Heavy Steering Problem

[andy-w]

Hi all...need the help,advice and opinions of you lot once again...!!!

I use the car everyday as my daily runabout and was doing some maintenance on it over the weekend. I sorted out my problem with the breaks and they are fine but now i have a new problem.
I reversed the car off my drive this morning and drove through my estate with no problems but after about a mile or so the steering became really heavy...especially when turning left...to the point where i went round a roundabout and when i came to pull out of the corner the car didnt want to know...which was quite 'interesting'...i did notice that the rubber on the track rod end was split, badly, which brings me on to a second question...can anyone confirm the part number for these? Is it Unipart GSJ119???

Thanks

Andy

[tvrbob]

It is possible that one of the column UJ's has seized. These are before the PAS system so you would feel the full resistance of them seizing at the steering wheel.

[andy-w]

tvrbob said:

It is possible that one of the column UJ's has seized. These are before the PAS system so you would feel the full resistance of them seizing at the steering wheel.

Up behind the r/h wheel???
Could be...must admit i have not checked them yet. I shall go out and have a look soon and soak it in spray solvent cleaner then smother in spray grease...its mot time next month and i have got a few things i need to do!!!

[GreenV8S]

Does the steering feel lumpy/notchy, or is it just generally tightening up when you steer that way?

If it's notchy that probably points to a steering UJ problem. If it just goes tight sometimes it could be that your PAS is playing up (checked fluid levels?) or something is starting to seize. If it is seizing that's seriously bad news because you can end up sheering ball joints etc which would be rather catastrophic.

[andy-w]

Sorry, forgot to mention it is non-pas!!!
To be honest it felt fine before i took the caliper off and cleaned that up...but now it does feel notchy....when i had the car up on axle stands with the wheels off i turned the steering wheel and it was not a constant effort to go from one lock to the other. But it turns easier from right to left than left to right...if you see what i mean.

When going along in a straight line you can 'nudge' the steering so it is slightly either left or right from dead straight and the car will wander, rather then the steering go back to being straight.

Can see how cleaning the caliper would make and difference??
Think i might strip the steering down tonight and give it a good greasing all round!!!

[monkey boy]

Hi, I had a kit car some years ago that had a similar problem only that the stiffness came and went,nomally after hitting a bump in the road. It was the bottom ball joint/ track control arm. The rubber had split the joint had become dry and it was wearing through joint effectivly enlarging the hole. This lead to the two parts seizing/ locking on occasions, being freed by bumps in the road. I was inspecting the steering rack and connected components to no avail, when the cause became obvious when the wheel fell off! You say that the rubber on your joint is perished check this out as the steering and braking are impossible when this component fails.