Hi Guys. Weird problem. I had my new wheels fitted and alligned on the VS a month or two ago, the steering wheel was a little off center (when travelling straight the wheel was around 5-10 degrees to the right, not really an issue or noticable unless your looking at the wheel). Yesterday I had the top of the manifold off for cleaning and had to roll the car around 10 meters so I turned the wheel with the engine off, obviously the steering was very heavy due to not having a P/S pump running....all seemed fine. Took the car for a drive this morning, the steering wheel was now 5-10 degrees to the left instead of the right that it has been the last 2 months. Would this indicate a faulty steering rack/steering components that it seems to be physically changing the steering allignment etc just by hard steering. I have noticed that the last 6 months or so my steering has got a little less sharp and seems to understeer a little more on tight roads where before it was very easy to oversteer it. Springs/Shocks/Struts all round are less than a year old. Tie rod ends look ok No real play from the hubs etc when the cars jacked up. Any ideas? Really hoping i'm not up for a new steering rack, I am slightly concerned about the safety of it when I live on a 110 km/h freeway.
check the link between the steering column and the rack, were there any strange noises when you were forcing the steering? sounds like it may be slightly lose and skipped a spline with the extra load from no p/steering. highly unlikely it'll be anything else in the steering system or you'd notice it from daily driving, did bob jane do your alignment? (they can never seem to get the wheel straight lol) also if there was something on it's way out who ever did the alignment should have picked it up and told you....
There was no strange noises when moving it. Bridgestone did the alignment, never ever going back to bob jane again after they sold me faulty/brittle lock nuts and tools and old warehouse tryes which was cracked/flat spots etc Will check out the link, do you know what the link is called in case I need to order a new one? Since posting this I have noticed my passenger side inner rod end has a mm or two play (not hugely noticable though) so will replace them just to be on the safe side but I doubt that would alter the steering wheel. Thanks for your help
The part that has probably slipped is called the "lower clamp" - someone probably forgot to tighten the clamp bolt when the rack was touched last. It is loosened to allow the rack to be removed and connects the steering column shaft to the steering rack pinion shaft. It probably just needs tightening however if it's been slipping for a while it may have worn the spline on the pinion shaft....however that is a remote possibility.
