'american film' style steering

[skinnyman9000 0]

You've seen the films, where they're in the car and they move the wheel from side to side slightly but nothing happens, thats what i have.

 

I have move the steering wheel left or right for an inch (maybe less) before anything happens. So the steering wheel is uber light and doesnt do anything, then when it does the steering comes in nice and heavy as it should. Is this the usual 'dodgy steering' that people refer to?

[junkie 0]

Usually the dodgy steering is the rear bushes giving passive steering. My steering wheel is the same.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Ditto. But never thought it could be something on the rear. Was thinking more the ball joints. But its had a laser alignment and nothing was spotted

[weetos 0]

Sounds similar to mine as you say quite vague on the straight, can be a bit scary when travelling at speed on a country b-road with lots of bumps / camber changes :eek: but good in the corners

 

Sound familiar??

[skinnyman9000 0]

Sounds similar to mine as you say quite vague on the straight, can be a bit scary when travelling at speed on a country b-road with lots of bumps / camber changes :eek: but good in the corners

 

Sound familiar??

 

Very. Defo feels dodgy on country roads because you turn the wheel slightly to account for a bend or whatever, and nothing happens, so you turn it a bit more it turns alot (in comparison to your last twitch of the wheel).

 

Its not a MAJOR problem, but something i might sort out if it doesnt cost too much (unlikely) and is easy enough to do (again, unlikely)

[weetos 0]

Very. Defo feels dodgy on country roads because you turn the wheel slightly to account for a bend or whatever, and nothing happens, so you turn it a bit more it turns alot (in comparison to your last twitch of the wheel).

 

Its not a MAJOR problem, but something i might sort out if it doesnt cost too much (unlikely) and is easy enough to do (again, unlikely)

seems to get worse under heavy braking too esp on camber change. The drive home from work has such a corner, left hander downhill starts on a camber change and it's on the end of a mile long straight (i just can't help booting it :pale: )

[Jim 1]

This comes back to the 'dodgy steering' thread. I've been systematically stuff on my car.. this has included:

 

* New Koni shocks / springs all round, built using brand new VW everything (bump stops, top mounts, etc)

* Balljoints

* Wishbones

* Rear axle bushes

* VAG front wheel bearings about 2 months ago

* Alignment / tracking about 20 freaking times

 

The car does handle lots better now but still has the 'vagueness' and suffers from the same as you guys - under hard acceleration the steering is vague, white lines on the road pull my car all over the place, and under braking it squirms left and right like hell. I've been told that the next stop is the steering column (I have a fixed height one from a Polo waiting to go on) and a new universal joint - problem is they cost about £180 from VW.... :(

 

So - in short, its a potential money pit trying to fix this problem. Just be aware of it before you starting trying to get into it.. when you've spent as much as I have and still haven't cured it, its not that amusing :(

[boost monkey 0]

^^^ U/J play is reaallly easy to Check Jim, I wouldn't go shelling out £180 (ummm,, WTF) at VW yet. Also nip up the U/J bolt (and replace?) whilst you're down there. The U/Js I've played with are solid as you like so I'm not sure how (or if) they wear out, can't see the engineering behind it?

 

Have you checked the rack yet? I'm still learning, but there seems to bea lot of things you can check with the rack itself. It IS possible to get that brand-new steering feel back!

 

The rack I have in bits is really taut, and the second the spline starts turning on the top (connects to U/J & steering column) one of the arm goes out and the other comes into the body.

[weetos 0]

^^

 

think ill live with it then

 

any how we dont live in america - we in the uk have bendy roads :clap:

[dr_mat 0]

Wheel bearings?

[junkie 0]

Ditto. But never thought it could be something on the rear. Was thinking more the ball joints. But its had a laser alignment and nothing was spotted

 

I explained pretty crap what i meant i will try again.

 

I was trying to get at what he meant by dodgy steering, a lot of people complain about it feeling unstable in the corners which can be the bushes, but obviously that wont cause the steering wheel to feel loose, just some people who dont know anything can get confused by small things.

 

Chris not saying you know nothing by the way.

[Jim 1]

^^^ U/J play is reaallly easy to Check Jim, I wouldn't go shelling out £180 (ummm,, WTF) at VW yet. Also nip up the U/J bolt (and replace?) whilst you're down there. The U/Js I've played with are solid as you like so I'm not sure how (or if) they wear out, can't see the engineering behind it?

 

Have you checked the rack yet? I'm still learning, but there seems to bea lot of things you can check with the rack itself. It IS possible to get that brand-new steering feel back!

 

The rack I have in bits is really taut, and the second the spline starts turning on the top (connects to U/J & steering column) one of the arm goes out and the other comes into the body.

 

Would love a bit more information on this UJ bolt mate. Do I get at all this down in the footwell? I've never dared get in there and investigate if i'm totally honest!

[boost monkey 0]

Yeah, there are 2 U/J bolts. The first one is kinda tricky to get to as it's the bolt which tightens the U/J onto the top splined piece of the steering rack itself. If you can get the rubber cover off and are Stretch Armstrong, it should be ok.

 

The other U/J bolt is above this by about 8" (just cabin-side of the firewall/bulkhead) and you can find it just above the pedals on the inside. There's some info on it on my "how to strip a PAS rack" thread, as I took some pics of the spare column i have kicking about.

 

IIRC, the lower one is just a bolt with a threaded opposite side on the U/J, and the upper one (above pedals) is a bolt AND nut. I have a new VAG one here if you'd like the part numbers, should be a a quid, if not less. The nut is copper so looks orangey brown and I think it's a 10mm or a 13mm, one of the 2.

 

Sometimes if there is a tiny bit of slack in this bolt it can translate into a fair amount of vagueness, due to the rotational movement of the steering column and the slack that the loose bolt introduces... hope that makes sense...

 

I think you can leave all trim panels in place, if you're willing to kneel outside the car and kinda crane inwards. by the time you have a ratchet on one side and a spanner on the other, they don't normally slip off and the thread is quite wide so will prob only need a 1/2 turn max.

 

Let us know how you get on!

[Jim 1]

Blimey ok. Thanks for that. Having never stuck my head down there I can't visualize it all but when the weather is behaving i'll try have a look!

[skinnyman9000 0]

I can remember when i replaced my throttle cable, i took the seat out and ended up lying down on the floor with my head upside down under there, was very comfortable :lol:

 

I think this is more than likely going to get added to the growing 'to do list', which will probably remain undone in a years time!

[andy 0]

I've got exactly the same issue as this, I can waggle the steering left and right at quite serious speeds or even when going round a corner and not a lot happens, Its only compensated for by the fact that the rest of the experience is good, the car stays pretty flat and grips really well, its just feel that is absent and that initial turn in you seem to get on newer cars.

The strange thing is that my 18 year old Mk2 GTi is so twitchy (in a good way) about the straight ahead position, if you waggle the wheel in that the whole car pitches aggresively from side to side, nothing like the Corrado.