Possible Steering Problem? - SOLVED!

[markv]

Coming back from Silverstone after Donington, I noticed that the steering seemed a bit "funny". Difficult to describe, but it seems to me that as I turm, particularly around a left hand bend and particularly when I'm accelerating, the car is moving further than I'd expect in the direction I'm turning. Today, it seems more noticeable at lower speeds as well, even if I hit a bump in the road the car seems to lunge in the direction my steering wheel is going. It just doesn't seem right. Any ideas?

[muley]

This is a stupid question; but I ask it anyway; are all your wheel nuts tight?

[markv]

The wheel nuts are all there, but I haven't checked for tightness - I'll check tomorrow. The tyres look inflated too, but I need to check that properly as well I guess (my first thought was that I had a flat, it felt a bit like the feeling you get when you're not fully in control after a tyre/puncture problem). I did try to wobble each wheel while the car was on the drive, and there wasn't any obvious movement (but not sure if I'd get any with the car standing on the drive).

[Specky]

I'd jack the car up at the front... and have a good look...suspension, raft, steering rack, anti roll bar

Then try and wobble the wheels at the three o'clock, nine o'clock posistion; then in the Twelve o'clock six o'clock posistion

then spin the wheel

TTFN

[markv]

Also noticed that I now have to point the steering wheel off-centre (about 11.30) to drive the car straight ahead. And I spotted some oil on the surface of one of the offside components under the front of the car (not there on the nearside), but no drips on the ground.

[RayD]

Mark,

Most local tyre/exhaust places will do a free tracking check ...they’ll probably stumble across whatever’s causing the problem.

Ray

[muley]

Mark

Have you checked the pas fluid level? I'm around this evening if you want to bring it over I'll have a look ...

Cheers

Jim

[markv]

Thanks for the offer Jim - unfortunately I've only just picked it up. I haven't checked the pas fluid level - where would I need to look?

[markv]

I took the car over to Steve Williams this morning. As he's busy preparing race cars at the moment, it was just for a quick check to see whether it was dangerous to drive, and he told me after a quick drive round the block that something was not right. Having jacked it up, he discovered the problem - a loose nut on the offside ball joint - tightened it up and the problem was fixed!

And the result is that the car is transformed! Over the past year or two, I'd thought that steering was imprecise for a Lotus and put it down to the age of the car. Now, it's so precise, rock solid and it's made me realise that the problem had slowly got worse and worse over time without me realising, until it suddenly got dramatically bad. I'd forgotten how much fun driving my Elan could be!

[John_W]

Mark,
Glad you got it fixed and have rediscovered what driving the Elan is meant to be like.

However, I would take the car to someplace different for the MOT this year.

John