Wandering steering

[vomboy 172]

I get a bad feeling when driving my 172

After searching different threads, i cannot see my problem, and if people have experienced this there never seems to be a cure posted on their threads.

Right the problem, my car feels very light on the front end and sometimes feels like i am driving on ice. I really do not have much confidence in it, especially when conering, its like the car isnt gripping as it should. I had the same feeling last winter but seemed to go over the summer, but now it feels horrible again. When driving quick the car also seems to wander around the road quite a lot. It doesnt matter whetehr the roads are wet or dry, it always feels the same.

My first point of call is to a local place which will check the alignment of the front wheels. If this is ok any suggestions on what to check next.
I have had 2 new front tyres on the car.

Last week I noticed a problem with my power steering pump, making a crunching sort of noise under excessive load, but cant see this being the problem, as the car felt the same before this fault came. I am having the pump looked at over the weekend.

I dont want to be replacing every part on the car for the sake of changing it.

Any opinions will be appreciated.

 

[msa197]

check tyre pressure and what tyres have you got?

 

[vomboy 172]

tyre pressures are ok and got conti sports on

 

[182Boogaloo]

I've contacted renaultsport about a knocking noise on my steering and they've suggested that it could be the steering rack bushes. They also said that the steering would wander if this is the case.

Worth looking at i reckon.

 

[snigglepuff]

i know it sounds silly but it could just be the ruts in the road, caused my cars trucks etc, your car will just follow those line, i find it in the cup esp on the motorway where my steering goes from side to side pretty violently sometimes too as it bounges off the sides of the ruts

 

[vomboy 172]

ill ask the garage to look at the steering rack when it goes in, just feels very light on the steering as well, and doesnt feel as though there is much grip.

 

[182Boogaloo]

Mine is exactly the same and is going in on tuesday to have the work done, i'll let you know what happens vomboy.

cheers stu

 

[vomboy 172]

Mine is exactly the same and is going in on tuesday to have the work done, i'll let you know what happens vomboy.

cheers stu

Cheers stu, other people seem to have had this problem but never seen anyone with results so will be interesting.

Had the tracking done on mine today, they said it was towing out slightly, by about 2mm. Had it corrected to what it should be. The guy said this would give me un-even tyre wear but shouldn't really effect the handling.

 

[Henry]

take it it wasn't the tracking then?

only asking as that would've been my guess

sorry - fairly useless post!

 

[vomboy 172]

not sure if the tracking has made a difference yet, did about 2 miles down dual carriage way on the way home and felt ok there so fingers crossed. Wont really know till i get on some back roads.

 

[Coby.]

Could possibly be a Broken Ball Joint, Mine kept doing this... Just Violently steering off to one side, Turns out a Ball joint was broken so my Tracking was also miles out!!

 

[Mark One]

There is no chance that the power steering is all wrong for some reason.

I know that power steering essestially works on strain gauges that sense twist in the steering column and then assist the steering.
Sounds to me like an electrical fault has fooked the calibration and is causing super light steering all the time. I don't know if 172s have speed sensitive power steering, but on my mates 306 (which did) the power steering would go VERY light at speed sometimes. This was because the power steering thought the car had slowed right down and was assisting like the car was parking.

 

[vomboy 172]

Mine is exactly the same and is going in on tuesday to have the work done, i'll let you know what happens vomboy.

cheers stu

Did you get anywhere with this issue stu?

 

[Laura]

from experience, non of the clio sports feel very confident with the standard set up, youve just gotta cruck it in and youll be supprised

 

[182Boogaloo]

hi Vomboy,

had the steering rack bush replaced on the nearside where the knocking was coming from and i have to say, the car is loads better, noise gone and feels far more planted.

Wasn't expensive either, £66 all in from a renault specialist.

cheers stu