Steering wheel wobble :s

[Pulsator]

Not sure if anyone remembers me moaning about the car going to the left a bit and steering wheel wobbling over bumps a month or so ago, tried all the tricks with sticky calipers and they were ok, had all suspension checked and ball joints replaced, everything else is fine and has been hunter aligned to how it should be,

HOWEVER i still get the steering wheel kinda wobbling when going over the smallest bumps, and occasional pullingleft but trips to several garages have told me the cars steering/suspension is fine and all aligned correctly,

Which gets me to thinking could this be an issue with the "steering column universal joint" which is causing it to knock and bump a bit over bumps ????

And if so am i right in thinking this is a renault only job where they will advise they have to fit a whole new column for a good few hundred quid ????

Anyway i can check my theory of what i think it is with taking it to renault ???

 

[MikeClio172SPT]

hi, have you personally, jacked the car up, and check for play back & forth with the steering?

 

[Pulsator]

Yeah, thats why its had both ball joints fitted, had my mate look cos he used to be a mechanic at Renault, since the work its been jacked up and checked by him and several others and no one can see anything wrong

Its weird lol

 

[MikeClio172SPT]

can u describe in more detail this wobble............

 

[Pulsator]

Feels like there is slight play in the steering wheel all the time,

and mainly feel it when driving on lets say a slightly bumpy road, each bump i go over no matter how big (obviously not being stupid i know that what usually happens when you go over a bump lol) the steering wheel will kind of shake/wobble for a split second like there is a bit of play on it :S

If that makes sense !!

 

[johnny182]

Driveshaft?

 

[Pulsator]

Driveshaft?

Am i wrong in assuming that the driveshaft is what drives the wheels and turns them via the transmission, and that the shaft would not affect the steering of the car in this way,

But as stated this has been to several garages and they cant see any issues with it :S

But like many people on here when you drive your own car you know when something doesnt feel right !!

 

[johnny182]

I wrote a thread on hear about my driveshaft maybe it's the early stages ? What I experienced was a very violent juddering. I know exactly what you mean when you know your car you know there's something wrong. Tbh most of the time when I am driving I always think there is something wrong with the car tend to panic about every little noise. Perhaps you could try a test on uneven roads and compare?

 

[Pulsator]

I wrote a thread on hear about my driveshaft maybe it's the early stages ? What I experienced was a very violent juddering. I know exactly what you mean when you know your car you know there's something wrong. Tbh most of the time when I am driving I always think there is something wrong with the car tend to panic about every little noise. Perhaps you could try a test on uneven roads and compare?

On a flat road its fine, its the uneven roads when i can feel it LOL

And i dont have any juddering, had the driveshaft go on my old 1.6 dynamique and this is completely different - hence why im confused cos no one can seem to find an issue :S

 

[Tigger]

Wheel weights maybe?

I'm getting this at the odd time too, but only on the motorway between 60-70mph :S

 

[A4LLY]

Are the tyre Pressures ok or as above the wheels properly balanced/weighted? Just a thought.

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

Wheel weights maybe?

I'm getting this at the odd time too, but only on the motorway between 60-70mph :S

iv had this all day today. go past 60 towards 70 and its making a vibrating feeling through the wheel. a noticable visiable one at that :S

 

[MikeClio172SPT]

On a flat road its fine, its the uneven roads when i can feel it LOL

And i dont have any juddering, had the driveshaft go on my old 1.6 dynamique and this is completely different - hence why im confused cos no one can seem to find an issue :S

i know what your saying.... if the garages saying there's "nowt" wrong.... there missing something. I could find it.... the float or play will be there somewhere.

 

[Pulsator]

Wheel weights maybe?

I'm getting this at the odd time too, but only on the motorway between 60-70mph :S

Are the tyre Pressures ok or as above the wheels properly balanced/weighted? Just a thought.

Yeah had them all done again before the last alignment and still does it, dont have any issues while driving on a nice flat road and at speed on the motorway - this is why im confused LOL

 

[Pulsator]

i know what your saying.... if the garages saying there's "nowt" wrong.... there missing something. I could find it.... the float or play will be there somewhere.

The weird thing is most times you'd expect a garage to find an issue and extra problems just for the business LOL

I dont know why but my feeling is the steering column UJ, cos i think its the only thing they havent looked at, and no time now til after xmas to take it anywhere :dapprove:

 

[Tunst]

Could be the steering rack itself.. I had something similar on my old 172 turned out to be the mounting bushes on the rack

 

[Pulsator]

Could be the steering rack itself.. I had something similar on my old 172 turned out to be the mounting bushes on the rack

Just had someone mention the steering rack bushes to me, gonna get it looked at aswell as the universal steering joint after xmas when i get paid,

Not a major issue really but like to have everything spot on rather tham a little niggling issue,

cheers for the feedback guys

 

[Tigger]

Could be the steering rack itself.. I had something similar on my old 172 turned out to be the mounting bushes on the rack

I was having another issue and these were a likely culprit to it's cause...the excessively loud "snap" noise when turning the wheels while stationary or parking.

By any chance did you have this as well?

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

The fact it doesn't occur on flat road suggests it's suspension related, how many miles has your car done?

Is it still on original bushes/tierod ends?

 

[MG cup]

Work through this list checking for play with a mate.

steering column UJ's
steering rack( including track rods and track rod ends and rack bushes)
strut top mounts
bottom ball joints
wheel bearings
bottom arm bushes
Wheel balancing
play in struts

I would also swap tyres from front to back as that can cause a 'PULLING' of the steering, other than that I think it could be a small amount of bump steer you are feeling or there is something fundamentally wrong with the car I.e it has been in a bash before and something isn't straight. I can't see that really if you have had a full alignment done.

 

[Tunst]

I was having another issue and these were a likely culprit to it's cause...the excessively loud "snap" noise when turning the wheels while stationary or parking.

By any chance did you have this as well?

I had it on the occasion yeah...

 

[Tigger]

I had an inner track rod replaced not long ago on the passenger side, might do the other side too

Haven't had the chance to get the car looked at this side of the new year so have a "to do list" compiled for January

Steering rack bushes
Fit new wishbones & possibly powerflex bushes
Fit ARB bushes
Fit Viratechnics mounts

That should freshen up the front end a fair bit, well..... in theory!

I had it on the occasion yeah...

Hopefully the bushes will cure mine then too as well as this wobble. At times mine sounds like a fireworks display when parking! :dapprove:

 

[Pulsator]

The fact it doesn't occur on flat road suggests it's suspension related, how many miles has your car done?

Is it still on original bushes/tierod ends?

There is still a bit of play in the wheel on flat roads but no wobbling - and its done its fair share of miles 107k ha with FSH, tierod ends both been done and all suspension bushes are ok

Work through this list checking for play with a mate.

steering column UJ's
steering rack( including track rods and track rod ends and rack bushes)
strut top mounts
bottom ball joints
wheel bearings
bottom arm bushes
Wheel balancing
play in struts

I would also swap tyres from front to back as that can cause a 'PULLING' of the steering, other than that I think it could be a small amount of bump steer you are feeling or there is something fundamentally wrong with the car I.e it has been in a bash before and something isn't straight. I can't see that really if you have had a full alignment done.

These are the only 2 things that havent been done/checked yet, everything else is checked and ok'd by several garages, and also my mate over the space of a week or so who is an ex renault mechanic, gonna see him this week to check the UJ and rack if he has enough time, otherwise will be after xmas

I was having another issue and these were a likely culprit to it's cause...the excessively loud "snap" noise when turning the wheels while stationary or parking.

By any chance did you have this as well?

Oh and no dont have this

 

[Tigger]

Mine's only done around 58k miles lol

 

[Chris205]

Sounds like potential play in the steering rack mate.

Havent read every reply just replying to the Op.

If thats been checked and its ok then the shock absorbers may be past their best.

 

[Pulsator]

No that hasn't been yet but all the rest had including shocks - might just be me being fussy in the end LOL

 

[peanuthead]

Having the same problem. Shocks are pretty much brand new, just had track rod ends done ball joints and wishbone bushes. If anything it's made it worse! How can you church for play in the steering bushes?

 

[tarmacmuncher]

i know its a long shot but check that one of your tyres isnt breaking up. i had a rumble / wobble and i couldnt find it at all, turnt out to be the metal cords in one tyre breaking up and making the tyre bulge.