Odd Steering.

[martin]

I'm climbing underneath to investigate today, but here's an odd one for the collective brain. At 15 - 20 MPH, the steering wheel spokes sit level as they should, at about 50 and above, the wheel looks as if I'm following a right hand curve. This has come on over the last four days. I'll be looking for loose rack mountings and anything else that might be obvious, there is no accompanying shake. Any thoughts ? Martin.

[wilf]

Wheel bearings? Track rod ends? Bottom ball joint?

Obviously something is shifting position once under dynamic tyre loads.

If you brake from higher speeds does it pull to a side?

[martin]

Hi Wilf, no brake pulling, ends and bottom joints are sound, very small movement in wheel bearings. Martin.

[73stagman]

Hi Martin..just a thought

I presume that if you dont move the wheel to the "turn right" position the car will naturally turn left? You are automatically compensating for this tendency by centering the steering? Which actually moves the steering pinion in the valve housing... This sounds like a hydraulic issue in the rack or the valve housing.
As the engine speed increases the output from the pump obviously increases and then some unspecified seal starts bypassing internally inside the rack and the fact that it happened gradually over two or three days would point to an internal seal leak gradually getting worse.

[jakesmig]

Stop leaning your head over.

[GDPR]

I've come across this loads of times - swap the front wheels over from side to side...... you've likely got a difference in dynamic tyre rolling resistance - the faster you go the more it drags on one side and you compensate......

Swapping tyres over usually cures it..... happens a short while after new tyres normally - when they run themselves in the carcass can be slightly stiffer than it's mate and tougher to turn...

[Jeff]

Did it happen with your old wheels Martin or only since your new ones, Russ could be on to something here.

[4x4]

Nut behind the steering wheel is loose?
Or is that just on my car??

[martin]

Hi guys, many thanks for the suggestions. Curiously enough, it was none of the above, there was no pulling to one side which needed compensation. All four vertical bolts holding the rack, needed a full turn to pull them up, the effect has now gone. All I can think of, is that the rack must have been moving a small amount under said dynamic forces at higher speeds. In almost 50 years of playing with cars, that's a first. Weird ? illogical ? something like that. Martin.

[4x4]

Ah - so the loose nut behind the steering wheel theory wasn't too far off then!

[pcoleman]

my carcass is slightly stiffer than my mates too