Ford Focus Mk.2 - vague steering and too much roll
Discussion
Hi everyone,
First post and apologies for length.
I have a Mk.2 Focus Focus that has some suspension, steering and perhaps tyre issues, which I would really like to fix. It has been in to the local Ford dealer a couple of times and has come back out with no-fault-found. I suspect they think I am imagining the problems.
I am also a non-expert, as will become obvious. So I ask you, fellow PistonHeads, to aid me in my quest.
There are two main issues, which are possibly related, and are broadly thus:
Steering
The steering seems very vague. When I bought the car, it felt tight and responsive. The handling was one of the things I liked most about the car, but now it’s all mushy and I don't like driving it anymore. Think: crispy vs soggy cornflakes.
The Focus, for those that don’t already know has three electronic steering settings: Comfort, Standard and Sport. Neither of these brings back the old feel - they just reduce the apparent weight of the steering. This isn't the fix I'm looking for.
I can pin down the moment things changed. I was getting out of the way of an ambulance on blues and twos and drove into a previously unnoticed, and very deep, pothole (on the left hand side). It hasn’t felt right since. So much for Karma, eh? I’m certain something must have got bent, but the dealer says they can’t find anything amiss. I’m not convinced they looked hard enough. If they drove the car for a few miles they would know something wasn’t right.
Making me feel even more uncomfortable about the whole thing is the pronounced tyre roar, especially when steering left and driving at speed (40mph+). When steering right, there is additional tyre roar, but not as bad. There is a slightly different feel to the steering in a left turn compared to a right turn. Steer straight ahead and the tyre roar all but disappears. My guess is that this is caused by weird tyre wear - but this isn’t obvious to me from the tread and I am unwilling to throw new tyres at a problem I think might be steering related. However, I would be interested in suggestion on quiet tyres for when the problem is fixed.
I have had the wheels balanced and aligned - but it hasn’t made any significant difference.
Any ideas what could be bent or what should be checked?
Suspension
The problem with the suspension is that it feels much too soft. There is a lot of roll going into corners, much like an old Merc E-class I once drove. While many might think it praise indeed for a Focus, I feel sure that it wasn’t always like this - it used to be quite firm. (Hmmm... I could also be talking about my other half here) The car gives very little confidence going into corners and understeer always feels like it's a whisker away. I am certain it used to feel quite surefooted.
My other car is a Jag XF, which is just marvellous and perhaps I’m spoiled by it and my judgement is clouded because of this. Obviously, there's the FWD vs RWD difference also, but I'm sure it's not just that. I drove a new Astra last week for a few days (not thinking of buying) and that reminded me how good the Focus used to feel. Please help me get this feeling back!
I do not want to end up with half the Demon Tweeks catalogue, I just want to sort out the roll problems. What should I replace?
I have probably left out some important details - if that’s the case, please ask and I will try to answer as best I can.
All advice and suggestions gratefully received.
Theo
First post and apologies for length.
I have a Mk.2 Focus Focus that has some suspension, steering and perhaps tyre issues, which I would really like to fix. It has been in to the local Ford dealer a couple of times and has come back out with no-fault-found. I suspect they think I am imagining the problems.
I am also a non-expert, as will become obvious. So I ask you, fellow PistonHeads, to aid me in my quest.
There are two main issues, which are possibly related, and are broadly thus:
Steering
The steering seems very vague. When I bought the car, it felt tight and responsive. The handling was one of the things I liked most about the car, but now it’s all mushy and I don't like driving it anymore. Think: crispy vs soggy cornflakes.
The Focus, for those that don’t already know has three electronic steering settings: Comfort, Standard and Sport. Neither of these brings back the old feel - they just reduce the apparent weight of the steering. This isn't the fix I'm looking for.
I can pin down the moment things changed. I was getting out of the way of an ambulance on blues and twos and drove into a previously unnoticed, and very deep, pothole (on the left hand side). It hasn’t felt right since. So much for Karma, eh? I’m certain something must have got bent, but the dealer says they can’t find anything amiss. I’m not convinced they looked hard enough. If they drove the car for a few miles they would know something wasn’t right.
Making me feel even more uncomfortable about the whole thing is the pronounced tyre roar, especially when steering left and driving at speed (40mph+). When steering right, there is additional tyre roar, but not as bad. There is a slightly different feel to the steering in a left turn compared to a right turn. Steer straight ahead and the tyre roar all but disappears. My guess is that this is caused by weird tyre wear - but this isn’t obvious to me from the tread and I am unwilling to throw new tyres at a problem I think might be steering related. However, I would be interested in suggestion on quiet tyres for when the problem is fixed.
I have had the wheels balanced and aligned - but it hasn’t made any significant difference.
Any ideas what could be bent or what should be checked?
Suspension
The problem with the suspension is that it feels much too soft. There is a lot of roll going into corners, much like an old Merc E-class I once drove. While many might think it praise indeed for a Focus, I feel sure that it wasn’t always like this - it used to be quite firm. (Hmmm... I could also be talking about my other half here) The car gives very little confidence going into corners and understeer always feels like it's a whisker away. I am certain it used to feel quite surefooted.
My other car is a Jag XF, which is just marvellous and perhaps I’m spoiled by it and my judgement is clouded because of this. Obviously, there's the FWD vs RWD difference also, but I'm sure it's not just that. I drove a new Astra last week for a few days (not thinking of buying) and that reminded me how good the Focus used to feel. Please help me get this feeling back!
I do not want to end up with half the Demon Tweeks catalogue, I just want to sort out the roll problems. What should I replace?
I have probably left out some important details - if that’s the case, please ask and I will try to answer as best I can.
All advice and suggestions gratefully received.
Theo
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