Steering wheel off center

adamskibx · Post by **adamskibx** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:39 pm

I’m sure ive posted on this topic before, but does anyone know of anything other than tracking or bent parts that can cause the wheel to be at an angle while travelling on a straight road. I only ask, as im trying to get to the bottom of my wandering issue. Firstly, I can’t imagine for a second that Citroen would allow them to leave the factory like it (20+ degrees off center), and secondly, there is nothing in the rack itself that could slip or bend. Therefore, I can only assume that the tracking has been done before, but only on one side, which apparently ruins the geometry. As a crude test to see if its worth me taking the car to have the tracking done, I set the ride height correctly, then drove straight, parked, placed a brick in front of each wheel, and put a long wooden curtain rail across the bricks, marking in pencil where the center bit of tyre tread began and finished. I then repeated this at the rear of the tyres. The difference was 5 mm, so I can only assume this would be more like 7-8 mm if I had done it exactly half way up the tyre. This means the tyres are towing out rather dramatically unless im missing something? Would this cause the wondering handling? I have also noticed a few other things that I can’t pinpoint exactly. On a straight motorway, everything seems fine, but you can sort of "set" the car to carry on turning to the left or the right by making a quick delicate adjustment to either direction. In other words, it would just carry on going round in circles given the space, without any hands on the wheel. I don’t think the centering force is what it should be basically, or something is stopping it from working. The only play I can feel/hear, I cant pinpoint, but its not the track rod ends, so I can only assume its a loose rack, the other end of the track rod which I assume is integrated into the rack as a single unit, or the flexible coupling. When fighting the power steering near full lock, there is also a slight hissing and a cluck as things turn back in the other direction.

Sorry to anyone who has bothered to read all that!! I do struggle to put these things into just a few sentences! Cheers, Adam

Mike E (uk) · Post by **Mike E (uk)** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:23 am

I would get the tracking checked, costs about £20.

Any other problems are likely to be diagnosed during the test too.

Mike

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:59 am

http://www.bxclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic ... t=tracking

Incidentally BX will always feel heavier when steered to one side than the other - the reason is the external PAS rack has a different piston area due to the connecting rod. - which reduces the effective area the fluid bears on on the side it is attached to.

Incorrect tracking will rapidly wear the tyres - toe in - outside edge, toe out - inside edge.

adamskibx · Post by **adamskibx** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:56 pm

Cheers for the advice guys, will get it done. But I dont quite trust a garage to do something that requires any degree of ingenuity or enthusiasm. Oh well, ill have to risk it, but I will take it back if it ends up worse off.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:22 pm

Mistake in my post above - it should be external ram not rack.

adamskibx · Post by **adamskibx** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:06 am

Yeah I remember a discussion on that topic not long ago. I wish id never read it in was because I never noticed it before:-)

By the way I have found the flexible coupling to be completey cracked at one point, so I expect this is to blame, not to mention very dangerous. Im changing it tonight.

adamskibx · Post by **adamskibx** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:38 pm

Right. Its now 11.40, and im about to change my BX's flexible steering link ready for Scotland early tomorrow!!

adamskibx · Post by **adamskibx** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 10:43 pm

It turned out to be a dangerous flexible coupling. I have just arrived back from 5 days in Scotland, and the BX ran like clockwork, and in a straight line where required due to the new coupling. The difference is unbeleivable. It feels so much more precise now. I advise anyone with an unknown coupling history to check theirs out to make sure they are not cracked.

My only mechanical let down was a speedo cable. I bought a new bottom half in Scotland, attatched it, only to find that the top one had gone at the same time

Now my car shows about 1500 miles lesss than it should.