Annoying Problem Fixed!!! - Honda Prelude Forum

DOHCVTEC190 · 03-23-2005, 09:57 AM

Alright, let's describe the problem. About 2 months ago, I noticed when accelerating on the highway my steering wheel would sometimes shake and sometimes slightly pull to the left. Also, during hard braking, the car would pull pretty hard to the right.

I searched PO.com for answers and I found it could be due to a bad ball joint, seized caliper, or loose radius rod. I didn't want to believe it was the ball joint seeing as how they are so expensive (and are only sold as an arm set). Well, over the past month the shaking and pulling to the left on acceleration seemed to stop. But, it still pulled hard to the right under braking. I got an alignment last Friday (needed one as the car didn't track straight anyhow) and I was hoping this would cure the pulling to the right. NOPE.

Well, today I decided to go out and try re-tightening the radius rod bolt. And what do you know...it WORKED!!! Brakes straight as an arrow now. When we did my clutch replacement, I remember we just tried to remember how far the bolt was threaded down and just tighten it back to where it was before we removed it. But, I found in the Helm's it has an actual torque spec. 40ft-lbs.

YAY for braking straight!!!

Here's what I'm talking about:
[IMG]http://www.*********************.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wODQwOTk1NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg[/IMG]

Cliff notes: Car pulled right under hard braking. Re-tightening radius rod bolt fixed problem.

UWNTSUM · 03-23-2005, 10:58 AM

cools.. that is good to know.. i had the same exact problem... never knew what caused it.

blacklude4k · 03-23-2005, 11:28 AM

My car has some of the same symptoms as yours, i need to try this. Where exactly is this bolt?

DOHCVTEC190 · 03-23-2005, 11:44 AM

You have to drop that center splash/rock guard thing; it's just a few 10mm bolts and then you can see the radius rod bolt located near the tow hook. I retorqued both sides just as a precaution.

azjs · 03-23-2005, 10:10 PM

Good work! This is something for the searches I reckon!

-az

-Injess- · 03-31-2005, 11:13 AM

I had a problem with similar symptoms.

The car would shake durring acceleration only.

The problem was Infact a bad CV joint... apparently the shaft was pulling in and out of the differential in a sex like motion.!!!!!

Got bad enough to where the axle sliped all the way out...insane huh belive it, the joints can do some messed up stuff when they go bad.

MidNiteMysT · 03-31-2005, 11:16 AM

naughty CV joint porno?

trvis · 04-01-2005, 01:11 AM

gunna fix this tomorrow

G_Loc · 04-01-2005, 03:28 PM

I had the same problem.

I put in ES bushings and tightened them up. No more pulling to the side during hard braking

achemze · 04-01-2005, 04:43 PM

What causes this? Is it bad mechanics or age/abuse?

Mine started pulling right over the past ... year. I wonder if it wasnt properly resecured after building the motor.

DOHCVTEC190 · 04-01-2005, 05:10 PM

For me, I don't think we properly torqued the radius rod bolt back down when we replaced my clutch and it worked itself loose.