Shaking, Shuddering When Steering.

[Rolando 10]

hello all, finally after 3 years I've got my S/C 205 back on the road with a new engine.

 

only thing is, when i'm cornering/turning left the steering shudders really bad. the faster you go the more noticeable it is. even if you turn it slight left at 50mph its horrible. its as if the n/s front wheel wants to turn right when turing left. I've had the tracking done and its not really made a difference. the cars fine turning right.

 

before i took the car off the road it didn't have this problem. the only things i have changed since the engine swap are, engine and gearbox. 2 x brand new 309 wish bones. steering rack with new track rod ends and the wheels.

 

i thought it might have been the wish bone but i fitted the original and its still the same. i have read someone had the similar problem and theirs turned out to be the 309 driveshaft but as i said mine was fine before i took it apart.

 

is there any obvious things i should be checking/changing? i'm wondering if the steering rack is no good that i fitted but then surely it wouldn't track up properly? any suggestions would be great.

 

thanks Rolando

[PhilNW 43]

Cv joint going bad? Try repacking the grease

[unariciflocos 49 1 Cars]

It's usually the CV joint opposite to the direction you're steering, in your case right side. Just replace it, once it's gone bad no amount of grease or retightening will help.

Other less probable causes could be wheel bearing or wheel bolts not tightened.

[S@m 156]

Just to echo the above, it does sound very much like the symptoms i had for a failed cv joint.

[Rolando 10]

Oh right. But it was fine before I took it off the road tho? And if I'm turning left it means the drivers side CV needs doing? Is there any obvious things to look for to know its gone when I take it off?

 

I've never had a CV joint go before so I don't know what I'm looking at in that respect.

[unariciflocos 49 1 Cars]

Wouldn't know what to tell you abou it being fine before. Maybe the new engine has much more power than the previous, something may be loose...

Going back to the CV joint, assuming you're in a right hand drive car, yes, driver's side. You won't be able to tell anything by looking at it unless it's really really bad.

[Rolando 10]

oh great i'll jack it up over the weekend and have a look might be able to see something. the drivers side driveshaft was brand new when i first S/C it as well!!!

[unariciflocos 49 1 Cars]

Maybe it was not tightened allowing for play, too long, too short, sits at a funny angle allowing for forces in angles where there should be none. When you say brand new, was it a premium brand? Never bother with any car parts from non premium manufacturers.

[koti 7]

Were the hub pinch bolts torqued correctly? If they were over tightened the hubs may have ovalled which makes it feel like the one wheel is trying to change direction by itself when you're turning.

 

Not sure if that's exactly the symptom you're describing, but might be worth whipping the wishbones off and inspecting the hubs- I had trouble with left turns and it was the offside hub that had gone