Civic Type R - slight "floating" feeling when driving? Constant steering wheel correction??

[slickcell]

My car is a 2005 Civic type R Premier edition.

Right, I'm really fussy and this is just a little thing niggling me, it's not crazy bad but its definitely not how my last EP3 used to drive....

The car doesnt make any clunks when steering or driving in general, even when hitting bumps etc but i find that under acceleration and especially when overtaking (crossing over the white line centre section of the road), my car tends to pitch left and right and need constant steering wheel correction. Its not like the car pulls to either side majorly as such that its dangerous, but it just doesnt seem right!

Ive had the car jacked up and given it the typical wheel shake to identify any significant wheel movement which would indicate that its in need of new track rod ends but there isnt much movement at all.

The car does however badly need a new upper driver side engine mount and the engine moves enough under acceleration/deceleration and gear shifting to cause a knock, but would this be enough to cause the car to pitch left and right and need constant steering wheel correction as mentioned previously???

Other points to note which may help some of you identify the problem would include the fact that the tyres are different on each corner of the car (i know its dangerous, im sorting it tomorrow lol)

The car is also on the standard suspension

It also doesnt pull either left or right when driving on nice flat road, even under moderate acceleration and also doesnt give any steering wheel vibration at any speeds.

Please help me out guys!

 

[corsacj]

Alignment out maybe?

When I first put my coilovers in the alignment was all over the show but I had to drive home in the wet that night. **** it was ropey lol

 

[slickcell]

Alignment out maybe?

When I first put my coilovers in the alignment was all over the show but I had to drive home in the wet that night. **** it was ropey lol

I'm hoping that's all it is man! That, and a combination of awfully bad tyres with uneven tyre wear!

P.S. please sell me your spoiler! Lol

 

[corsacj]

I'm hoping that's all it is man! That, and a combination of awfully bad tyres with uneven tyre wear!

P.S. please sell me your spoiler! Lol

Hopefully so mate!

I dont think itll be going anywhere for a while, ill colour change the car and then maybe a set of wheels and see how I feel then

Theyre only about £150 delivered on ebay iirc for the reps which isnt bad at all

 

[slickcell]

Hopefully so mate!

I dont think itll be going anywhere for a while, ill colour change the car and then maybe a set of wheels and see how I feel then

Theyre only about £150 delivered on ebay iirc for the reps which isnt bad at all

Is that where you got yours man?

Got bits of a guy today and tried to get him to sell me his carbon fibre mugen style spoiler (possibly a seibon spoiler?) but he was having absolutely none of it! Lol

 

[corsacj]

Id love a carbon one, damn this being poor **** lol

I got mine off a member on here luckily enough but its a replica aswell and most people on the EPCIVIC forum get reps off ebay just, I dont think I know anyone with a genuine one

 

[slickcell]

Id love a carbon one, damn this being poor **** lol

I got mine off a member on here luckily enough but its a replica aswell and most people on the EPCIVIC forum get reps off ebay just, I dont think I know anyone with a genuine one

Don't think his carbon fibre one was genuine either man. Looked skinned possibly as me and Marty were inspecting it but f**k it looked good!

He was driving a diesel replica though literally slammed to the deck, me however, a premier edition. I win lol

(Although that's quite possibly just me being a d**k cos he wouldn't sell me his spoiler hahaha)

 

[mechanix]

I've a DC5 here at the minute while the owners on holidays and it does the same, full time job keepin it straight. I always blamed the electric power steering?

 

[Richy]

Steering rack, common fault on all models afaik

When I broke a couple of civics last year, racks were gone in days because of this. My mum had a 1.4 EP Civic and it was actually awful to drive because of this!!

 

[slickcell]

Steering rack, common fault on all models afaik

When I broke a couple of civics last year, racks were gone in days because of this. My mum had a 1.4 EP Civic and it was actually awful to drive because of this!!

What?!? So a completely new steering rack is the only cure? Jesus

 

[corsacj]

Rule out all other parts first mate!

 

[slickcell]

Nah man, it's definitely not the steering rack! It gives no pull left or right under acceleration or braking, it doesn't give the typical "squeak" that comes with faulty racks.

I'm almost sure it's either desperately in need of wheel alignment, geometry setting or plain old simple track rod ends!

It's not major enough to be anything more, in just fussy and need things to be perfect!!

 

[slickcell]

Well....that along with a set of dodgy tyres up front! Think il sort those first off as I'm in need of them anyway and if two new tyres cure the issue, it saves any ******* around with replacing bits which might not even need done!

 

[Paul RS]

Steering rack, common fault on all models afaik

When I broke a couple of civics last year, racks were gone in days because of this. My mum had a 1.4 EP Civic and it was actually awful to drive because of this!!

Play in the rack would be my first guess too.

 

[slickcell]

Play in the rack would be my first guess too.

There isn't any play in the rack at all though.

I'm going to change all four tyres and get my uprated engine mounts fitted and see how it feels then

 

[StephenDc2]

Its more than likely bump steer if the car ls lowered, due to the design for the steering arms coming out of the rack on these cars when you lower them the steering arms point upwards at a bigger angle the lower you go

This bad angle on the steering arms increases bump steer, meaning that as the car hits uneven ground it pulls the wheels right to left causing you to need to constantly correct to keep the car straight. EP3s and DC5s are the only cars that I know of that do this

A laser 4 wheel alignment should help if the alignment is slightly out (sounds like it is due to the uneven tyre wear). You can also install a steering arm riser bracket available from a few places online which raises the centre where the steering arms mount to the rack decreasing the angle of the arms and decreasing bump steer aswell

 

[Graham]

My car felt like it was floating (as if the body wasn't attached the the chassis) when overtaking and cornering.

turned out one of the rear shocks was completely knackered.

2 new rear shocks and it was perfect again

 

[davecoupe]

Standard wheels? Could just be tramlining?

The passat just follows the undulations in the road constantly due to (much) wider tyres.

 

[Ge0rge]

should have kept the ibiza.

 

[Delboy23]

Had a similar problem..turned out 2 be badly uneven tyre wear. Change the tyres and go from there lad.

 

[Gambit]

tyres & alignment check would be my first port of call

 

[chrisni1986]

i test drove a type r that i was wanting to buy off a fella and it done exactly what you were saying under acceleration in vtec, i put it down to knackered suspension or the likes although id never heard of the racks giving bother, put me off buying the car though as it was scarily all over the road, so much so my mate in the passenger seat grabbed the jesus handle and said a few select words, ive drove others, both standard and lowered on springs and coilovers and never felt one do it since

 

[slickcell]

Pretty sure I've found the cause of the problem. Seems that the steering rack is loose or something.

This is a video from inside the engine bay where I recorded the movement in the steering arms whilst a friend rocked the steering wheel back and forth!

Check out the video and let me know what you all think!

http://i1008.photobucket.com/albums...90A2E6D-3229-00000275882B06E2_zps806815c6.mp4

 

[Richy]

Does indeed appear to be play. Did you tighten those two middle bolts up? If they're tight, I'd try a washer in somewhere to take the play out and see if that worked

Or have a look here, that middle bit is plastic apparently, cheap to replace with new...


http://type-r-owners.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?66801-Steering-Rack&p=684301&viewfull=1#post684301

 

[corsacj]

Hopefully its just the bolts thats your problem mate, Ive a similar thing with mine at the minute seems to be getting worse too, but cant for the life of me source the problem