Wandering Steering

[64X]

Hi Been away for a while - family troubles and stuff.

anyway///

I've noticed that the car seems to wander left and right which seems to follow the track of the road.

When I feel the wheel (left and right) there seems to be no play on the steering.

Now when I bought the car last year - I don't remember feeling this. But maybe t has crept up on me.

I have only done a couple of thousand miles since buying it in November.

After a bloody crap start to this year I finally got it out for a stretch of legs.

I took my daughter down to the west country for a couple of weeks and it drove remarkably fine after the lack of use. I have to admit that even with my daughter in the car - I did cane it a few times and thoroughly enjoyed it around some of the little roads down there in Cornwall. (obviously well within the speed limits at all times)

My question is this: I have only made one major change (new tyres on the BACK).

These are Toyo Proxies (or something like that) - They used to be SO2's.

I have SO3's on the front.

Could the change of tyre and maybe tyre pressure on the back lead to this wandering?

Cheers.

Mike.

[tvrgit]

You might be right about the tyres, but the first thing I would check, especially on a car that hasn't been used much, is that the universal joints in the steering column aren't siezing up. Feel for play or tight bits as you turn the steering from side to side. Try giving the joints a squirt of spray grease - if the problems goes away, then you'll know.

Grease is not a long term fix, a new joint is the only answer.

[64X]

Ok mate - thanks for that - I'll have to get that checked out - but the steering feels fine - except when I'm driving - not good I suppose.

Cheers.

Mike.

[Ireland]

I assume you've checked your tyre pressures ???

22 - front

24 - back

(well that's what it says in the book and it works fine for me).

Also how wide are the front tyres?

Anything more than a 225 will cause the car to do what you are decsribing.

Check those bits and if it doesn't sort it let us know.

[alinton]

S03s will do this too!

Believe me, change away from them and it'll transfom the handling.

I went to Goodyear Eagle F1s. Made a huge difference.

A.

[Gazzab]

Agree - S03s create horrible tamlining, steering pulled here there and everywhere.... Ditch them!

[64X]

Thanks all for your input.

Hopefully then it might just be a simple tyre/pressure setup problem rather than anything more serious (apart from the possible UJ's in the stearing column)

Cheers.

Mike.