Odd steering question...

[billb]

Since I've owned the car, it's done something kind of weird with respect to tracking down the road.  If I turn the wheel hard left (like turning out of a driveway) then straighten up, the car wants to pull left when going down the road.  If I then turn the wheel hard right (like making a sharp right turn), it then wants to pull right.  Alignment has been checked and is within spec.  Power steering has Redline D4ATF in it, and a new PS reservoir, with fluid flushed.  New tie rod ends, ball joints, etc. in 2003.  No drag felt in front end when wheel turned left in right with front end off the ground.  What's this sound like?  BTW, new shock mounts in 2003 also.

[bmwman91]

Haha wow, you are the only other person I have ever heard of having this issue.  My first car did this after I put on some H&R Sport springs & Bilstein Sport shocks.  I never could figure out what was causing it really.

Do you have stock shocks & springs?

It might be something with the PS pressure switch as well, or the springs shifting somehow in the spring hats causing them to want to turn the wheels.  Those were the only 2 ideas I ever came up with.  Check the strut assemblies, the hats could be loose and catching intermittently.

[Jtuner]

I know EXACTLY whats wrong with your car Your strut bearings are shot! What you're experiencing is called "memory steer" the bearings at the top of the struts get caught at a certain point when you turn one way or the other.. Try taking the black cap off the top of your strut mount and packing it with some sort of lube (lithium grease or something that wont break down your strut mounts) and see if that works.. Otherwise just replace your strut bearings and its clear sailing!! That'll be $60

[bmwman91]

No way!

I always thought it would be something to do with the strut bearings, but it seemed too simple an answer.  I guess that explains why when I swapped suspensions onto my new car and relubed the bearings it no longer had memory steer!

[billb]

I know EXACTLY whats wrong with your car Your strut bearings are shot! What you're experiencing is called "memory steer" the bearings at the top of the struts get caught at a certain point when you turn one way or the other..

Yes, stock springs with Bilsteins.  I've not disassembled since putting it all back, but sounds like I'm going to do that this weekend.  I can at least loosen it all up and see if it looks like it's been binding.  Thanks for the push!

[kowalski]

hmm i had the same thing until i disconected my PS. i had all new front suspension (EVERYTHING new) and it still did it. the only thing i didn't replace was the rack... and i'm pretty sure that was the problem as its gone now.

[bmwman91]

Something with the PS pressure-direction switch seems to make sense.  I guess there is more than oen way to skin this cat afterall.  Oh goody...

[mikesjo]

You can throw redline D4ATF into the power steering reservoir? Cool, I have some left over, lol.

[M42boy]

Since I've owned the car, it's done something kind of weird with respect to tracking down the road.  If I turn the wheel hard left (like turning out of a driveway) then straighten up, the car wants to pull left when going down the road.  If I then turn the wheel hard right (like making a sharp right turn), it then wants to pull right.  Alignment has been checked and is within spec.  Power steering has Redline D4ATF in it, and a new PS reservoir, with fluid flushed.  New tie rod ends, ball joints, etc. in 2003.  No drag felt in front end when wheel turned left in right with front end off the ground.  What's this sound like?  BTW, new shock mounts in 2003 also.

It's binding...   And, it has to do with your upper stut bearings.  Whether they are shot or not, I'm not sure.  Look on RealOEM and make sure all the correct pieces are there and in the correct order.

I've had this problem along with every other possible E30 problem in existance.  

In my case the upper strut nut was too tight (I'm running a different setup with adjustable camber plates... don't do it!)...   And, it wasn't allowing the bearing to be fully utilized...  The shock is suppsed to rotate free of the spring...  And it was moving the spring around with it and munching the upper spring rubber.

In my case, I had to machine some spacers to allow the bearing to rotate properly.

I didn't really see what was going on till I had the car jacked up on all fours and was able to have a friend rotate the wheel side to side and see exactly what was happening.  Try doing this first...   My money is that is has something to do with your upper stut bearings...  Not neccessarily that they are shot, but it's not allowing the shock and spring to rotate independently.

Just my $0.02.

[billb]

Pulled the strut mounts loose on both sides after jacking up the front end.  Started on the passenger's side.  It seemed a little tighter than it might should be.  Had a can of spray lithium grease, so I liberally applied from above and below the bearing.  Seemed to free things up.  Went around to the driver's side, and could notice a distinct "detent" felt during the rotation.  Rotated it a few times, and it stopped doing it.  Not knowing what we had there, I took my air hose and sprayed below the mount but above the spring perch.  Two balled up pieces of rubber were my reward.  They looked like they might have peeled off from beneath the mount.  Liberal application of the spray lithium grease and the mount would spin for a few seconds with a generous twist.

Drove it to work this morning, and the pull is still there.  I'm going to buy some new tires and have it aligned again, and see where we go from there.  Tires have some weird wear patterns on them.

[billb]

I had the new Yokos put on yesterday, and the pulling problem is gone.  As is all the noise I thought was wheel bearings.  Amazing what a $53 tire will do for the well-being of the car.

I went back with 195/65R14 tires from the 205/60 Dunlops I had been running.  I hope I like the "skinny" tires!