Driving down the interstate there is a part just before the tunnel that has tiny ridges in the road. it continues through the tunnel then outside of the tunnel there is a draw bridge (metal grate)

Had the car for 2 years. And this has never happened before.

Anyway about 2 weeks ago, going over the ridges I have to hold the steering wheel straight to keep it from wanting to follow the ridges. The wheel kinda sways side to side. It's not real bad but it gives me a very uneasy feeling. The grate is even worse. It feels like the car is fishtailing. It has always done this obviously. But now the grate is much worse. I have to fight the wheel to keep it straight. On a flat road it slightly pulls to the right. So it obviously needs an alignment but I am not convinced that is the problem. Maybe just part of it.


The car has always had the infamous bumping/knocking noise going over bumps and such. It has gotten louder in 2 years.

Could it be the sway bar links? How can I tell if they need replacing?\

Any help is appreciated.

 

An alignment will help but you really need to get any loose / worn out bits taken care of first. Sway bar links won't make a huge difference but control arm bushings will - they are also the culprit in a lot of banging / clunking cases and are a known weak spot on these cars. Might want to check the wheel bearings as well, they can cause the front end to wander / hunt on uneven / grooved surfaces if they are getting worn out.

That metal grating is horrible in any car that is not "spot on" alignment wise.
Don't forget about the rear, if the tires are toed out at the rear it will feel like it wants to swap ends. If it needs adjustment there are shims which can be installed to correct the toe and camber as required, any decent alignment shop should be able to take care of that for you.