Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on????

[daddycool]

hi, i had my gearbox replaced and tracking was off, car pulling to the right (and more than a little bit). just been to get the tracking sorted and it's spot on. i'm going to take it to another place after work for a second opinion, but the first place i've used twice this year and always happy with the job.

what could be the problem here?

(apart from tracking not being checked correctly and low tyre pressure)

 

[Damo_Sport]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

I wouldnt mind knowing this, mine pulls slightly to left but tracking spot on

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

if it's just a little pull, try swapping the fronts with the rears and see if that changes anything. mine pulls more than a little unfortunately.

and most roads have a camber which will pull you slightly to the left anyway (sorry if this is teaching to egg suck)

 

[Damo_Sport]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

if it's just a little pull, try swapping the fronts with the rears and see if that changes anything. mine pulls more than a little unfortunately.

and most roads have a camber which will pull you slightly to the left anyway (sorry if this is teaching to egg suck)

Nope its not camber cause does it on flat car park too

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

hi, i've noticed it's intermittent. sometimes it'll drive perfectly true for half a mile, hit a small bump and then it starts to pull. i would normally associate this with worn ball joints, bushes, etc, but it didn't do it before the gearbox change.

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

forgot to add, second garage said tracking was fine

 

[ripp]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

maybe one of the driveshafts is getting some resistance while rotating. If this only happened after gearbox change I'd suspect the g-box although it's odd
p.s: new gear box or rebuilt? how much did it set you back? thx

 

[Donny_Dog]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

Its one thing after another with you.

So the guys checked the tracking and centred the steering wheel? You're sure its not just your steering wheel thats off?

When the gearbox was changed, was the subframe removed and they dropped it out the bottom, rather than using a crane and pulling it out the top? I'd guess its the bottom way. It could well be that the subframe hasn't been aligned properly causing your car to squint a little.
Also when we changed the engine on my ph2, we took the subframe out and disconnected the steering column - I think (its been a while) that the steering rack stub was triangular - but the true mechanics can confirm - and when the re-connecting was happening the wheel was straight (and so were the front wheels) and the stub slipped back on and everything was as it was before. Reason I'm mentioning it, is if your steering wheel is still 'off' and the tracking guys haven't centered it it could be mis aligned on the stub.

I'll stick my neck out and say the subframe alignment - take it back to the guys who did the work and tell them, tracking checked twice - what's going on.

 

[Donny_Dog]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

Just remembering your old posts - who put this gearbox in?

They forgot to re-connect the earth cable, your gear likage is set incorrectly (remember you had issues with selection being tight after fitting) and now the subframe is mis-aligned.

Name and shame FTW.

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

rebuilt gearbox, £250 from tony, club member

no, it's not just the steering wheel, let me paint a picture
i'm driving down a flat dual carriageway;
hardly any grip on the steering wheel;
car drives straight, steering wheel is straight;
i hit a small bump on the road;
car starts to pull to the right and steering wheel falls to the right;
i use a bit of effort to keep it going straight;
i traverse a small bend;
hit a bump;
straighten up and car is driving straight again.

it's typical worn joint behaviour, but that doesn't line up with it being fine before it went in. i spoke to garage today, they said to bring it down so they can have a look, but i envisage it being a big job, and they are closed over christmas so i agreed with them that i would bring it down when they open up in january.

interesting theory on the subframe, but it doesn't match up with intermittent pulling. but then i don't know everything about steering

regarding the driveshaft theory, i would expect it to be most noticeable under acceleration but it does it intermittently at a constant speed

appreciate all the ideas folks

 

[Donny_Dog]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

Maybe the subframe isn't on tight at all and there is movement when going over bumps :S I hope not.

I'd take it down and have them look at the bolts mate wont take them two minutes - they could also look and see if the ball joints need replacing of if they've 'undone' something and not put it back! Its all guess work without the car in the air - just because you envisage a big job, doesn't mean it will be. + you could get it properly booked in for January whilst you're there - or ask for money back and get someone proper to sort it! lol

 

[Budgie]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

Subframe is impossible to align incorrectly.

 

[rory182]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

was the gearbox from the same model? And if not were the old driveshafts used?

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

gearbox was from phase 1 and fitted to my phase 2 cup. yes old driveshafts were used.

this doesn't sound good...

 

[rory182]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

probably got the wrong driveshafts then, there's several variations

 

[rory182]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

re-quoted from elsewhere, can't guarantee it's correct but presume so:

phs 1 172

passenger 8200027881
driver 8200027842

172 cup

passenger 8200214563
driver 8200225212

phs 2 172

passenger 8200185499
driver 8200257767

phs 2 182 cup chassis

passenger 8200372167
driver 8200372166

phs 2 182 non cup

passenger 8200352043
driver 8200352042

trophy

same as 182 cup

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

thanks for the info. how would the driveshaft effect the steering- i could understand it under load but when cruising at a constant it can go from normal to pulling and back again

 

[rory182]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

If driveshafts are unequal lengths it will cause the car to steer to one side more than the other, so I can only imagine having the wrong driveshafts would have the same effect.

Torque steer basically:


Root causes for torque steer are:

• Unequal driveshaft length (or more accurately, unequal driveshaft angles, also caused by body roll or single wheel bump)

 

[Budgie]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

Not if they were the same driveshafts as was in the car before!

 

[rory182]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

mated to a different gearbox which usually has different driveshafts?

 

[Budgie]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

Irrelevant. Any JC5 box will bolt on. Only the ratios that differ, and the speedo sensor, etc.

 

[rory182]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

fair enough, ifail

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

it don't matter if you're wrong or not, that's the only way we all learn
i appreciate the suggestions and knowledge, and it will help others in future with the same issue.

relieved it's not the driveshafts though

 

[ripp]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

better find some cup dirveshafts if nothing else works. let us know the outcome anyway

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

i've got cup driveshafts

 

[Kenned4200]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

Hi there.
If i were you i would get a 4-wheel alignment done.
It could be down to the camber being wrong. It was on mine, it just pulled left.

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

i thought the camber was fixed on the cup. looking at the info i have (could be wrong of course) the only thing adjustable is the tracking on the front wheels. i think the alignments i've had done are four wheel laser alignments. they used these with lasers hung on the front wheels

 

[Donny_Dog]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

It's all guess work bud. The guys who put the box in have missed something. Take it back.
Something ain't right - mention the ideas on here

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

no updates yet, it's been off the road since xmas eve with a split radiator hose, but i've sorted that now and it's going into the garage on monday morning.

 

[jimjim150]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

Mate, not having the best luck! Feel your pain after the hassle with my last 182... Keep us updated how it goes!

(PS. you say the steering slips - not a worn UJ in the steering column or worn ball joints? Oh actually you said it was fine before the gearbox change - ok ignore me lol)

 

[incy-spider]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

Have you considered that maybe the diff is too tight, i.e lash and pre-load? Maybe it wasn't assembled correctly - doubt it tho!!

Also I had the exact same thing on mine and it turned out the n/s/r shock had blown up - upsetting everything! Have a look, mine was literally soaked in oil! Could just be coincidence that it happened the same time as getting your box done?

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

the rear shocks should be ok as they are but a few months old. i'll check them though, you never know. the gearbox will be coming out shortly (again!) so i'll have lots of room to inspect the steering components

 

[incy-spider]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

Sounds like a nightmare mate, another thing to add it's prob worth checking all the mounts - sounds like something is jolting the steering if the engine/gearbox mounts are mis-alighned or loose this could have that kind of affect, and like others have said the subframe would of had to of been removed so there are any number of things that would of been loosened and removed, the steering rack bushes are one to look at as when I remove the subframes on Renaults I generally leave the rack connected and remove the frame around it!

Just thinking what similar things i have seen at work and how it's possible to overlook silly things!

Good luck

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

hi all, i'm back. gearbox is back in and working for now

steering problem is still there. i did notice while working on it that i can see little gaps in between the front arb and the bushes. didn't notice anything else untoward. would the arb have any effect on the steering?

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

i saw something on the mot worksheet about one of my wheels being out of balance. nothing shakes when i'm driving but would this be causing the steering to be out?

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

i noticed today that when i'm parked up with engine running it's alot harder to put the final part of full opposite lock to the left than it is to the right. does this mean anything to anyone?

 

[daddycool]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

i'm on my own in this thread this week
given that two garages said alignment is fine and i'm still getting major pull to the right, is it worth paying the extra to get the alignment done on a hunter system? on the clio can they adjust things like camber on the front, or anything on the back?

 

[mr.pink87]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

on stock suspension you can only align the front toe. but if toe or camber on the rear is to far out the axle could be bent. camber adjustment on the front is possible with camber bolts. get the tracking done properly. is your drivers side driveshaft going through a bearing bolted to the rear of the engine's block?

 

[Rob]

Re: Steering pulling to the right after gearbox replacement but tracking is spot on??

My honest suggestion would be to take the car to a specialist.

I'm not sure who you're near, but let them have a drive and a look before you waste any more money. Might be something basic.

 

[daddycool]

Not far from jms, that thought had crossed my mind more than once.

Not sure about bearings on driveshaft. Just kind of slotted into the splines, that's all I recall about fitting it

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