05' XB 258,000 Dangerous Steering Issue Driving me mad!!!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 14
From: Franklin, TN
05' XB 258,000 Dangerous Steering Issue Driving me mad!!!
2005 Scion XB • 5 speed • All stock • Not lowered
Before anyone says anything, I'm aware my car has a crap ton of miles on it, no I can't get a new car, nor can I finance one...
About 2 months ago my car started to ride rough and handle terribly and it just got even worse, very quickly. When I bought the car, it came from up north so it's got a fair amount of rust on her undercarriage and I knew replacing the suspension was coming soon because it was still factory and my tires were garbage. So, I got a new set of tires, all new suspension, and 2 alignments from 2 different shops. None of that fixed my issue, it helped it for a day but then right back to zig zagging down the highway.
She just darts, pulls to both sides, wanders, floats, you name it, she does it when going at high speeds about 60-65and up. It feels like a combination of when your tires grab all the grooves and cracks in the road which makes you wander along with high gusts of wind slapping you all over the road. Only there's no wind at all and the road you're going down was just freshly paved.
Just taking turns on the interstate feels like I have no control. Like a ghost is jerking my steering wheel and it's the scariest part of all this. It's only happened a handful of times but when it does, god I hate it! It's to the point where it's exhausting just to drive to and from work which is a one hour commute one way all highway and I LOVE driving my little Scion!
PLEASE help me figure out this issue before all my hair falls out and before I go bankrupt!
Before anyone says anything, I'm aware my car has a crap ton of miles on it, no I can't get a new car, nor can I finance one...
About 2 months ago my car started to ride rough and handle terribly and it just got even worse, very quickly. When I bought the car, it came from up north so it's got a fair amount of rust on her undercarriage and I knew replacing the suspension was coming soon because it was still factory and my tires were garbage. So, I got a new set of tires, all new suspension, and 2 alignments from 2 different shops. None of that fixed my issue, it helped it for a day but then right back to zig zagging down the highway.
She just darts, pulls to both sides, wanders, floats, you name it, she does it when going at high speeds about 60-65and up. It feels like a combination of when your tires grab all the grooves and cracks in the road which makes you wander along with high gusts of wind slapping you all over the road. Only there's no wind at all and the road you're going down was just freshly paved.
Just taking turns on the interstate feels like I have no control. Like a ghost is jerking my steering wheel and it's the scariest part of all this. It's only happened a handful of times but when it does, god I hate it! It's to the point where it's exhausting just to drive to and from work which is a one hour commute one way all highway and I LOVE driving my little Scion!
PLEASE help me figure out this issue before all my hair falls out and before I go bankrupt!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 14
From: Franklin, TN
Senior Member
SL Member
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 130
From: Redlands, California
You need to replace the rubber components, namely sway bar bushings, control arm bushings, etc. had the same issue. Order the Energy Suspension Urethane kit. Replacing shocks and struts will not resolve a tracking issue
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 4
From: Upstate NY
I am having the same kind of issues with my '06 TC!!! and I have replaced inner and outer tie rods, sway bar bushings, ball joints, control arms, sway bar links front and rear, i replaced engine cradle as well. i think all i am lacking is rack and pinion, axles, and engine mounts.....i need to know the cause of these dangerous driving conditions as well please someone anyone HELP me figure it out too!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 14
From: Franklin, TN
Thank you guys for the advice! I'm breaking my bank trying to figure this out and as a single mom, there's no room for error! Plus driving all interstate on a 1 hour commute one way for work, this problem is really sucking the fun out of zipping around in my Scion. I LOVE driving my little 5 speed but with this going on, I'm starting to dread every time I have to go to work because I'm so tense and on edge as to how she's gonna handle and what surprise jerking motions will she throw my way as I'm going down a 4 lane interstate 😰
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 4
From: Upstate NY
I'm single mom too, so I feel ya lady. I do appreciate your help and advice as well cuz three kids, this scion, and trying to restore a '91 944 s2 is getting quite pricey lol sorry you are having this problem as well unicornfarts, it gets scary for sure!
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SL Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 800
From: Mesa, AZ USA
My comments are based on TN & NY being rust belt states, and my guess may or may not be correct.
It could be just bad tires, but any mechanic worth his/her salt should spot that. (Jack wheel up and rotate wheel looking at tire for bulges)
My old home (southern England) was also a rust prone zone, even though winter was "milder" there without a lot of salt thrown on the roads. The constant high humidity was just as effective at rusting things out.
My dad bought a Morris Minor that had allegedly passed it's MOT (see link) but taking the car up to motorway speed soon after getting it, taking my foot off the throttle, revealed an alarming weave that had to be controlled by adding a small amount of throttle and gradually slowing down. We got it retested and it failed with a cracked frame, so we used it for parts on another car.
I don't remember where it was cracked, but it is a worry with old rusty cars.
Sounds like you may need a different mechanic have a look to see if the frame of the car is doing it's job... ie holding the new suspension parts together... before sinking more hard earned cash into what could be a loosing proposition. Perhaps if it is cracked, it can be welded up and last a few more years.
My parents were living paycheck to paycheck, like most people we knew, and had to make do with vehicles near their end of life. In the end they emigrated to Australia and were better off and could actually afford to live on their pensions without having to work. Not saying this is a solution for you, it's just an option that worked for them.
It could be just bad tires, but any mechanic worth his/her salt should spot that. (Jack wheel up and rotate wheel looking at tire for bulges)
My old home (southern England) was also a rust prone zone, even though winter was "milder" there without a lot of salt thrown on the roads. The constant high humidity was just as effective at rusting things out.
My dad bought a Morris Minor that had allegedly passed it's MOT (see link) but taking the car up to motorway speed soon after getting it, taking my foot off the throttle, revealed an alarming weave that had to be controlled by adding a small amount of throttle and gradually slowing down. We got it retested and it failed with a cracked frame, so we used it for parts on another car.
I don't remember where it was cracked, but it is a worry with old rusty cars.
Sounds like you may need a different mechanic have a look to see if the frame of the car is doing it's job... ie holding the new suspension parts together... before sinking more hard earned cash into what could be a loosing proposition. Perhaps if it is cracked, it can be welded up and last a few more years.
My parents were living paycheck to paycheck, like most people we knew, and had to make do with vehicles near their end of life. In the end they emigrated to Australia and were better off and could actually afford to live on their pensions without having to work. Not saying this is a solution for you, it's just an option that worked for them.
Last edited by RichBinAZ; Apr 9, 2023 at 01:33 PM.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 14
From: Franklin, TN
Right on! I'm just really trying to make this Scion last me just a little while longer while I work on my credit and getting back up from a hard fall. Getting there!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 14
From: Franklin, TN
My comments are based on TN & NY being rust belt states, and my guess may or may not be correct.
It could be just bad tires, but any mechanic worth his/her salt should spot that. (Jack wheel up and rotate wheel looking at tire for bulges)
My old home (southern England) was also a rust prone zone, even though winter was "milder" there without a lot of salt thrown on the roads. The constant high humidity was just as effective at rusting things out.
My dad bought a Morris Minor that had allegedly passed it's MOT (see link) but taking the car up to motorway speed soon after getting it, taking my foot off the throttle, revealed an alarming weave that had to be controlled by adding a small amount of throttle and gradually slowing down. We got it retested and it failed with a cracked frame, so we used it for parts on another car.
I don't remember where it was cracked, but it is a worry with old rusty cars.
Sounds like you may need a different mechanic have a look to see if the frame of the car is doing it's job... ie holding the new suspension parts together... before sinking more hard earned cash into what could be a loosing proposition. Perhaps if it is cracked, it can be welded up and last a few more years.
My parents were living paycheck to paycheck, like most people we knew, and had to make do with vehicles near their end of life. In the end they emigrated to Australia and were better off and could actually afford to live on their pensions without having to work. Not saying this is a solution for you, it's just an option that worked for them.
It could be just bad tires, but any mechanic worth his/her salt should spot that. (Jack wheel up and rotate wheel looking at tire for bulges)
My old home (southern England) was also a rust prone zone, even though winter was "milder" there without a lot of salt thrown on the roads. The constant high humidity was just as effective at rusting things out.
My dad bought a Morris Minor that had allegedly passed it's MOT (see link) but taking the car up to motorway speed soon after getting it, taking my foot off the throttle, revealed an alarming weave that had to be controlled by adding a small amount of throttle and gradually slowing down. We got it retested and it failed with a cracked frame, so we used it for parts on another car.
I don't remember where it was cracked, but it is a worry with old rusty cars.
Sounds like you may need a different mechanic have a look to see if the frame of the car is doing it's job... ie holding the new suspension parts together... before sinking more hard earned cash into what could be a loosing proposition. Perhaps if it is cracked, it can be welded up and last a few more years.
My parents were living paycheck to paycheck, like most people we knew, and had to make do with vehicles near their end of life. In the end they emigrated to Australia and were better off and could actually afford to live on their pensions without having to work. Not saying this is a solution for you, it's just an option that worked for them.
Oh man! You've got me nervous thinking about it being the frame😰 That would be my luck lol. I can't even afford to get the damn energy suspension urethane kit until next payday now. This is rough😣 It'll all work out!🫠🫠🫠
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SL Member
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 71
Find a trustworthy mechanic and have them take a look before doing anything else. A good mechanic should be able to easily identify bad suspension parts. Your struts and shocks were probably the least of your worries. Anything rubber probably needs to be replaced. Right now, you can get an entire front end for the Scion for $170 on Rockauto before shipping and taxes (discontinued TRW parts - aftermarket, but quality parts made in Taiwan).
2 Control arms with the ball joint
2 Inner and 2 outer ties rods
2 Sway bar bushings and 2 end links
The car can run forever if it isn't destroyed by rust.
2 Control arms with the ball joint
2 Inner and 2 outer ties rods
2 Sway bar bushings and 2 end links
The car can run forever if it isn't destroyed by rust.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 14
From: Franklin, TN
Find a trustworthy mechanic and have them take a look before doing anything else. A good mechanic should be able to easily identify bad suspension parts. Your struts and shocks were probably the least of your worries. Anything rubber probably needs to be replaced. Right now, you can get an entire front end for the Scion for $170 on Rockauto before shipping and taxes (discontinued TRW parts - aftermarket, but quality parts made in Taiwan).
2 Control arms with the ball joint
2 Inner and 2 outer ties rods
2 Sway bar bushings and 2 end links
The car can run forever if it isn't destroyed by rust.
2 Control arms with the ball joint
2 Inner and 2 outer ties rods
2 Sway bar bushings and 2 end links
The car can run forever if it isn't destroyed by rust.
I just want the control back in my car. I dread driving every day now😓
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 14
From: Franklin, TN
I know it's been a while since I posted this but I thought the issue had finally been dealt with....yet here I am and I'M GOING CRAZY OVER THIS!!! I honestly don't know what else to do!
All the parts replaced & work done in the past 6 months:
I did notice when searching these threads yesterday that someone seemed to be having the same issue and somebody recommended replacing the motor mounts and getting a motor shaft alignment. I looked up symptoms of when motor centerlines are out of alignment with the shafts, and they're spot on...
All the parts replaced & work done in the past 6 months:
- New set of tires
- New Coilover struts & shocks
- New inner & outer tie rods
- New control arms
- Replaced sway bar bushings
- New RF wheel bearing (2nd one in a year)
- 3 alignments within the past year (the last two were just in the past 2 months)
I did notice when searching these threads yesterday that someone seemed to be having the same issue and somebody recommended replacing the motor mounts and getting a motor shaft alignment. I looked up symptoms of when motor centerlines are out of alignment with the shafts, and they're spot on...
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SuperMod
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,227
How much rust and what is rusty? 18 years old and 260K miles with at least some of it up in the 'rust belt' means I'd be looking at possible rust issues causing the trouble you're seeing, just like @DannoXYZ suggested.
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SL Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 800
From: Mesa, AZ USA
Motor mounts will not affect steering (or it shouldn't)
Do you have a camera and the ability to post pictures on here.
Can you take pictures of the control arm mount points (4) plus one across the front subframe from ground level
Also, pop the hood and take a pic of each front shock tower.
Do you have a camera and the ability to post pictures on here.
Can you take pictures of the control arm mount points (4) plus one across the front subframe from ground level
Also, pop the hood and take a pic of each front shock tower.