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Had a similar issue on an Alfa 33; was traced to the strut bearing assembly - it was seized.
Needs to be correctly aligned too.
Needs to be correctly aligned too.
Technical Car pulling to one side when cornering
- Thread starter Cinq999
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Technical Car pulling to one side when cornering
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OMG another controversy. ePER agrees with Jock so maybe there are alternative setups.
My front strut had a large nut (6) with a machined rebate that fits into the spring top (8). The nut is not flanged like the one shown here and goes UNDER the bearing. The hole in my spring top (8) is about 1" diameter and would rattle about if fitted as ePER shows.
On mine it's as follows -
Bump stop - Spring - Spring top plate - Special retaining nut - Thrust bearing/rubber mount - Safety retainer and final nyloc nut. The last two are fitted after the spring and and strut are put into the car.
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This will expose any steering rack issues. It will not expose a failed top bearing, because lifting the car unloads the strut tops.
OP
OP
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I'll have another look at work next week.
I did take it up to a large yard my work uses this morning to see if I could pinpoint it a bit more.
Problem is only turning left, right is absolutely fine.
Turn the steering wheel around 40 degrees left, it turns fine.
Turn it 41 degrees, and that's when the car suddenly pulls to the left.
No sensation through steering wheel itself, just the sudden lurch to the left.
If I keep it around the same point, and literally try and keep it on the point when it happens, I can feel the front end trying to break left and right.....almost feels like the wheels are twitching left and right.....its just at that one point......gets worse the faster it goes....again, nothing through the steering wheel itself.
Next I went round in left hand circles with my foot on the brake......absolutely fine. Drove straight, and turned left while braking.....no twitching or pulling.....so when brakes are on, it obviously stops the movement wherever it is.
Had both wheels off ground, can turn both ways smoothly by hand, and with someone turning steering wheel, smooth both ways.
I did take it up to a large yard my work uses this morning to see if I could pinpoint it a bit more.
Problem is only turning left, right is absolutely fine.
Turn the steering wheel around 40 degrees left, it turns fine.
Turn it 41 degrees, and that's when the car suddenly pulls to the left.
No sensation through steering wheel itself, just the sudden lurch to the left.
If I keep it around the same point, and literally try and keep it on the point when it happens, I can feel the front end trying to break left and right.....almost feels like the wheels are twitching left and right.....its just at that one point......gets worse the faster it goes....again, nothing through the steering wheel itself.
Next I went round in left hand circles with my foot on the brake......absolutely fine. Drove straight, and turned left while braking.....no twitching or pulling.....so when brakes are on, it obviously stops the movement wherever it is.
Had both wheels off ground, can turn both ways smoothly by hand, and with someone turning steering wheel, smooth both ways.
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Have you a "knowledgeable" pal at work? Could the two of you take the car to this yard then one of you get out and watch that N/S/F wheel as you drive around in circles. The reaction you're describing seems quite defined so I'd imagine if someone who knows about cars was watching the wheel and you perhaps shouted out or raised a hand as you feel the effect perhaps the person observing will see something?
In my younger days I've hung out of windows, layed across the engine, and done lots of other highly questionable things when looking for problems which only manifest themselves when the car is moving. I'm not recommending you do this as it can get pretty "dicey" but maybe an external observer will see something helpful?
Hi Dave. As I'm sure you know, struts today tend to be retained into the wing mounting with a single nut and plate which stop the strut falling out when the car is jacked up. Of course you can undo this nut and not suffer any consequence other than that the strut will drop down if you jack the wheel clear of the ground. The next hut down - No 6 on your illustration - is the "dangerous" one as it's securing the top mount and top spring retainer to the damper rod. It's this one which causes the loss of teeth and need for fresh underpants if it's undone without the spring being restrained in some way.OMG another controversy. ePER agrees with Jock so maybe there are alternative setups.
My front strut had a large nut (6) with a machined rebate that fits into the spring top (8). The nut is not flanged like the one shown here and goes UNDER the bearing. The hole in my spring top (8) is about 1" diameter and would rattle about if fitted as ePER shows.
On mine it's as follows -
Bump stop - Spring - Spring top plate - Special retaining nut - Thrust bearing/rubber mount - Safety retainer and final nyloc nut. The last two are fitted after the spring and and strut are put into the car.
Do you remember the earlier designs, Ford Cortina and Anglia, Hillman Avenger and Hunter, and many others? The top mount was retained in the inner wing with, usually, 3 studs which were part of the metal of the top mount and nuts which held the whole thing into the wing. right in the middle was one large nut on the top of the damper rod. I'd grown up with BMC/BL stuff which tended not to use Macpherson struts, preferring double wishbones with king pin type uprights instead, Austin A35, Cambridge, MGB, etc, etc, so I wasn't very familiar with them. The first Cortina I did I thought I'd be a clever clogs and save time by leaving the mount in the inner wing and just undoing the centre nut, which I did. the car was still on the ground so nothing happened. It was as I started to jack it up with a trolley jack that the foreman "assaulted" me with a tirade of uncomplimentary language and then explained to me what would have happened if I'd kept on jacking it up. Luckily the situation was rectified by spinning the nut back on by hand so restraining the damper rod and then undoing the 3 nuts on the studs which were retaining the top mount - plain sailing from there on. Being "young and innocent" I had to ask some of the older men what some of the "uncomplimentary" words meant. At least he didn't chuck a ball peen hammer at me which was his favourite trick with snotty apprentices!
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The smaller disc and top nut are there to (1) stop the strut dropping off the car on full droop and (2) as a locknut for the big spring retaining nut. S4P actually sell new top discs https://www.shop4parts.co.uk/?name=store&op=Product&ProdID=11096 though I can't see the spring top plate on their website. Interesting, because the latter is often corroded when the former is not.
unless its assembled like this. Its not as Fiat intended. And will not work as intended
I have checked all variations, And the later 500's, they are all the same, including 100hp and 4x4
everything under the top hat is under compression, unless some dodgy shortened springs have been fitted
Obviously coil overs are different
nut 6 needs a spring compress fitted first.
I have checked all variations, And the later 500's, they are all the same, including 100hp and 4x4
everything under the top hat is under compression, unless some dodgy shortened springs have been fitted
Obviously coil overs are different
nut 6 needs a spring compress fitted first.
in left hand corners. The off side does most of the steering and is most loaded
this is progress.
you have proved it's wear / loose, There no movement when loaded by the brake
its unlikely to be the steering rack damage or column
with the steering at 41 degrees, wheel in the air and the steering lock on. Put your knees on the outer edge of the tyre at 3 o'clock 6 o'clock push and pull alternatively. I suspect the fault will be on the off side but do both side. Look at all the joints and the rear bush. Put the car on the ground, have someone rock the steering wheel, Look at the wheels, tyres, top mount, joints and so on. Something has to be moving, they often hidden in plain sight. Such as a loose rack
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I have made an assumption which I have only just realised
just because the impact was at the front, a steering stability problem could be at either end. Even though it unlikely.
just because the impact was at the front, a steering stability problem could be at either end. Even though it unlikely.
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Mine (100HP and 1.2 Dynamic) could not be assembled as shown here. The spring is retained under compression by Nut 6. This is not flanged and about 24mm AF (approx) with a machined rebate at one side. This rebate (considerably bigger than strut spindle) fits the top of the spring retaining plate (8) and contains the spring tension. The bearing and rubber mount goes on next. Strut retainer (9) disc and 19mm AF nut are added after the strut is put into the car.
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My 2009 Multijet needs new front struts so we will see how that comes apart.
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In December, I replaced both front shockers on my 2009 1.2 Eleganza and they were assembled as per Koalar's pic.
Yup, did both struts on our Panda - 2010 1.2 Eco Dynamic - Exactly as shown in Koalar's illustration.
Mike1alike
Established member
It could very much be caused by the EPS, respectively damaged torque sensor. This is one of their manifestation when faulty, to pull left. Try to connect to the EPS computer, see if there are errors stored. Heavy impact does mess up the torque sensor. It is sensible to theese 2 things: bad voltage (low) and impact.
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unlikely to be the EPS in my opinion (Read guess)
doesn't happen at the same cornering speed and radius if the brake is applied. Some slop / play forced in one direction
but its simple to check, Pull the fuse. I posted the correct fuse in mu thread on ESP faults. Would take the guess work out and one more thing it can't be.
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Is it worth checking if the steering rack has been moved off centre?
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Get someone to move the car backward and forward as you would when parking. Watch the front wheel movement when power loads the suspension. The should be some "give" in the suspension but there should not be excessive fore-aft movement of the driving wheels.
When a front wheel hits a pot-hole, the rear will almost always hit the same hole. It's not uncommon for both tyres/wheels to get damaged. Suspension at both ends can get damaged.
When a front wheel hits a kerb, it's likely the rear will avoid it. Usually.
When a front wheel hits a pot-hole, the rear will almost always hit the same hole. It's not uncommon for both tyres/wheels to get damaged. Suspension at both ends can get damaged.
When a front wheel hits a kerb, it's likely the rear will avoid it. Usually.
OP
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As the weather is good, I'm on the bike this week, but I'll have a look at it this weekend.
Something else I noticed yesterday, there's a new and definite knocking noise from the front right.
If I tap the accelerator, it's quite a loud knock. Not the engine mounts, as I replaced them all less than 6 months ago.
Also when I pull up to my drive, and reverse in, as soon as I start reversing, there's a loud knock from the front right......just the once, as soon as the wheel starts going backwards.
I'm going to strip the whole front end apart back to the steering rack and check it all over.
I drive it around Europe every summer, so want everything to be up to scratch.....plus I've always been a preventative maintenance type of person.....I'll replace things before they become an issue. And I get a rather large discount on parts through work which helps.
Something else I noticed yesterday, there's a new and definite knocking noise from the front right.
If I tap the accelerator, it's quite a loud knock. Not the engine mounts, as I replaced them all less than 6 months ago.
Also when I pull up to my drive, and reverse in, as soon as I start reversing, there's a loud knock from the front right......just the once, as soon as the wheel starts going backwards.
I'm going to strip the whole front end apart back to the steering rack and check it all over.
I drive it around Europe every summer, so want everything to be up to scratch.....plus I've always been a preventative maintenance type of person.....I'll replace things before they become an issue. And I get a rather large discount on parts through work which helps.
