morning! the last time i took the zx out i had a squeaky brake so found an empty piece of road n hit the brakes reasonably hard just to see if i could get rid of the squeak, after doing this my steering felt very odd, wether it is linked i dnt know but it was a quite a fight with the steering to get it home, i have gone out this morning to have a look, started the car and turned the steering to full lock each way a couple of times, when doing so there is a point where it goes very tight to the left and then when i rotate to the right it does it again, but then the rest of the rotation is smooth? hope that makes sence ! cheers guys!!

I don't believe in coincidence most of the time.

I usually look at what happened just before the problem arose,

IE you tested the brakes and the problem with the steering developed, maybe you have jammed a brake pad/pads on one side and it is pulling against the power steering?

This may also explain why it feels rough at stand still as there is probably some wheel rotation during lock to lock, (all be it small) and you are feeling it through the steering also.

That sounds promising thanks for that, definatly can see the logic behind the theory, cheers pal

The brakes are quite a distance inside the bonnet away from the power steering, first port of call would be the power steering reservoir to be perfectly honest.

 

Red, on these cars its perfectly normal to have a problem develop at the same time as testing something else. (i got a water pump leak stright after fixing a power steering pipe and the two systems are not linked to each other, work that out)

 

Bill, is your car a TT or a N/A as the systems differ due to the Hicas, if its a TT have you had a Hicas lock out kit added? could be you have jolted something with hard braking, Squeaking brakes could be a sign of low pads, some pads have a squeal piece in place to let you know to change the pads.

 

If you have TT does the hicas light, light up on the dash, if it does then you have low fluid level in your power steering pot. with heavy breaking you might of forced the fluid out some where, or you might even have a leak hence low fluid = lumpy turning. if it gets too low, your pump will make a strange noise as its self lubricating.

 

But yeah, my first port of call would be the fluid level in the Powersteering pot.

Edited July 2, 201114 yr by vodkashots

Hey bud my car is n/a, however I'm not sure if it started life as a tt in that case would it still have hicas? Excuse me for my lack of knowledge if that's a stupid question, but back to the steering I have cheked power steeering levels and it is full, when driving it down the road if the steering wheel goes to that ( tight spot) and I let go of the steering wheel it just drags the car to the side sharply, and you then hato give it quite a bit of effort to bring it straight again?, but it steers fine until u get to that certain point and its fine after that certain point too if that makes any sence at all cheers bill

its almost certainly the lower steering UJ starting to sieze up - remove it from where it bolts to the rack & see if its tight in one direction - a good lube up may help otherwise its time for a new one

I had a similar problem with mine in the end it was the speedo board that was causing the prob. If u look at my threads groover explains it properly on the heavy steering thread.

I`d go with the steering uj as well.

Hey guys thanks for the replys , so the uj's sound like the issue... it was only mot last month but I'm guessing they wouldn't pick up on that ? Where would be best to get the uj from tried lookin on the bay but no joy... cheers bill

Hey guys thanks for the replys , so the uj's sound like the issue... it was only mot last month but I'm guessing they wouldn't pick up on that ? Where would be best to get the uj from tried lookin on the bay but no joy... cheers bill

 

Best to get it off and have a look first mate, pretty easy to do once the cars up in the air.

 

If it is the problem then, ZedWorld for quality s/h or MJP for new (not cheap).

UPDATE! thanks to all for contributing on this post, it was indeed the uj got the mrs to turn the steering with me underneath and it was getting tight it a certain point, i used some wd40 and the steering has gone back to normal no tight spots, i will prob get some grease on it at a later date but for now happy days! thanks again :thumbup:

No worries mate, tis what the club is for! Glad you got a result.