Strange steering issue

[cam87]

Hi guys

Here's my issue.
For example if I drive at 70mph on a straight road the steering weight and feel is fine. If I were then to drive at 80 the feeling disappears by about 50% and the steering develops play in it by about 1 inch. My ideas are the pump or rack slider? It doesnt do it below 70 at all.
The car also passed its mot with flying colours last week.

The car has the following mods
bilstein coilovers
Ep3 track rods
Hard race rear camber arms
Eibach camber bolts
Re070 tyres (new)
Standard wheels
FRSU

Thanks for the input guys

 

[daniel-cmyk]

I have come across this same issue. The car has been checked and is solid, everything has been changed. I thought it could be a simple thing of wheel/tyre balancing.

I'm still yet to get the wheels balanced as I only come to this conclusion last week but I think this maybe the issue. My car is totally standard and not long been in the country. I don't get an inch of play though, more of a 'feels a little loose' feel although it's not.

There's literally is no sign of play anywhere and this only happens going past 75mph.

Do you get any vibration from your steering wheel at this speed?

As for any other possibilities, I'm useless haha.

 

[cam87]

hi

thanks for the reply!

Yes there is a slight bit of vibration through the wheel but i put this down the the tyres, they have a tough sidewall, the road surface and the extra vibration due to play in the wheel. I have ordered a solid steering rack slider and new hardrace inner rack arms as if anything this really should help the play in the steering at least since this is my main issue and im sure its corrupting the feedback because of it. The car does feel planted and behaved brilliantly on track a few months back. I just find it strange that it only does it above a certain speed and is perfect otherwise.
I take it you have changed the slider too?
My car is on 97500 miles so there has to be play in the slider and inner rack arms to a certain degree, how many has yours done? are the wheels standard? possibly a spigot ring issue?

 

[daniel-cmyk]

I take it you have changed the slider too?
My car is on 97500 miles so there has to be play in the slider and inner rack arms to a certain degree, how many has yours done? are the wheels standard? possibly a spigot ring issue?

So my car was imported a few months ago and been in my hands for 5 weeks. All these things were checked and changed before it was given to me. Tie rod ends etc. The only thing that wasn't changed was the rack slider but there is no play in my rack at all so I cant imagine is it that. Possible still, but I don't think so.

My mileage is 83k. The car is totally standard. The reason I think tyres for myself was that I put the rear wheels on the front and replaced the rears with some others as the ones that came from japan were not for our roads. Since changing them, the wheels haven't been balanced but considering they came from the rear you wouldn't know if they were balanced correctly as you wouldn't feel it on the rear as much as you would on the front.

The whole thing of the issue coming after 75mph is a common thing with wheels being unbalanced.

Who put your tyres on and when? Maybe it's worth a double check taking them back and making sure they're balanced to rule it out. They'll do it free as they fitted the tyres!

But with yourself saying there's 50% less feeling and an inch of play, I'd say it is more than wheel balancing when thinking about it but with it being completely fine below 70mph, is odd. If a dodgy spigot, you'll notice this when hard turning at a medium speed I'm guessing.

You can see the slider from the rear of the engine compartment. Get someone to play with the wheel and have a look and you'll be able to see if there's play. Not the most intricate way of diagnosing I know but it could rule it out or in.

Hope you get it sorted soon!

 

[cam87]

morning,

i think having the steering rack slider might help but as you say may not be the cause. How did you buy the car from? in my expierence they change as little as possible before they sell the car to you. Another possiblity like with myself is maybe a wheel is buckled? it wouldnt explain the steering wheel play with me though as im sure thats a slider issue as the track rod ends are new for example.

The tyres were fitted new on saturday, i will have the wheels balanced again though when it goes in next week just to be sure and checked to make sure they are not buckled. If the rack slider/ inner arms arent the issue then i can only think wheel alignment or a steering column issue but again the alignment wouldnt cause steering play and the coloumn would cause issues below 70 in my eyes.

another thing i read on the slider diy is that the rack can be adjusted after fitting the slider this may help you and is something i will also have checked


I hope you get it sorted shortly and i will update when i know more!

 

[daniel-cmyk]

Hey man,

My car was imported by my good friends company 'Daisuki JDM'. He's not that mainstream as others as he's been in the game for only a few years but I don't trust many with cars, especially with imports! I know him and I know exactly what he's like. Torque GT are great but were too far for me and didn't have a spec I wanted, and personal import would have taken months! My friend helped me and did all the ground work. Cut a long story short, he made sure the car was practically mechanically perfect before giving it to me. He changed the tie rods and engine mount. He's still helping me diagnose the issue even though it is so minor but has thoroughly checked everything.

The rack hasn't been taken apart but once wheel balancing has been done and if the issue is still there, I'm gonna get onto this. My car doesn't go above 70mph on a day to day basis so it's not a problem for me really, but be nice to see what is doing it.

I think a lot of DC5's on here are doing it without people realising is as a few people have mentioned this but cannot be diagnosed on a forum as it's an issue that needs to be seen first hand.

I'm gonna look into the slider DIY if balancing doesn't fix it!

I'll keep you updated and vice versa!

 

[carl hammond]

Have you guys considered a faulty wheel bearing, not sure if I posted it here but I had a weird noise and feel from the car and it ended up being a wheel bearing and it wasn't anything like any other wheel bearing going that I have ever known or encountered before.

TGM took two test drives to diagnose it, this or balancing, damaged buckled wheel or maybe dodgy tyre, if it was the rack I would have expected it to have been all the time not only at certain speeds, but my bearing was fine until I was hitting about 65-70 and then suddenly it all felt wrong.

 

[daniel-cmyk]

Have you guys considered a faulty wheel bearing, not sure if I posted it here but I had a weird noise and feel from the car and it ended up being a wheel bearing and it wasn't anything like any other wheel bearing going that I have ever known or encountered before.

TGM took two test drives to diagnose it, this or balancing, damaged buckled wheel or maybe dodgy tyre, if it was the rack I would have expected it to have been all the time not only at certain speeds, but my bearing was fine until I was hitting about 65-70 and then suddenly it all felt wrong.

I surprisingly got these checked quickly last week as well but wasn't these. I may get them checked again now you've brought it to my attention. I have put it down to wheel balancing or a slightly bucket wheel. I'm gonna have to do some wheel swapping and test driving and see what happens.

I'll keep this tread posted.

 

[carl hammond]

I surprisingly got these checked quickly last week as well but wasn't these. I may get them checked again now you've brought it to my attention. I have put it down to wheel balancing or a slightly bucket wheel. I'm gonna have to do some wheel swapping and test driving and see what happens.

I'll keep this tread posted.

Yeah mine was really weird mate, none of the normal tell tale signs of a bearing going, a weird noise, only at higher speeds and no movement or anything, really baffled myself and a few mates so booked at TGM, first test drive we couldn't work it out, a few wheel swaps and test drives and again it was there but hard to tell so as it was booked in we just pulled it apart and turned out the bearing was shot

It was annoyingly hard to explain and notice unless you listened for it but all good now.

Fingers crossed you sort it easily mate

 

[cam87]

thanks for the advice, ill update you next week when it goes in. the wheel bearings will be due for changing in the near future but the main thing after sorting this is the gearbox and all the bearings

 

[daniel-cmyk]

**Update**

Got the front wheels balanced and the vibration has stopped! I'm still yet to notice any 'loose' feel as I haven't driven the car over 40mph since but will update again once I do drive over 70mph!

Fingers crossed!!

 

[daniel-cmyk]

**Update again**

Wheel balancing cleared my issue!

Good luck with sorting yours!

 

[cam87]

How strange!

I had the slider fitted and the issue was still there but I knew something wasnt right with the new tyres fitted last week. Had then checked - no weights on 1 and the other wasnt balanced properly. Issue gone.
Never come across balancing causing wandering steering in my life. The slider must of helped but I wouldnt of thought to that extent

 

[daniel-cmyk]

Haha, the most simple things make the biggest difference!

I knew the way you was describing it was very similar to my issue! The DC5s are very sensitive to these things. It was causing mine to almost steer left and right slightly. The car drives so sweet on motorways now!

Glad it's sorted with just a simple, cheap fix!!

 

[daniel-cmyk]

How strange!

I had the slider fitted and the issue was still there but I knew something wasnt right with the new tyres fitted last week. Had then checked - no weights on 1 and the other wasnt balanced properly. Issue gone.
Never come across balancing causing wandering steering in my life. The slider must of helped but I wouldnt of thought to that extent

Haha, the most simple things make the biggest difference!

I knew the way you was describing it was very similar to my issue! The DC5s are very sensitive to these things. It was causing mine to almost steer left and right slightly. The car drives so sweet on motorways now!

Glad it's sorted with just a simple, cheap fix!!

 

[carl hammond]

How strange!

I had the slider fitted and the issue was still there but I knew something wasnt right with the new tyres fitted last week. Had then checked - no weights on 1 and the other wasnt balanced properly. Issue gone.
Never come across balancing causing wandering steering in my life. The slider must of helped but I wouldnt of thought to that extent

Very much doubt the slider has done anything at all in this case, it's as said above one of those simple but annoying cheap fixes that even with the slightest miss alignment or miss balance the car will be noticeably bad to drive

Glad it's sorted

 

[cam87]

Yeah it must be really sensitive to anything like this. Mine was steering left to right quite badly on the motorway at 70mph. It does it ever so slightly now on certain motorway surfaces but I put this down to the hard sidewalks and the FRSU.

Thank you for all your inputs guys