|
Other things to look at:
If the front struts wear out, the alignment will be out. On my 1996 854, the strut spring mount (that large rubber thing on the top of the shock) was broken and the steering pulled to one side. To test the mount, grab the very large nut at the top of the strut in the engine bay and try to turn it clockwise. If the whole assembly turns easily and does not spring back to its original position, then the mount is dead. The power steering made corection almost too easy, but the tire wore much too fast.
Control arm bushings do not last forever, unfortunately you need to replace the entire control arm on these new cars. At least it is not a most difficult job.
The steering bushing also gets soft with age, a reasonably 'easy' job to replace and will make a world of difference.
I realize parts are expensive down under, but new tires every year are not cheap either.
I own a Macphearson spring compressor, so I easily replaced the strut mount. A couple of months later, I replaced the front struts(shocks) and that made a world of difference.
If you live where the roads are bumpy, I suggest talking to a shop that that can inspect the front end see if they can fix it for a 'reasonable' cost.
Some day, my wife and I will get to Kiwi land. The problem is that I would think that 2 weeks is much too short. We might have to move from our house to a condminium or town house so that we wouldn't have to worry about being away for a month or 6 weeks.
Merry Christmas!
|
