Loose Feeling Steering / Play

[BillNick]

Hi

Over the past few months I have noticed my steering is feeling increasing 'looser'.

I can certainly feel some play down there - for instance if I drive down the road and wobble the steering wheel, the car hardly moves on the road. Also when braking hard and holding the wheel firm with two hands the car will wonder side to side or into any dips or lines in the road.

I had the near side steering arm/rod replaced as it was seized and WIM could not apply their settings when I visited. The mechanic that fitted the arm/rod (not at WIM) inspected the offside and said it was fine so I only replaced the seized side. Do you think I should just replace it anyway?

Do you think if I replaced the other side steering arm/rod and went to WIM after it might cure the loose feeling?

What other items could cause a feeling of play or looseness in the steering?

Lower ball joints and wishbone arms have already been replaced both sides.

Help and advise appreciated as usual :-)

Bill

[Ozzie B]

Have you got aftermarket wheels fitted? I noticed a big difference in handling after fitting different aftermarket wheels. Definitely responded more to the dips/contours in the road. Especially when moving over the centre white line/peak in the road. I put this down to the increased track of the car as the wheels have a much wider offset. Don't know if this is the cause of it or not but it sounds similar to what ur describing.

[BillNick]

Hi

No I have standard 17" 11 spokes

[Ozzie B]

Won't be that then haha. Only other thing I could think that's not suspension/steering related is to check the tightness of wheel nuts and there condition. I had a fitting issue when I changed my wheels and this was down to wheel nuts.

[Mini-man]

Probably best to jack the car up and have a bit of pull about.

First place to look would be all the ball joints (even though you say you've have some replaced- i have found the non genuine parts normally last 1/2 the time) i.e track rod ends, steering rack arms, wheel bearings and so forth..

Next you would need to give the tyres a good look over to see if they are running straight and true and are not out of shape

If nothing found there you need to start looking at the 'u-j' of the steering column, not to sure if there is 1 or 2 on the is200 but if there is play in either of these you would get very loose feeling steering.

hope thats of some help.

Dan

[BillNick]

Thanks sound advice there. I gotta do my brakes next week so ill have a pull on some of those parts see if I can find some play

[clifton 94]

Hi if everything looks ok check steering rack mounts and the steering rack