vibration and torque steer to left, intermittent

[jimzzr]

Hi,

Returning from wales today in torrential rain started to get quite bad vibration through steering wheel. At first thought it might be a puncture and stopped, found nothing . Carried on a problem dissappeared for about a hour of motorway driving then occurred again and has now gone again.

Under trainling throttle car felt fine, but under acceleration vibrated and pulled slightly to left.

I'm thinking perhaps one of the inner driveshaft jints might be failing.

Any other thoughts, the intermittent nature seems strange.



car is a 94 1.7 TD.

Thanks

Jim

[Cavalier342]

Have you checked the outer CV gaiters? If they are split, it could be a worn joint, as they are critical to the steering set up.

[btcctroy]

Yes sounds like a drive shaft has no grease. It's probably dead now

[planetc]

Outer cv joint by the sounds of it

[btcctroy]

A tea and biscuits job

[jimzzr]

Cheers guys I'll be back once I've had a chance to crawl under and take a look. I always associated outer joint failure with knocking on full lock?

Anyway if there ins't an obvious offender, am I correct in thinking that torque steer to left would suggest a problem with the left hand shaft?

Many Thanks

Jim

[jimzzr]

Cheers guys I'll be back once I've had a chance to crawl under and take a look. I always associated outer joint failure with knocking on full lock?

Anyway if there ins't an obvious offender, am I correct in thinking that torque steer to left would suggest a problem with the left hand shaft?

Many Thanks

Jim

Had a quick look , now that it's finally stopped raining, and the boots on both outer sides are split.

You guys seem fairly sure it would be an outer rather than inner joint and the split boot would suggest that as well.

So do I buy a new complete shaft, but then I'd need to be sure which side. Or buy a couple of boots and an outer joint.

Thanks

Jim

[planetc]

I'd buy a joint kit, which comes with a boot, in fact I would buy a pair and that is exactly what I did when my nearside went the same way. Purchased from eBay, about £36 all in for both. Inner joints don't suffer like the outers and will outlive them by a long way.

[Cavalier342]

Yep well worth doing the pair while you're at it. If it wasn't causing any issues, then the boots themselves would need replacing but if it's got to the point where it affects driving then it's too dangerous to leave.

[Rage]

mine did exactly the same on the way down to plymouth after I touched an angled kurb to get out the way of a copper. managed to get me home though but it was a nightmare to drive and it was all down to the outer cv joint for the sake of £40 you can get a complete cv kit with boot clips and grease and that will cure the problem and save you wrestling your cav about

[jimzzr]

mine did exactly the same on the way down to plymouth after I touched an angled kurb to get out the way of a copper. managed to get me home though but it was a nightmare to drive and it was all down to the outer cv joint for the sake of £40 you can get a complete cv kit with boot clips and grease and that will cure the problem and save you wrestling your cav about

Two new outer cv joints fitted. Nearside one was pretty bad. Hopefully this will cure the problem, although there was perceptable play on the inner joint as well. Mind you they have done at least 100k since I've had the car possibly a lot more.

Pretty straightforward job apart from those bloody circlips.

Cheers

Jim