Thread: Oversteer

Hi all. My ute has developed a problem of bad oversteer, predominantly in the wet but its starting to get noticeable in the dry, plus losing traction when I start moving. I first thought it might be the M/T tyres on steel rims I have but this problem started becoming noticeable with a set of A/T tyres on alloy rims I used to run on. I have heard a faulty diff can cause this issue but I don't know how to find out, what tests to do to confirm its the diff, or tyres. Has anyone else had this issue, all advice will be appreciated.

check your shocks....the loosing traction when start moving is dead giveaway for this....

Diff lock on? My ford has a button in front of the gear lever that got pushed by my card holder.

Originally Posted by 2post

Diff lock on? My ford has a button in front of the gear lever that got pushed by my card holder.

No diff lock, RWD only. I'm wondering if the diff is locking itself from wear?

Worn Nitrous switches or bad earth to one of the Vertex magnetos ?

Occasionally you can get a 3-400 hp surge from unburnt fuel lighting off when a mag comes back online and there’s O2 there to burn it

Are you injecting base of the hat or fogging post blower, an intermittent electrical signal there can see power surges causing the same traction and steering symptoms you describe

start with a wheel alignment maybe?

To be honest it could still be the tyres.
When we first got 4wd Hiluxs at work in aussie in 2010 the biggest issue was the factory tyres were junk. Not very grippy at all. Just after I got it I tried coming in a bit hot to an intersection like I would do in my holden crewman to beat a light then thought better of it.
I slid a car length through the intersection and very lucky it had barely gone red and no one coming. This is on the new tyres under 2000ks
Absolutely shithouse on roundabouts if you spat on the road.
Everyone grizzled to OHS department and we got a change.
They sourced replacements to suit the mags and load rating
Very high silica rating for the grip.
Every hilux we got we sent to our tyre fitter and he took them off gave us about 200 a corner for them and fitted the new ones
Fast forward 45000ks and same thing. They went off.
Still had at least half the tread (got close to 90000ks out of the crewman with 2 buggered tyres and 2 almost, and I thrashed that hard), had to get another set fitted.
You could tell, it just started getting squirrely in the wet on roundabouts and withing a couple of weeks they were junk again

Originally Posted by Three O'Three

No diff lock, RWD only. I'm wondering if the diff is locking itself from wear?

Ok then look for wear in the rear spring bushes or sway bar rubbers.
What make of Ute is it and how old?

Does it do it worse turning one way over the other?

Originally Posted by 2post

Ok then look for wear in the rear spring bushes or sway bar rubbers.
What make of Ute is it and how old?

2002 rodeo

Originally Posted by dvk-kp

Does it do it worse turning one way over the other?

Mainly when turning right, wheel alignment has be done but made no difference

Right hand axle not driving the thing? If it is not an alignment or steering issue on the front axle, it must be either a mechanical issue (diff, broken axle), suspension (shocks, bushes, sway bar), or grip either tyres or the road surface. Probably the tyres...

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

Worn Nitrous switches or bad earth to one of the Vertex magnetos ?

Occasionally you can get a 3-400 hp surge from unburnt fuel lighting off when a mag comes back online and there’s O2 there to burn it

Are you injecting base of the hat or fogging post blower, an intermittent electrical signal there can see power surges causing the same traction and steering symptoms you describe

Farkin Gold!

Leaf springs at rear? Maybe a broken leaf or two. Centre bolt that holds the spring together can break too.
Could be shocks. Remove them and check for proper operation. Don't just crawl under the back and say 'They look OK'.
Shocks have a 'life time' and are probably the originals (?) Recommended to replace at 50,000 miles (80,000 km).
If you put power on through a corner does it make the problem better/worse?
I'd start with shocks, then proper check of rear springs, and check that the diff isn't loose in it's mountings (broken/loose 'U' bolts, etc).
Tyres OK (no lumps hanging out the sides), proper air pressure in them? Same size tyres each side?

Have a look at the leaf spring bushes, make sure it’s all parallel and central etc.

A lot of “wheel alignments” on stuff like that is just to set the toe on the front cos that’s the only adjustment. Nothing in the back should move.

My hilux had a seized handbrake pivot on one side so that side was dragging and would do a similar thing, something else worth checking.