RealBeale

Active Member

• Mar 26, 2014

• #1

Done a search and found nothing specific to my problem.
Ok, so if I losen my grip on the steering wheel as I come to a halt with the brakes on the steering wheel will pull sharply to the left ot right depending on where the wheel is pointing . i.e. if I let go of the wheel with it pointing dead ahead, it remains dead ahead. If I do it either slightly left or right, it will pull /turn left or right. A bit like when a brake is binding on one side. But it dies this on either side, like I say, when the wheels are slightly pointing in that direction.
Any ideas ?

 

essexpestcontrol

New Member

• Mar 26, 2014

• #2

sounds normal to me, what do you think it should do? not pull in the direction of wheels?

 

RealBeale

Active Member

• Mar 26, 2014

• #3

essexpestcontrol said:

sounds normal to me, what do you think it should do? not pull in the direction of wheels?

Click to expand...

Maybe I should have made it clearer. It snatches the wheel HARD round.And I'm not talking heavy braking either, literally as the car gently stops. The wheels will point far in excess of the slight right or left position they were in before releasing the steering wheel and I mean dangerously so.
It's certainly not a normal thing. Not something I've had on the many vehicles I've owned over 25 years of driving, and not something this car has ever done in the 6 years of my ownership.

 

GrumpyGel

Well-Known Member

• Mar 26, 2014

• #4

Just took my '99 Diesel for a spin and checked it out.

If I'm driving in a straight line and brake with my hands off the wheel - it brakes in a straight line.

If I'm driving, turn the wheel to turn and let go of the wheel - the wheel spins back to straight.

If I'm driving, turn the wheel to turn, brake and let go of the wheel - the wheel spins back to straight.

I couldn't make it pull to the left or right - when ever I took my hands off the wheel, regardless of whether I was braking or not, the wheel turned back to straight.

Sounds like you have a problem. Tyre pressures OK? Tracking OK? Drop links OK? Wishbones/track rods straight? If you have a lift-kit, is the camber OK? Had any accident repairs, is the steering geometry OK? They're my thoughts.

 

Nodge68

Well-Known Member

• Mar 26, 2014

• #5

It sounds like you could have a valve fault with the rack. Or the tracking is miles out, upsetting the Ackermann angle. I would think you would notice excessive tyre wear with that.
The suspension geometry is designed to straighten the wheels during forward motion, much like the wheels on a shopping trolley. This is achieved by adding king pin inclination. What you described, sounds like the effects you get when driving backwards. This would give reversed king pin inclination and a reversed steering effect.

 

T

Tannaton

Active Member

• Mar 27, 2014

• #6

This sounds weird, but looking at it logically, to move the steering wheel when braking suggests that significant force is being applied to the track rods and this can only happen because of the wheel (or more specifically front hub) moving or trying to move.

If that is the case then either some part of your front suspension is bent in such a way the steering geometry is significantly our of alignment (as per Nodge68 suggestion) or broken. Suggest you start by measuring the clearance between the rearmost edge of the front tyre and the wheel arch. If one wheel is pushed back a bit - that could be your problem. The front suspension is quite simple so you should check the wishbone is not bent, the bottom ball-joints are sound and the mountings are secure.

In any case you should get to the bottom of this before using the car again.

 

Epicuser

Ex Freelander Owner

• Mar 27, 2014

• #7

I understand that one of the effects of a failing VCU is the steering no longer self centres. Not saying this is the cause in this case, sounds like something more serious in the steering area to me.

 

dave21478

Active Member

• Mar 27, 2014

• #8

When I first picked up my Mazda, it behaved like this. It would wrench quite violently to whatever side the steering was pointing when slowing down to a stop. It also tended to not self-centre out of corners.
It turned out to be the front wheel alignment which was tragically far out of spec. A quick tracking job at a garage cured it.