Steering Issue.

[jimnielsen]

During driving the Q4 flat-out on the track yesterday I was driving along the main straight at Sandown - when I noticed that the steering wheel was no longer pointing straight ahead yet the car was still driving straight, and seem quite well behaved. (Apart from a 'clunk' under heavy breaking...)

The steering wheel is splined to the column - so i can't have just slipped - but the fact is that is you line up the steering wheel the way it was - its now about 30 degrees 'out' when the wheels are pointing straight ahead???

Anyway I took off the front wheels to check everything - all seems ok.. no bent tie rods -

what could have caused this? Can the whole steering rack move sideways in its mounting?

jimn~

[wrinx]

So, it was tracking ok but now it's moved...but you haven't hit anything?

Might be worth checking the steering rack mounting points as someone recently mentioned they can break.

Also check the TREs and wishbones for wear.

wrinx

[axaQ42]

Yep i mentioned that can break....

Here is a pic of my s.rack brackets remade(stronger).
http://www.moj-album.com/slike/10558364/m3xBpLKLbj5m8Ukr.v.jpg

[jimnielsen]

could you tell that it was broken when it was up on a hoist - I am struggling to see anything amiss with mine yet. I was worried that one of the two splined uni joints on the steering column may have been loose (I like easy fixes..) but no such luck. But from what I can see from your pic . the rack is bolted SOLID to the lower subframe - its not just held by rubber collars allowing it to "move sideways a bit". I am baffled about how the steering wheel could be off center but nothing seems to be "wrong.." and the car drive straight as a die at 200km/h.

[arjunior45]

steering wheel 30 degrees out of the straight line just out of the blue is quite a lot!!! Is everything tied up properly?

[jimnielsen]

Problem solved. The front wheel alignment had gone BADLY askew because the bolts that join the hub/upright to the D2 struts had not been done up tightly enough by "somebody".

:)

[wrinx]

:doh::tapedshut:

wrinx

[cuore_sportivo_155]

i love cheap fixes though :)

[cuore_sportivo_155]

oh, and you'd better give 'someone' a caning too ;)

[arjunior45]

next time try to use "self-locking' {is the correct word ?}} nuts. I love them.

If everything is ok then no harm done.

Nick

[AlfaJack]

next time try to use "self-locking' {is the correct word ?}} nuts. I love them.

If everything is ok then no harm done.

Nick

or "Nylock" http://www.beedspeed.com/images/nut-nylock.jpg :smile:

[arjunior45]

or "Nylock" http://www.beedspeed.com/images/nut-nylock.jpg :smile:

that's exactly what I meant. Thanks Jack

Nick

[Evodelta]

Lucky it didn't come right off on the track...:eek:

I have some suspension bolts on my track car which always come undone, one day I will sort them out for good - probably with lock wire.