The fourth timing belt

[northguest47]

Any motor makes this long is amazing lets not sort toothpicks.

soo i do the timing belt early because i calculate the risk of it failing versus my using the full rev range
all these years, but the fourth timing belt then there is a question about the threads
iff the threads are worn what do you do with the motor/car
i have been in this situation many times for example
the steering is loose, is it the left control arm or is it the wheel
if two left control arms are installed, its not
the left control arm
moron

no its a bushing somewhere in the steering loop
no its not left or right
its higher up in the steer
its a loose bushing

now i pay you chevy man
you find the bushing(s)
its not the car

who finds the loose bushings

[xintersecty]

That is some serious free verse beetnik poetry right there man

[northguest47]

Ya, I don't get put out to pasture very often. Work too hard. So here's the deal I did some research now I think its bushing(s) and possibly the steering box and the idler arm, and the pittman arm test I seen on youtube. Gosh I want a small shop lemme tell ya..

[petrified.rabbit]

Probably inner tie rod.

[northguest47]

Probably inner tie rod.

In a way I hope its not, rabbit, as the car has been to TWO shops and neither fixed the issue - surely the first shop would have checked the inner tie rods if they replaced the lower control arm, surely the second shop checked them when also replaced the SAME control arm (i had already bought the passenger side one assuming thats what was needed), and serviced the coil-overs. Frustrating I tell you I know they must not have taken the car for a spin on the highway after, or they would have felt the play still there.
Then again, maybe you are right and completely missed a basic test for play, but thats why I was thinking the pittman arm/steering box or idler arm having play, as they may not have checked those when the car was up on the hoist, probably thinking 'oh we found the issue', its the control arm. Before I raised the coil-over a teensy bit the steering would hit the bump stops before full lock, I wonder if trying to get close to full lock and putting pressure on the power steering may have done a bushing/connection and introduced the play.
Its funny in one way it has forced me to be very precise when I drive, as one guy put it, 'you choose a side in the looseness', and work that side until you have to switch to the other side of the dead space. Corners not too bad, driving straight is tougher.
Cant wait to have it into the shop in about two weeks time.. enough is enough. Car will be doing a huge road trip later on this year so all the little things need to be fixed. Well its a long post I will get back and explain what the issue was when it gets fixed.

[jimzdat]

You're unfortunately thinking old-school; the Aveo uses a rack and pinion steering assembly, there is no pitman or idler arm nor a standard "steering box" like what there is on older vehicles (and some modern trucks).

The inner tie rod end is easy for a shop to overlook during a visual inspection, as the ball/socket is hidden inside a dust boot - if the tech is smart enough to start yanking on the wheel to look for play, they will likely find it; but the reality is that too many people are lazy and just trying to move on to the next job as quick as they can.

Honestly, you can probably check it yourself just as reliably, assuming you have a jack/stands - get the front end in the air and supported; grab the front wheel at 3 & 9 o'clock positions, and push/pull to check for play. A bad inner tie rod end will usually exhibit a clunking sound; but you may want to have a second person to help watch the rest of the assembly just to make sure.

In defense of the shops that have done the work - replacement of the control arm doesn't require the tech to even touch the tie rods in most cases; they are going to disconnect the ball joint at the bottom of the spindle, pull the bolts through the bushings at the subframe, and yank the control arm out. Since it doesn't significantly impact static alignment, chances are they didn't even bother to check alignment.

[northguest47]

You're unfortunately thinking old-school; the Aveo uses a rack and pinion steering assembly, there is no pitman or idler arm nor a standard "steering box" like what there is on older vehicles (and some modern trucks).

Thanks for the input, Jimzdat - the 'old school' thinking is because since I can't find a manual for this car, I've been doing research using you-tube and the cars and trucks were old in some of the videos I watched. I'm mechanically inclined but admit I know little about cars, well a lot more since joining this forum, thanks to folks like you.
Soo I took it back to the second shop and asked them to find the issue, since they were the ones who said it was the control arm again. Frustrating because they keep downplaying the issue as if play in the steering and the car pulling unevenly when braking is not a big deal. I don't think either shop took my car on the highway, theres nooo way they wouldn't have noticed it. So I ask and the second shop tells me they never took it on the highway! Geez, its like pulling teeth here, I tell them you have to get it up to highway speeds to really notice the crappy handling. doh!

So heres the bittersweet news - they say it is the power steering rack as it also had started leaking as well. So I am paying waay too much money to get this fixed as its a costly job and they can't get the sub-frame off without cutting it off and replacing so that adds more cost... all in all if it fixes the damn problem I'll be happy and shell out the cash. If they do this work and there is still an issue, I honestly will be baffled as they are. Still though a job this expensive - over a grand is often a car killer.. but since I'm still planning on driving this one into the ground and the motor is in great shape I'm sucking it up.

When the car gets out of the shop next wed I'll do a post summarizing this whole problem, and solution.