Mike.g

That is the best way I can describe it, like the car is getting blown around by the wind. It feels like the front end seems to sway back and forth while driving in a straight line. I was searching this forum, but I don't think I was using the correct term to find a solution. I have the car up on stands now to do a brake change, so now would be a great time to fix whatever is moving around in the car.

We have the 2005 CTS-V. No mods, completely stock.

Thanks!!!

Edit*

Question, is the move or shifting feeling I am getting the car coming from the rear end? I inspected the bushing, and I could see a few rubber looks like it might be starting to go bad, I can see a few small bits of rubber around the bushing. Could this be the source of my problem?

ls1247

iTrader: (2)

I would say...definitely could be.

Based on the misaligned paint marks I'd say someone took this apart and overtightened it which put the bushing in a bind which will rip them apart.

The only way to know for sure is to take it apart.

Where you at in NC?

Mike.g

I am now up in Wisconsin, I was living near Raleigh - We purchased the car in SC. We just got our new plates this week.

We purchased the car with 80,000 miles. We are now over 100,000 and I have not had to do anything to it beyond standard maintenance. I saw that paint mark too, so it looks like it has been replaced once already. Is there a torque rating for these bolts?

Thanks for the reply!

DMM

Sounds like the SWPS going bad and triggering the stability control to me.

Mike.g

I found a page that showed how to replace it. But the only thing to note is I do not feel the wheel being moved around at all as described as a symptom in that post. I can hold it perfectly straight and the car will shift around every so often.

DMM

Exactly. The sensor goes bad pretty regularly. The rear brakes being activated by the stability control will cause this as well. Mine did anyhow.

Mike.g

Interesting, when this happen to you did you only feel a side to side movement? Or did you also feel the car slow you down as well? I was reading some more info on this thread. Once the brakes are back on I am going to disable the TCS and see if the car still moves around.

Thanks!

LS BRAVADA

iTrader: (4)

If you replace that bushing I would stay with stock parts if you like a quiet ride. If noise is not an issue then you can go poly. I thought I wouldn't mine a little noise but ended up hating it and went back to stock.. Just my $.02

ls1247

iTrader: (2)

I don't think somebody replace those arms or bushings but they had it apart for whatever reason. They should be torqued.

How do you diagnose the SWPS and what does SWPS actually stand for? Is this the sensor located in the console or is that the YAW control and what would the differences in those be? Does it throw any kind of code or will the TCS light flash or anything?

Need more info on this! Thanks!

Edit...Followed page link...Steering Wheel Position Sensor...remember now.

DMM

The stability warning message does not alway illuminate, I think mine only did once. With mine, I was driving down the straight access road to the airport and it felt like the rear was breaking loose, didn't matter if it as in perf driving mode or not.

It was still under warranty at the time and I had it replaced with the trunk struts.

Apparently this is one of the sensors that can fail within range and cause a correction when not necessary, which is what I (and I presume you) felt.

Mike.g

I do remember seeing a warning over the winter, but I attributed to the cars first "real" Wisconsin winter. Not a North Carolina winter. I just assumed when it was below 0, the car was just telling me how much it hated me by flashing that warning.

ls1247

iTrader: (2)

I don't know where my mind is today but I went through the pics again and realized it was a picture of your diff not a control arm. That bushings woudln't affect the way the car drives in this regard at all. Only a bushing or joint that is locating the wheel assembly would do that.

LS BRAVADA

iTrader: (4)

Yup. That's the parade Kllunk bushing. LOL

Mike.g

A little update, I popped the wheels back to test drive the car with both the stability system and traction control disabled. The car still shifted around on the short highway test. That would leave me to think its more likely something else, like the control arm bushings, correct? In the test drive I measured the distance the wheel needs to be shifted in order to drive straight, it will move about 2 inches. I will have it turned to the right of center, then the road might have a grove or bump in the road while driving straight and it will prompt me to counter turn the wheel left of center to continue to drive straight.

If that rear bushing was bad, wouldn't it cause a slight dog tracking situation if that rear end is shifting around, or is that not possible?

Again, thanks for the help everyone. We love this car and want to keep it for a long time.

DMM

Stability control never completely turns off. If you have a suspension component causing this, it should be clearly evident.

LS BRAVADA

iTrader: (4)

When the bushing that you pictured goes bad it goes clunk, clunk when you push the clutch in and out. Mostly in first and reverse.

ls1247

iTrader: (2)

The rear end may be shifting around but the wheel assemblies aren't shifting with it. The wheels are located strictly by the control and trailing arms and the diff is independent of it. Hence the term, independent rear suspension. If the diff is moving, (if it is, it isn't moving much) the plunge in the inner cv would compensate for it.

joejbal

My 05 is doing the same thing. I noticed that the rear alignment is out of whack. Drivers side had tons of negative camber. I had to slot the control arm mounting hole to get it close to 0 camber. I'm going to have an alignment when I get the fuel pump recall done. It seems to me like the tires being bald on the inside is causing the issues.

ls1247

iTrader: (2)

The alignment spec for the rear is -1.5 degrees camber. That's one if the reasons the car handles as well as it does and tire wear is one if the trade offs.

But that isn't causing the car to wander.

Op, quick experiment. Driving on a straight flat road, take your hand off the steering wheel and see what happens. If the car pulls one way or the other and the steering wheel turns all by itself in the same direction, you'd have a bad tire on a older dumb car.

I don't know if traction control would be able to duplicate that condition.

If the car pulls and the steering wheel isn't turning with it, you have an alignment issue.

ls1247

iTrader: (2)

The alignment spec for the rear is -1.5 degrees camber. That's one of the reasons the car handles as well as it does and tire wear is one of the trade offs.

But that isn't causing the car to wander.

Op, quick experiment. Driving on a straight flat road, take your hand off the steering wheel and see what happens. If the car pulls one way or the other and the steering wheel turns all by itself in the same direction, you'd have a bad tire on a older dumb car. I don't know if traction control would be able to duplicate that condition but this car does a lot of thinking.

If the car pulls (drifts in this case) and the steering wheel isn't turning with it, you have an alignment issue.