Hmmm spongy steering

[Azman]

Hi guys,

Got what feels like quite a major one here. The steering is very benign on the straight and in fact the steering wheel will change position while I am driving in a straight line but the car stays straight, really wierd feeling as if the steering wheel is not properly connected.........

Thoughts as I am very concerned about this and very very hesiant to drive the car like it should be (and it needs a good thrash). Started a while back but slowly getting more and more movement on the straight.

Cheers guys. I haven't got a clue where to start (other than go out and buy the set of halford Pro that is on half pric still to cheer me up and give me a goo set to work with)

All tooled up and nowhere to look.

Az

[Animal Mother]

My car currently steers like a boat. It is various worn bushes in my case.

[Azman]

Got powerflex on the front wishbones...... Maybe subframe????

[A80Avant]

now that i cannot use the Family Album on my laptop due to its small size,i cannot give you the excact part number or the name of the part i want to tell you,so ill try to describe it.
You know those 2 rods that their inner part connects with screws on the steering box,and their outer part connects to the front wheels via the outer tie rods??
It could be that the inner part where they screw on the steering box may be loose or worn and that creates that feel on the steering.Check that as it can create quite an accident!!

[Azman]

I take it you mean the track rods...... Where there is a bush on the end that is fixed to the steering rack and a ball joint on the wheel end??? If that is the case when I checked that last week there was no movement at all...... Was going to look at stainless setups for the future with rose joint on both ends for longevity for them

[S-Express]

Have you tried the basics - such as tyre pressures?

[s2driveruk]

i had this and was the sole reason i ripped the whole lot out and replaced everything including the rack

I reckon is is the inner tie rod bracket, either one of the holes had ovalled slightly or the bolts are loose. this connects to the end of the rack with stretch bolts and then then inner tie rod ends connect to that via this bracket. on mine you could see the flex in there, allowing the steering to have a mind of its own but as you say feel immensely vauge in dead ahead position. I drove it after leaving it at the airport for a few days and when i returned was so shocked at how dangerous it felt, thats when i decided to kick off 'project can of worms'....!

[S2central.net]

AZ - don't pheckin drive it until you've checked all the steering and suspension bolts...

My bet is track-rod ends... COul d be inner or outer.

I had an inner track-rod end shear once on the old T85 GT Coupe without warning. Thankfully I was in the middle of a 3-point turn on a Dublin side street at the time and no damage was done, but if that had happened 5-10 mins either way it couldabeen really nasty.

[Azman]

I do One heck of alot of miles so taking the car off the road is a no no..... I have checked wheel end very thorughly and all seems tight although I have not ahd the car off the floor.....Will double check the rack end but once again I am a fairly large bloke ....and if I pull on it will move if there is some play.. my worry is the subframe bushes......... imagine that coming off in a corner
Will do a thourough check on the bits mentioned tomorow, just got to be at work for 5 am even more
Cheers guys

[stiglet]

This happened to me once, i didn't tighten up my bottom ball joint enough on the wishbone and that gave me a really bad vague feeling in the steering as it slid in and out of the wishbone.

I find it unlikely that this could loosen itslef unless you've replaced it recently. Just an idea though...

[ryster]

hi .
have changed front shocks , subfame bushes ( alloy mounts ), drop links, top mounts , bottom arm bushes and still have this wondering thing going on . Must be either steering rack problems or bottom ball joint , As i have have a knocking niose . Or i was thinking maybe the hole on the subframe where the botton arm bush go through have gone oval , because before i changed the bushes the bolts where loose ish I think i have changed everything else , haven't I ?

Ps . Tyre s have worn quite evenly

[s2driveruk]

ovalled subframe/wishbone bush bolthole will make it feel really vague too...just grabbed a new subframe to overcome that myself...

[Azman]

Sorted, whoever had changed the track rods had not done the braket that attatches to the rack up properly. The two bolts that go through from the bottom are threadedandn were only half done but the nuts were done up tight. Corrected this mornign and all is good. Everything else is tight as a nut too. All nice and direct again (got to get used to it :0 )

[Rusty]

BTDT with the old typ85 glad ou got it sorted Az.

[Graham]

Hm be careful on this one as the rack is threaded aswell, so if you tighten the bolt it doesnt mean it is secure--this happened to mine and caused a very wooly feeling