Ae82 Steering Problems, Solved

[Johno]

G'day :yes:

 

I have a few problems with my ae82 sedan with the steering.

I chucked a 4age in my car and now i have really bad torque steer, I don't have power steering but i can sorta manage to control the torque steer but I have another problem...

 

When ever I go over a dip in the road or a small bump the steering seems to have a life of its own and wants to either go left or right. What was really scary was the other night, it was a really wet dark road and pissing down rain (first time i drove in the rain with the sedan). As I'm driving along, every time i hit a small puddle the car wanted to turn. It took all my effort just to keep the car in a straight line. At one time it was so bad I had the steering wheel turned to 10o'clock when the car was going straight.

 

Funny thing is i never have this problem in the dry. The steering is not loose and drives fine until I eather hit a dip in the road or drive in the wet so what could be wrong with my car? :hmm:

Edited May 13, 2010 by Johno

[Trev]

Did you swap a power rack out for a Manual rack?

[Johno]

Nope, The car was always manual steering..

A mate suggested it could be bad suspension but the suspension in my EL falcon is totally f@$ked and its steering is fine over bumps or puddles on the wet road.

[Trev]

So you changed nothing and it has become like this?

 

Get a wheel alignment, I have a theory about front ends when they get lower that I have been told is bullshit so I won't post it here but to me the extra bit of weight seems to be doing it to yours.

[Johno]

I removed the whole front end and went to replace it with a twinky setup when it was off the road while doing the 4age change over but when i found out i had to change the steering as well I changed it all back to stock 4ac gear again. Maybe i buggered something up but just wondering what would make my steering like this. Maybe its just me as i haven't driven a manual steering car for nearly 7 years and forgot what its like to feel the road through the wheel but i don't ever recall have these problems when i drove the seca for 4 months or so a few years back :yes:

[towe001]

I'm with Trev on this - get a wheel alignment.

 

Did you pull the gearbox out to help with swapping the motor over ?

 

Most times torque steer is cause of the driveshafts being of different lengths and from memory the car should be pulling to the left when you plant the foot and by the sound of it you have a pretty bad case of toe out on the left side

 

But

 

If you've lowered the car you could have introduced some bump steer into the steering which is what your seeing when you go over a bump or a dip

 

But

 

Another thing with a fwd is that they tend to have a bit more toe-in on the front wheels cause the motor will want to force the wheels to toe-out when you accelerate.

 

But

 

Loose wheel nuts can cause a similar problems.

 

So can rooted (or loose) ball joints.

 

Manual steered fwd - maybe if the thing was under a 1.2litre but still....

 

And to condense it -

check your nuts

and get a wheel alignment

:yes:

[Johno]

Thanks for the replies, the steering is very light when I'm cruising but that sound right about bump steer but i have not lowered the car yet.. It hasn't really had any maintenance since i owned it apart from the RWC and the mechanic said my left lower ball joint needs replacing cos it moves a little bit. I checked over it and managed to tighten it some more and he was then satisfied that it was ok. I'll get a wheel alignment done and see where it goes from there

 

Edit: lower ball joint problem was found and tightened when it was getting the rwc.

Double edit: All wheel nuts are tight, I went round with a breaker bar and double checked everything when one wheel almost came off a few weeks back

Edited May 10, 2010 by Johno

[towe001]

Thanks for the replies, the steering is very light when I'm cruising

Whats it like at car park speeds ? Should be heavy, real heavy thats typical fwd steering. Make sure they check the castor as well, you could have some positive castor happening.

If its a bitch to turn when stationery but gets easier when your moving thats positive. It should get harder to turn as you move.

 

 

Thinking about it and i'd more then likely say that'd be the problem.

 

You can check it yourself just have a google on how to check the castor. Its fairly easy to diy.

[Trev]

If you've lowered the car you could have introduced some bump steer into the steering which is what your seeing when you go over a bump or a dip

 

This is what I didn't wanna say, Was told that raising and lowering a car does not do this and that I am full of shit, I used to do racecar suspension setup and geometry at my last job and I raised a mates Z32 and told him to get a wheel alignment but he didn't and he wondered why it drove like a POS.

 

but that sound right about bump steer but i have not lowered the car yet..

 

Putting extra weight in the front will lower the car, I am now not sure how much heavier the twinky is over the sohc but there is sure to be a difference.

[towe001]

This is what I didn't wanna say, Was told that raising and lowering a car does not do this and that I am full of shit, I used to do racecar suspension setup and geometry at my last job and I raised a mates Z32 and told him to get a wheel alignment but he didn't and he wondered why it drove like a POS.

Its all to do with the angles of the steering arms to the angles of the suspension arms and their hinge points. Its one of the reasons why the ae86's have the RCA's for is to correct the angles and reduce the bump steer etc.

 

 

But anywhat, from what Johno said in his first post i'd reckon it'd be some thing to do with the castor angles.

Positive castor brings in-stability, or rather the car doesn't feel stable - its steering to the left or to the right.

 

Loose wheel nuts can also do something similar as i found out many blue moons ago

[Trev]

Its all to do with the angles of the steering arms to the angles of the suspension arms and their hinge points. Its one of the reasons why the ae86's have the RCA's for is to correct the angles and reduce the bump steer etc.

 

 

But anywhat, from what Johno said in his first post i'd reckon it'd be some thing to do with the castor angles.

Positive castor brings in-stability, or rather the car doesn't feel stable - its steering to the left or to the right.

 

Loose wheel nuts can also do something similar as i found out many blue moons ago

 

I know that, It is what I tried to explain.

[towe001]

:yes:

:hmm:

:hmm:

Edited May 10, 2010 by towe001

[Trev]

I am telling that wife of yours that you have your monkey out again :yes:

[towe001]

Go on i dare ya

she might just spank it for me :yes:

[Johno]

Whats it like at car park speeds ? Should be heavy, real heavy thats typical fwd steering. Make sure they check the castor as well, you could have some positive castor happening.

If its a bitch to turn when stationery but gets easier when your moving thats positive. It should get harder to turn as you move.

 

 

Thinking about it and i'd more then likely say that'd be the problem.

 

You can check it yourself just have a google on how to check the castor. Its fairly easy to diy.

 

Yeah, I thought maybe its the castor but its stiff when i am moving slow. I'll get a alignment done and see what they say.

 

Thank you :yes: