S2 veers to the left

[dontuna]

Hi. I have just had the tracking done on my 1989 s2 as it was significantly out and causing the car to veer to the left when I took my hands of the steering wheel. All green on the test machine now and adjustments made, steering wheel now straight however it still veers to the left as above.

Before i take it back to the garage is this normal or could this be something else causing this? New to this so thought I would ask the experts first!

Thanks in advance for any feedback

[v8s4me]

When you say is veers to the left, is this driving normally on a straight road or under braking? If the latter then the problem is with the brake on the side it pulls to. If the former then it could be:-

1. tracking still not correct.
2. problem with the tyre on that side (under inflated).
3. camber on the road (test it on a piece of road with no obvious camber)
4. seized UJ (knuckle joint) of the steering column.

If 2 - 4 test out OK then it's back to the garage.

[Oldred_V8S]

v8s4me said:

When you say is veers to the left, is this driving normally on a straight road or under braking? If the latter then the problem is with the brake on the side it pulls to. If the former then it could be:-

1. tracking still not correct.
2. problem with the tyre on that side (under inflated).
3. camber on the road (test it on a piece of road with no obvious camber)
4. seized UJ (knuckle joint) of the steering column.

If 2 - 4 test out OK then it's back to the garage.

Not had my first coffee of the day yet, but if it pulls to the left under braking, it could be the brake on the right that is not working?

[dontuna]

v8s4me said:

When you say is veers to the left, is this driving normally on a straight road or under braking? If the latter then the problem is with the brake on the side it pulls to. If the former then it could be:-

1. tracking still not correct.
2. problem with the tyre on that side (under inflated).
3. camber on the road (test it on a piece of road with no obvious camber)
4. seized UJ (knuckle joint) of the steering column.

If 2 - 4 test out OK then it's back to the garage.

Thanks for coming back to me so quickly.

It is when the car is driving in a straight line on a flat road not under braking. Tyres are inflated ok.

How can you test item 4. Would this cause other issues? Steering is fully responsive

[Adrian@]

Have the rear trailing arms been looked at?
A@

[spitfire4v8]

You don't need the tracking doing you need a full four wheel check (adrian alludes to this with mentioning the trailing arms, which might be badly aligned, damaged etc) , and by four wheel check I mean not just the geometry but the ball joints, bushes, brakes dragging etc etc.

Just doing (eg) the front tracking won't achieve anything, the caster and self aligning torque of the tyres will make sure it tracks relatively true even if the actual toe is set quite a way out.

[v8s4me]

dontuna said:

....How can you test item 4. Would this cause other issues? Steering is fully responsive

Jack up the front of the car & support on stands so that both wheels are off the ground. Hold the steering wheel between two fingers and thumb and turn it slowly left to right. If you feel any binding then it's probably a UJ. If a UJ has seized to the point where it is causing tracking then it will be very obvious when you turn the steering wheel. Although there could be a problem with the rack but that would be less likely to cause it to track left. Feel for any "notchyness" when going from lock to lock.

While the front is off the ground you can also check out the brake suggestion above. Get someone to gently press the brake pedal until the point where the left disc just starts to be difficult to turn; the right wheel should be the same, if it's free then you could have a brake issue.

[v8s4me]

Six good replies in an hour, all catalogued, easy to read and refer back to later. Beat that Facebook

[glenrobbo]

v8s4me said:

Six good replies in an hour, all catalogued, easy to read and refer back to later. Beat that Facebook

Absolutely, Joe.

My thoughts over and above the previously mentioned possibilities would be brake drag due to a partially sticking front nearside caliper piston, or a rubber flex brake pipe on that corner past its' sell-by date. The interior bore can deteriorate and become gungy and swollen, restricting the flow of brake fluid, effectively acting like a non-return valve and not allowing fluid to return once the brake pedal is released.

It was quite common on Fords of that era, my daughter's 1990 Escort had the problem, and I also had it on my S1

If you are working on your brakes, and remove a caliper with the brake hose still connected, you should always avoid twisting the hose too much, and suspend the caliper with a bit of wire or string to avoid straining the rubber flexible hose.

[dontuna]

Again thank you for all your comments. I cannot praise this forum and its members enough

I will jack it up and check the steering and brakes. The MOT did advise slight play in the steering rack so this could be contributing.

It was a 4 wheel alignment check but they did not check bushes or joints etc. The condition under the car was fair but it could definatley do with further investigation

Could it be related to the shock absorbers at all?

Based on this I see that there is little merit taking it back to the garage to get the tracking checked again, or at least until I have carried out my checks?

Thanks again

[GreenV8S]

Check the springs and damper bushes. If the front corner weights are significantly different, the steering will pull. Double check the tyre pressures too.

If the brakes are dragging, you'll feel the heat after a drive. Be careful not to burn yourself on the disc.

[spitfire4v8]

What did you actually ask the garage to do? Was it to investigate the pulling to the side issue, or did you just ask them to check the alignment ?

[v8s4me]

dontuna said:

... The MOT did advise slight play in the steering rack so this could be contributing....

Possibly but that would be more likely to show itself as a vagueness in the steering or wandering.

Check the simple things first. Based on personal experience I'd start with the upper steering column UJ because that's the one that gets the most crap thrown over it.

[dontuna]

spitfire4v8 said:

What did you actually ask the garage to do? Was it to investigate the pulling to the side issue, or did you just ask them to check the alignment ?

I asked them to check the wheel alignment thinking that was causing it to drift to the left. so they did a 4 wheel check and adjusted the front toe as the left hand side was out. I will get them to check it again as I don't think it's quite right

[phillpot]

dontuna said:

I will get them to check it again as I don't think it's quite right

Why? as others have basically said, I think you're barking up the wrong tree with front wheel alignment.

[TwinKam]

Are both front tyres the same make, tread pattern, and tread depth? If not, what happens when you swap them side to side?

[dontuna]

I have now carried out the checks based on all of your advice.

In no particular order

1. both front tyres are Goodyear hydrogrip 205/60/R15 and have the same tread and inflation
2. All joints and bushes appear to be OK with no apparent play or damage from what I can see
3. There is no binding in the steering rack

Points for further advice

4. The slight play in the steering is not coming from the rack but from the upper UJ . Can the UJ be replaced on its own and is this an easy DIY job?

5. When no brakes are applied and I spin the front wheels by hand the drivers side wheel rotates noticeably less than the passengers side. Could something be binding?

6. When I slightly apply the brakes to form some resistance the passengers side wheel has greater resistance than the drivers side.

Hopefully that all makes sense.

Thanks again for your advice

[phillpot]

dontuna said:

Could something be binding?

[GreenV8S]

The steering UJ isn't the main problem but will need to be addressed at some point. When you replace it, a gaiter to protect it from heat and dirt will allow the replacement to last a lot longer. Generic steering rack end gaiters are ideal, and come in pairs so you can protect the lower UJ at the same time.

It sounds as if one of the front calipers may be binding. I suggest you check the condition of the sliders - they're a wear item so might need replacing, but perhaps you just need to clean and regrease them.

[dontuna]

GreenV8S said:

It sounds as if one of the front calipers may be binding. I suggest you check the condition of the sliders - they're a wear item so might need replacing, but perhaps you just need to clean and regrease them.

So I have now stripped the brakes off and dismantled the calipers. Sliders on drivers side were significantly more resistant than the passengers but in good conditon so I will re grease and put back together.

The brake pads were very unevenly worn with the inside drivers side pad the worse. Is it normal for the pads to wear unevenly in this way? And do I need to replace them?



I have checked the hubs and found that there is significant resistance in the drivers side hub. Does this require a new wheel bearing?

As I have started to dismantle I am looking at other issues whilst I am at it. The ride is not great, bumpy roads are not this cars friend, have the springs/shocks had it based on their visual appearance?





Please don't judge the condition of the car! I have taken possession of it from my father in law where it has lived it's life on the family farm. I am trying to bring it back into good health with my limited knowledge. Thanks again