the car feels more floaty than before, particularly in the front. I know the lack of a rear sway bar induces a lot of body roll, but I've never felt the car be floaty in the front. I'm wondering if it's just a loose steering rack, or if something more devious is going on (bad tie-rod, bearing not installed properly).

On a semi-related note, the ABS light, along with the traction control light came on when I started the car and stayed on for a minute while I drove....Then it turned off. Took my OBDII reader, which could also read ABS, and no codes were available. I wonder if it has to do with just a loose connection from the bearing replacements or something else.

Anyone else had this happen?

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As for floaty steering, I dunno. I guess you could make sure nothing was left loose.

It happens. We had a transmisson in a Spark replaced by a Dealership(under warranty) and they effed up big time.

Shortly after picking the car up from from the dealer the balljoint popped out of the lower control arm while pulling into a parking lot so the wheel got kicked back into the fender and wouldn't move(obviously). Had it towed back to the dealer, they "fixed it". They replaced outer cv boot and I don't remember if they replaced the ball joint but they should have, same with the spindle as it was wallered out. Then we picked the car up a second time. It seemed ok then. Til it came to me for an oil change and the driver complained about it pulling to one side. I took it for a short drive, when you hit the gas it pulled one way, hit the brake and it darted the other way. I lift it up and found the cv boot that the dealer just replace after the balljoint fiasco was leaking grease(not related to pulling problem), and on the other side, the outer tie rod was flopping around in the spindle. The fact that the nut was the locking type saved the day. The dealer didn't tighten it down, it looked like they couldn't get it to snug up so instead of putting some force on it to stop the joint from spinning they just backed the nut off and installed a washer to take up some of the slack then kicked it out the door. They ended up installing a new spindle and tie rod end and cv axle(on the side that they previously fixed).

As for the abs and trac lights, most of our work Mirages had would throw communication error codes when we tried using some obdII devices. They caused all sorts of random drivability issues, throwing those lights and sometimes causing the throttle to not work at less-than-ideal times. Some things work fine in these cars and some do not. You won't know until you car is acting up as it often does it randomly with no warning.

One other common issue with the abs/trac lights coming on is burnt out brake lights. Usually when both are burnt out. And you'll often be able to get a stop light switch code(if you have a capable scan tool).
I had a car come in the other day with the brake light switch acting up and causing the car to slow down(these cars will cut engine power if you drive around pushing the brake and gas pedal at the same time(at least the cvt models do this). Could be a sticky brake switch or just a hair out of adjustment(easy to adjust). Could be anything, but those are my guesses if you have nothing to go on.
You didn't really say what year your car is so some of what I mentioned doesn't apply to some years.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fummins

As for floaty steering, I dunno. I guess you could make sure nothing was left loose.

It happens. We had a transmisson in a Spark replaced by a Dealership(under warranty) and they effed up big time.

Shortly after picking the car up from from the dealer the balljoint popped out of the lower control arm while pulling into a parking lot so the wheel got kicked back into the fender and wouldn't move(obviously). Had it towed back to the dealer, they "fixed it". They replaced outer cv boot and I don't remember if they replaced the ball joint but they should have, same with the spindle as it was wallered out. Then we picked the car up a second time. It seemed ok then. Til it came to me for an oil change and the driver complained about it pulling to one side. I took it for a short drive, when you hit the gas it pulled one way, hit the brake and it darted the other way. I lift it up and found the cv boot that the dealer just replace after the balljoint fiasco was leaking grease(not related to pulling problem), and on the other side, the outer tie rod was flopping around in the spindle. The fact that the nut was the locking type saved the day. The dealer didn't tighten it down, it looked like they couldn't get it to snug up so instead of putting some force on it to stop the joint from spinning they just backed the nut off and installed a washer to take up some of the slack then kicked it out the door. They ended up installing a new spindle and tie rod end and cv axle(on the side that they previously fixed).

As for the abs and trac lights, most of our work Mirages had would throw communication error codes when we tried using some obdII devices. They caused all sorts of random drivability issues, throwing those lights and sometimes causing the throttle to not work at less-than-ideal times. Some things work fine in these cars and some do not. You won't know until you car is acting up as it often does it randomly with no warning.

One other common issue with the abs/trac lights coming on is burnt out brake lights. Usually when both are burnt out. And you'll often be able to get a stop light switch code(if you have a capable scan tool).
I had a car come in the other day with the brake light switch acting up and causing the car to slow down(these cars will cut engine power if you drive around pushing the brake and gas pedal at the same time(at least the cvt models do this). Could be a sticky brake switch or just a hair out of adjustment(easy to adjust). Could be anything, but those are my guesses if you have nothing to go on.
You didn't really say what year your car is so some of what I mentioned doesn't apply to some years.

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Error codes were happening when you were using obd II devices - was one of them scan guage II? I was hoping to get one, but if it is messing things up, I will pass

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Originally Posted by BigMW

Error codes were happening when you were using obd II devices - was one of them scan guage II? I was hoping to get one, but if it is messing things up, I will pass

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No it was a gps tracking device. I'm pretty sure that the scan gauge is used by lots of folks on the forum with no problems.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BigMW

Error codes were happening when you were using obd II devices - was one of them scan guage II? I was hoping to get one, but if it is messing things up, I will pass

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I've had a scan gage II in my car since it was new & so far no problem. I think you'll be OK with the scan gage...