Steering Problems. S13 240SX

[kazuo]

Ok Hi,

So my friend told me Nistech was back, so here I am with a question. ;p

Anyway, my car has this weird steering problem. I wanted some more input before I go and just randomly replace parts, hoping the problem goes away.

Whenever I make any kind of "normal" turn on the street, ex: turning left onto one street from another, or turning right from one street to another, the steering wheel does not return to the neutral position on its own. I basically need to grab the wheel and turn it all the way back into place.

The problem also manifests itself occasionally on the freeway, as well as during "spirited" (not hard) driving. Say, if I am going straight, then the road beings to veer left, if I turn the wheel left, the wheel will "stick" where I turn it, and it will only return to the neutral position if I turn the wheel back myself.

The car did not exhibit this problem before; it began abruptly one day after my car dived nose-first off the side of a road. (Don't ask) It took a few weeks for the problem to manifest itself.

The tension rod bushings are shot (they're oozing and leaking, but they were like that before the dip; I already have aftermarket replacements laying around), the tension rod bracket looks ok, as well as the tie rods.

The PS pump works fine, no leaks in the lines, no abnormal noises (grinding, whining, etc), no kinks in the lines, and plenty of fluid.

As far as the rack goes, I have no way of determining whether or not the rack is the root of the problem.

Is there anything in particular I should look for? Or, judging from my description, is the problem the steering rack?

I don't feel like just replacing parts until I find the problem, so any input is appreciated.

[NISTECH]

best thing to do at this point is raise the front of the car ,engine off,and try to turn the wheels by grabing the tire and turn it from side to side. this is a feel test. with the tires off the ground the movement should be very easy and smooth no "hickups in the sway from lock to lock. if it is rough you need to look at all the pivot points and the rack for any damage from the ditch diggin you did. like is a tie rod bent? is a control arm bent? The car has the ability to return to center by the amount of caster it has if its to far one way it will likely not return to center.

If you find the wheels are hard to turn or get hung up during movement disconnect the outer tierod ends from the steering knuckle and try pushing and pulling the steering rack back and forth, this will be a bit harder to do but you should still be able to push it all the way to one side and then pul it back if it gets hung up you either have something wrong in the rack or the mounts its sitting on are bent causing a bind on the coloum knuckle. if its the latter you will need to pay a visit to a body shop to have your subframe straightened.

[NISTECH]

additional note, get the tension rods fixed huh!!

[s13sr20chris]

something i would try as well...when you turn and the car does not return on its own shut the engine off and see if it returns. if it does then the rack likely has a sticking power valve.

[kazuo]

Ok guys,

So I finally got around to testing the rack (haven't seen my car in a minute :P).

Got the two front wheels off the ground, stuck the key into the "on" position (no, I didn't turn the engine on :P), and turned the wheels from lock-to-lock by grabbing the driver side tire.

It was REAL hard to do (I'm assuming cus the engine was off so no PS pump to help me), naturally, but I noticed it was MUCH harder when I pulled the wheels towards the driver side of the car. When I pulled the passenger side, it was much easier to pull it.

I didn't feel any kind of sticking or roughness except when I got to the neutral position (wheels facing straight).

If it matters at all, I am using ATF (per the FSM; actual type is the Castrol Dexron 3 or whatever) in the PS system and not PS fluid as most of my friends do. I've also noticed my many friends who drive S13's, their cars' steering is MUCH lighter than mine, and they're running PS fluid.

Any help is appreciated. Still confused.

[NISTECH]

it doesnt matter about the fluid, ATF is fine to use as it is a hydrolic fluid as well. your wheel should be fairly easy to rotate when the front wheels are off the ground. you should not have to over exsert your self to do it. there is resistance but not to hard. I suspect something is wrong with the valveing in the rack. if you can get one of your freinds cars off the ground and compare so you get a feeling for what is a known good test. If his is much easier I would say your rack is the problem.

[kazuo]

Okay, so I put in another rack with a different set of tie rods/ends (still OEM but in better shape than what I had before) and replaced the tension rods with aftermarket pieces.

The heavy steering feel persists. I jacked the car up and turned the wheels by hand again, feels the same way.

Soemthing tells me the chances of having two racks with borked internals is silm to none.

Any other guesses?

Thanks

[s13sr20chris]

jack up the car and remove all three nuts on the stut tower on each side and see if that helps. the struts may be binding. you can do the same with the lower balljoint.

[kazuo]

jack up the car and remove all three nuts on the stut tower on each side and see if that helps. the struts may be binding. you can do the same with the lower balljoint.

What do I do once I've unbolted the strut tower? Drop it and bolt it back down?

Or bolt it back up when its in the air?

Same with the balljoint (I assume on the LCA)?

Thanks!

[Magnes]

It's one of two things; the power steering (which I know nothing about) or the alignment (which I know a lot about).

I wonder if anything might have caused the alignment to go out of whack?

The car did not exhibit this problem before; it began abruptly one day after my car dived nose-first off the side of a road. (Don't ask) It took a few weeks for the problem to manifest itself.

If the front wheels were pushed towards the back, or inwards, then your steering won't return like it should.

I'd get a front-end alignment. First make sure the tension rods you replaced are the right length (if they are adjustable). Even then the alignment tech might not have enough range of adjustment given the symptom you're describing. In that case you'll have to make sure the frame is straight, then replace the lower control arms and go back for another alignment.