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Hey guys, I am getting quiet frustrated as you could imagine, but when I am driving I am basically fighting the steering wheel as I drive it pulls everywhere! It is really horrible and I am seriously annoyed. I am all over the road like I am drunk.

Now, things I have done which made the problem so bad 17 wheels very low profile running runflat tires potenza re092. Things to help include, control arm transverse bushings, and check both wheels for play. Also has new struts there less then a year old GR2's. I have some new steering rack bushings, but I don't really think this could be the issue.

Any other suggestions? I still haven't even checked out the rear. Regardless the car still wanders and doesn't feel NEARLY as connected to the road as my friends 04 wrx with stock tires and rims.

I'm replacing my ball joints as per Kleinkid's suggestion, should help.

Did you check the tie rods as well? Also, I don't know what wheels you have or the road conditions, but the wrong offset wheels could cause wandering on rutted roads.

Have you had an alignment? I'd start there if everything suspension-wise is good.

I replaced the passenger side ball joint. Going to do the driver side. I have some wrx top hats, and H R springs to install then I will go for alignment. Debating getting rear alignment bolts as well.

I checked both tie rods and found no play.

you know i had this same issue with my 91ss. found out that the tranny was to blame. front diff was blown er somthin cause only one of the front wheels got power.

How are your wheels bearings?

ever find the problem ive been dealing with this for over a year replaced every control arm, sway bar, trailing arm, ball joint, and steering rack bushings front and rear. replacing strut mounts now. still no fixes yet.

too much toe-in or toe-out will make a car dart on surface irregularities. is your car raised or lowered? excessive camber places load on tire edges and irregularities will distribute load causing a pull in the steering. to verify, is your tread wearing heavy on inside or outside edges? certain tread designs and low tire pressure can also cause this problem. what about rack and pinion wear? how much slop do you have in the steering wheel before the rack begins to move?

Mine did this when I put different offset rims on, tire and rims specs where the same just different offset.

I'm experiencing this mysterious wandering too. I have replaced the following components: Steering rack, front struts KYB GR-2's, front strut tops, rear struts (KYB GR-2's), rear strut tops, right front wheel bearing, front lower ball joints, front sway bar bushings, front sway bar links, front control arm bushings using Powerflex and Whiteline(both front and rear bushings on the front control arms were replaced), (4) tires Pirelli P4 185/70 R14. Alignment was done, everything comes into specification. Front end does sit 1" to 2" higher than it did before I installed the front struts (KYB GR-2's). I contacted KYB and gave them all sorts of hell, because my front end sits higher than it did with the old struts. They had nothing positive to say to me, other than the valving in the new GR-2's is stiffer than OEM. They had no comment on why my front end is sitting higher than it originally did. Since my front end is sitting higher, my camber is just barely in spec. It is on the boarderline of having excessive positive camber. Because the front end is jacked up the lower control arms are extending downward which tips the wheels, adding more positve camber. If my vehicle were sitting 2" lower my camber would be right in the sweet spot of the specified values. If I adjust the front camber, it goes further into the red. I have my front camber set as negative as I can adjust it, and I'm on the boarderline of having excessive positive camber. I wish I could toss a rock through the window of KYB.

Not sure I have much input regarding the wandering. Have you tried putting the rear tires on the front & vice versa?

Regarding the KYB's, is this a 90-91 MY or a 92-94 MY Legacy?

This thread has some info I got from KYB several years back regarding the differences between the two, and why some experienced the jacked up front end effect.

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=17352

Josh, thanks for the reply. I did come across the write up on the KYB struts. But is it not messed up of KYB to sell me struts for my '94 Legacy GT that have the lower spring perch welded in a different location than stock ? I am not the original owner of the car and a previous owner may have installed 90 - 91 struts up front. Even still, its not right that KYB changed the spring perch location from where Subaru has it set to be located, to match well with stock OEM springs. If KYB wants to change the lower spring perch location then, sell those struts with matching springs to go with the spring perch location change. I replaced all 4 tires with brand new Pirelli P4 185/70 R14.

I have no idea why KYB changed the perch location....it does seem rather ridiculous, and I never got an answer as to why it was done....

Wish I had some more or better info to tell you.

Josh,

I appreciate anything you have for me. And I appreciate that "I think" we both agree that there is no reason to change a spring perch location, unless the company that changes the spring perch location designs and releases a spring kit specifically intended to work in conjunction with the newly redesigned strut with an updated spring perch location.

And I forgot to mention that I did replace the drivers side rack bushing with an OEM rack bushing, when I replaced the power steering rack. I have since bought the passenger side rack bushing, but have not installed that just yet. I probably won't be installing that bushing. Rather, I'm going to try to move to the Whiteline rack bushings.

Have you checked for play in the inner and outer tie rod ends? How about toe settings front and rear? Worn rear bushings (or any bushings, for that matter) can cause 'active' alignment issues, specifically to your situation, unwanted toe changes.

I have replaced the following components: Steering rack, front struts KYB GR-2's, front strut tops, rear struts (KYB GR-2's), rear strut tops, right front wheel bearing, front lower ball joints, front sway bar bushings, front sway bar links, front control arm bushings using Powerflex and Whiteline(both front and rear bushings on the front control arms were replaced), (4) tires Pirelli P4 185/70 R14. Alignment was done, everything comes into specification.

The power steering rack came with brand new inner tie rods. I did replace one outer tie rod end, because the boot on the ball joint split open. There was no play in the tie rod end when I replaced it. I also replaced the driver's side rack bushing.

Thank you for your reply beatersubi

beatersubi,

You'll have the most complete explanation for what I am experiencing after all of the work that I have done if you read my post from Dec. 19 at 9:43 pm. ...if you want to get a better understanding, as this is when I jumped into this conversation. I am having the "nose up" troubles, only after installing GR-2 struts in the front. I called KYB. They won't lift a finger to help me. They claim that they changed the valving to stiffen the front struts. While this may be true, they also changed the lower spring perch location. And they would not admit this to me which I find very shady.

Judging by the part numbers I was sold and comparing to the part numbers I'm seeing on Advance Auto Parts, I believe I was sold front and rear struts for a '91 - '92 Legacy. I originally bought my GR-2's from NAPA, and the part numbers were either incorrect in their catalog, or the counterman went full retard.