Should I Be Concerned?

[CaptainK 11]

I haven't driven my 205 in a year now and have just been driving it over the last week. Its been in use over the year as its been occasionally driven by my family.

 

Now I've started driving it again I've noticed that the steering seems rather light (non PAS). However it all works fine without any clunks and turns correctly to the left and right. The only minor issue is that it very slightly pulls to the right. Its a 1993 205 GTi with a GTi6 in it running Toyo T1R tyres all round (correctly inflated) and only done around 6000 miles on them with plenty of tread left.

 

Is there possibly something I need to be concerned about ? Or have I just got stronger over the year ? :? Saying that it could possibly be due to some work my brother (he's a mechanic) did to my car to get it past its MOT - I think some droplinks or bushes were changed. Can't remember exactly what.

[shalmaneser 26]

If the bushes were changed then the tracking may well be out - that'd be my first port of call either way, could explain light steering too.

[CaptainK 11]

If the bushes were changed then the tracking may well be out - that'd be my first port of call either way, could explain light steering too.

Thats what I was thinking in my limited knowledge of these things. I'll get it checked out sometime when I'm next driving the 205 - currently its blocked in behind my missus's car on the drive so I'm in the FTO today.

[CaptainK 11]

Finally got chance to take it for an alignment check today and the alignment was out by 8mm.

 

I have no idea what that means, so hopefully one of you kind people will explain for me. Fingers crossed its better now as I just nipped out at lunchtime to a place literally just down the road from my workplace. So not had chance to give it a proper try. Still, it doesn't seem to be pulling to the right any more at the low speeds I was doing on the way back - not that it did it much at low speeds before anyways. The dual carriageway home from work tonight shall prove or disprove it.

[swordfish210 20]

If the steering was light then it was probably toeing out. I'm guessing you just took it to a tyre fitters who would have set the tracking to the book settings which i believe is 1mm toe-in. If it was 8mm out then it could have had 7mm of toe out, if it was like that i'm surprised it stayed on the road at all

[CaptainK 11]

Well the steering feels a bit better now, not so light but still fairly light and it feels a little more "planted now".

 

Annoyingly, it still turns to the right very slightly when at dual carriageway speeds. Its like the steering "central" position is fractionally to the right. Oh well, no matter as its no bother to me at all. I should add that the car doesn't want to "pull" to the right when I'm driving it, its just that if I let go of the steering wheel at dually speeds then it will naturally start steering very fractionally to the right, even if the road camber is pointing left.

Edited October 28, 2010 by CaptainK

[johnsimister 10]

With the tracking as far out as it was - and 8mm is a very large error - the tyres will have scuffed themselves into a wear pattern which is probably the cause of the slight pull you're still experiencing. Chances are the pull will disappear after you've driven another few hundred miles and the tyres have settled into the new alignment. The steering feel and weighting will gradually become more normal too.

 

John

[jackherer 543]

If you turn the wheel to full lock in each direction does it turn the same amount each way or does it reach one lock before the other?

[JRL 14 1 Cars]

I have also been through all this recenty with mine. tracking helped a lot, I also had the two front wheels balanced so no wobble at motorway speeds. But more importantly I replaced a worn steering rack arm the ball joint was flopping all over the place and now the steering feels really tight again. At the same time I replaced the wobbly anti roll bar droplinks and also tightened up other loose bolts on the hub carriers. I think with so many pot holes and bad road surfaces if you have stiffer suspension it wears and loosens suspension and steering components.

[swordfish210 20]

Have a read through this:

 

http://forum.205gtidrivers.com/index.php?showtopic=112468

[CaptainK 11]

If you turn the wheel to full lock in each direction does it turn the same amount each way or does it reach one lock before the other?

I'll check next time I drive it (the FTO had been stuck behind my missus car all week on the drive and I've finally managed to get it out for a run). I suspect that'll be thursday now as due to our work shift patterns this week I'd end up blocking her car in on the drive if I didn't take the FTO with me to work.

 

As for the suspension stuff, I must confess I don't know a lot about it but my brother replaced a few things with the front suspension whilst I was unable to drive. He had the 205 for a few months and checked it over, MOT'd it and fixed all the problems including the advisories. So I'd suspect its fine now except for the tracking being out and hopefully it'll all settle down soon - the steering definately feels better now and at non-A road speeds its doesn't want to turn right. Its only when getting higher up the speed does it very slightly turn to the right. Hardly noticeable really.

[CaptainK 11]

Right, brought the 205 to work today and had a quick checkover beforehand. I can confirm that the steering goes to the right slightly less than it goes to the left. When steering full lock to the right the "arm" of the steering wheel below the "GTI" symbol in the middle of the steering wheel roughly points to 3 o clock position after doing a turn and 3/4 quarters. When turning to the left it does just over a turn and 3/4s and the same "arm" points to about the 7.30 o clock position (if it were the same wheel travel distance I guess it would point to the 9 o clock position). So I guess my steering wheel is out slightly.

 

No big worries I guess, least I know why its doing it. Should also report that when at motorway speeds its only going very slowly to the right now, not as instant as it was beforehand.

[jackherer 543]

Read the thread that swordfish210 posted above, your wheel is misaligned but more importantly your steering rack isn't centralised.

 

You need to unbolt the steering wheel from the column, correct the misalignment and bolt it back on. Then have the tracking re-done which will involve adding turns on one side and subtracting them from the other. Once that is done your rack will be centralised and your track rods will be about the same length as each other.

[SurGie 54]

Could a new steering rack have the TRE screwed in the same amount of times as the old ones on the original rack before fitting it on ?

Edited November 4, 2010 by SurGie

[CaptainK 11]

You need to unbolt the steering wheel from the column, correct the misalignment and bolt it back on. Then have the tracking re-done which will involve adding turns on one side and subtracting them from the other. Once that is done your rack will be centralised and your track rods will be about the same length as each other.

Coolness thanks. However, as it isn't that bad to be honest and is hardly noticeable, would there by any ill effects by leaving it as it is ? Its just the usual of having bugher all money at the moment for small things like this and its not something I can do DIY so would have to take it to a garage.

[shalmaneser 26]

Coolness thanks. However, as it isn't that bad to be honest and is hardly noticeable, would there by any ill effects by leaving it as it is ? Its just the usual of having bugher all money at the moment for small things like this and its not something I can do DIY so would have to take it to a garage.

 

It won't do any damage, but the steering won't be as nice as it could be.

[CaptainK 11]

It won't do any damage, but the steering won't be as nice as it could be.

Thats ok then. I don't drive it that much and its only out very fractionally and I only notice it if I release the steering wheel (which is never in normal driving), so I won't worry about it for now then

[welshpug 1,645]

the effects would be that it turns one way better/worse than the other and the angles will not be correct the more lock you wind on, you'll get more bump steer.