Dodgy steering - A cure

[Blue_Joe 0]

No Problems Glad I could help!

[monVR6 0]

Hi all - long time no posts !! Last time I was on, I was having new ball joints and a general suspension check-over done. Well - things seem better, but still not fully resolved in my opinion (maybe I'm just too damn fussy). I'm gonna live with it for the time being but may consider changing my Weitec set-up for Koni TAs at some point.

 

Quick - (perhaps silly) question - can I uprate just the rear anti-roll bar to help control roll?? I've read it is the rear that does most of the work anyway??

 

Cheers all

[dinkus 10]

As I see this thread has re-emerged, I thought that I should contribute...

 

I just had my rear suspension and bushes entirely replaced and that has tightened the whole car up considerably, most noticably the steering and stability at speed... ;)

[dr_mat 0]

The general gist of this thread appears to be coming down to:

 

Q: Steering problems?

 

A: Replace all the suspension, the steering components and all the bushes.

 

:)

[VR6 0]

Mat :lol:

 

Q: Steering problems?

 

A: Buy a cavalier

[dr_mat 0]

Less of the cheek, boy. Just cos you found a Corrado that actually WORKS, doesn't mean you should rub it in! :(

[dr_mat 0]

Just checked my "spreadsheet of shame": the C has cost me £5000 just in repairs ALONE in two and a half years. That doesn't include the new steering rack and rechip that has to go on next month.

Nor does it include the purchase of the Schrick manifold, nor the bits of trim and wheels I've updated.

I've been unlucky, I know that, but I think anyone would be pissed off if faced with that kind of figure.

I'd like to point out aswell, that the car WORKED PERFECTLY when I bought it - it's not that I bought a car with a shed load of problems, I simply owned it at just the wrong time... :(

[dinkus 10]

Just checked my "spreadsheet of shame": the C has cost me £5000 just in repairs ALONE in two and a half years. That doesn't include the new steering rack and rechip that has to go on next month.

Nor does it include the purchase of the Schrick manifold, nor the bits of trim and wheels I've updated.

I've been unlucky, I know that, but I think anyone would be pissed off if faced with that kind of figure.

I'd like to point out aswell, that the car WORKED PERFECTLY when I bought it - it's not that I bought a car with a shed load of problems, I simply owned it at just the wrong time... :(

 

I feel your pain, I've spent about £1.5k on repair work alone in my first 3 months of ownership. I've spent another £1k on cosmetic stuff too and I still have a wish list of parts totalling over £1k....

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Resurrecting the steering aspect of this thread, I had a little butchers at the column gubbins last night whilst changing out the throttle cable.

 

It seems mine isn't half as worn or sh@gged as I first suspected but what I did find were loose nuts and bolts, which now that they've been leaned on again has resulted in a much strurdier column - i.e. significantly less of that familiar clonking/rattling/wobbling and a loose feel over certain bumps/surfaces etc.

 

In fact all aspects of the steer have been markedley improved/tightened up.

 

There's a big base plate that attaches the column to the bulkhead, it's next to the servo plate. Check all 6 or 7 of the nuts covered with tippex, 3 or 4 of mine were loose. Not removable by hand loose, but in need of a few grunts on the old socket....and grunt you will cause it's tight down there.

 

After they're tight, have a gander at the column itself and you'll notice a long bolt passing through a metal thing above the main column tube. It has a rubber err, thing in it. 13mm bolt passing through to a 10mm nut. Tighten the 10mm nut which could be felt to 'clamp' something up....couldn't see what though!

 

Sorry that's all a bit vague, didn't have my camera with me at the time but you'll see what I mean when you're down there.

 

The Corrado is actually a good steer.....sometimes.

[LarryDuff 0]

After they're tight, have a gander at the column itself and you'll notice a long bolt passing through a metal thing above the main column tube. It has a rubber err, thing in it. 13mm bolt passing through to a 10mm nut. Tighten the 10mm nut which could be felt to 'clamp' something up....couldn't see what though!

 

Cheers Kev, I had a go at this today and there is a noticable improvement to the steering feel - less vibration of the wheel over bumps mainly. 6 of the 7 nuts were 'loose'.

 

You're not sh*ting about the grunting though, it's a kind of involuntary grunt whilst trying to avoid poking yourself in the eye with the clutch pedal and contorting your arms to get enough leverage to turn the nuts 8)

 

Couldn't locate the bolt/nut described above tho - gave up in the end before my back popped out!

[Tekara 0]

Couldn't locate the bolt/nut described above tho - gave up in the end before my back popped out!

 

If im not mistaken the bolt is just up from the bottom of the of the steering coloum where is joins the base plate.

 

Good find Kev, several of mine where loose definitely a more sturdy feel now. Shame its not cured my steering, but every little helps

[billinjah 0]

ill give this a go my clunking is getting worse and becoming noticable to passengers which worries them a bit!

[corradophil 3]

Yep, I tightened the bolts as described in Kevs post - It made a definate inprovement. Well worth doing.

[dr_mat 0]

Well. Yes, it was the steering column. Now I have a younger, spritelier column attached to my VR, the steering feels incredible. The play has all gone, the car feels more informative, more alive, more stable in a straight line, more *classy* ..

Wish I'd done this years ago.

My column now has ~50k miles on it, instead of 126k, and the whole car feels so much better it's just not true.

Recommendation to everyone with a high mileage car: do it - no amount of tweakage and tightening will fix what is basically a shagged column (didn't I just know it would be the stupid and pointless tilt-adjustment?!).

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I knew you'd be happy after I checked your column on Friday, it is indeed tight.

 

We checked your dismantled old column and the bearings were fine. Your problem was the same as mine, wear between the two halves of the alloy rake adjustment blocks.

 

We sorted that a different (and cheaper) way on mine and got the same results :-)

 

You can also turn that large 22mm preload screw on the rack in an 1/8th of a turn too, which also brings about vast improvements ;-)

[dr_mat 0]

Tell us more!

(Ya git! ;) )

BTW - the problem with mine was not just the rattly tilt adjust, there was rotational play in the universal joint in the top of the column.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

LOL...no way, it's our little secret ;-)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Tell us more!

(Ya git! ;) )

BTW - the problem with mine was not just the rattly tilt adjust, there was rotational play in the universal joint in the top of the column.

 

Strange, there wasn't any appreciable wear in the top bearing on the bench. I suppose under load, there might have been a small amount of play.

[dr_mat 0]

So, come on then, given that you now have had the opportunity to use my hard earned cash as a test base for your own benefit, please give the rest of us the knowledge!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Actually I used yours as a comparison *after* mine was fixed :-)

 

Think about it logically....where does most of the wear occur? Yep, between the two halves of the rake adjustment blocks. So if you happen to have a bunch of very thin stainless shims laying around....

 

I attribute this wear to people leaning on the steering wheel as the get in out of the car, and also when pushing the car. It puts a lot of lateral load on said alloy blocks and they eventually move apart slightly. It would take constant rake adjustment to exhibit that kind of wear, which few people do!

 

You can only do it if the pins haven't worn out. If they're loose, forget it, get a new column!

[dr_mat 0]

Can you just weld the fecker shut?

Who needs tilt anyway? I'd rather have the steering feel I have now, thankyouverymuch..

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Well this is what Vince and I deliberated on....fitting a fixed MK2 Golf column. You can't weld it shut but you could probably punch out the hinge pins and put a feck off great through-bolt in and clamp the fecker shut!

 

A MK4 column would be nice as they're a better design (no surprise there) but they're probably too different to be a straight swap.

 

I like the rake adjustment personally, I tend to slouch on long journeys so dropping the column down is comfy :-) No doubt the MK2 column would end up pointing at the ceiling and selling a Rado without height adjustment could affect the price.

[dr_mat 0]

There were Corrados with fixed columns, too. (Lucky buggers!)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Didn't know that! Must have been the early ones?

[Supercharged 2]

Early and late I think - some 2.0 8v's came with non adjustment (eco spec)

 

5 Columns in total but all 535 parts...