One obvious thing, is tire pressure. Make sure that it is at or very
close to max for your tires. When looking at the car, from the front
with the tires point directly ahead (no turning), the appearance of the
tires should be perpendicular to the road (90 degrees), or at least VERY
close to that. When the tires are turned all the way to one side, the
top of the tires should be leaning in towards the center of the turn.
The toe in on Tigers will look wrong, because it is, and there's nothing
that can be done about it. The outside tire will be turning sharper
than the inside tire. Its the reverse of what you would want but that's
the way it is.
If you are seeing something completely different than I described here,
then something is very wrong.
Suggestion: Jack up the front end (both tires off of the ground), and
place the jack stands under the suspensions lower a-arm so that the
suspension is compressed about the same amount as it was sitting on the
tires. Now turn the wheel easily from full left to right. There should
be no binding, and the wheel should turn easily. You should be able to
do this with only one finger. Now put the wheel straight again, and go
to the tire. Grab the tire at 9 and 3, and push at 9 and pull at 3.
You should be able to spin the steering wheel from full lock in both
directions. While there, you can check for any thing looses by trying
to move the tire back and forth real quick.
If the steering is too tight to do these tests this way, you can remove
the tierod end from the steering arm which will disconnect the steering
from the suspension. NOTE: make sure you don't turn tierod end on the
rack's tierod. If you do , you will have to have the alignment re done.
Just removing the end from the steering arm, won't change the
alignment. You will now be able to determine which part is too tight.
Grasp the tire again, and move it back and forth (left turn, and right
turn). It should move easily and with little effort. The same
procedure for both tires of course. Now carefully turn the steering
wheel from lock left to lock right. It should also turn with very
little effort. If one doesn't, you'll know where to start looking, and
where you don't have to look. If the steering wheel is stiff, you can
remove one of the U-joints (mark it first with a white crayon or paint
stick so the it's position will be the same when you put it back on. If
the steering wheel is still stiff, the problem is in the column. If it
easy now but wasn't when connected to the rack, then the rack is the
problem! If the tires were stiff, then the problem is with the ball
joints, or tire clearance.
Good luck, I hope its something simple...
Sorry for so long... I always write too much... 8-)
Rich
>----------
>From: CoolVT@aol.com[SMTP:CoolVT@aol.com]
>Sent: Thursday, January 23, 1997 12:04 AM
>To: Tigers@autox.team.net
>Cc: Tigers@auto.team.net
>Subject: Handling problems
>
>
> I'm having handling problems with my Tiger and am looking for suggestions.
> The car has almost no return on the steering wheel after a corner or any
>curve. Also, it seems to bump steer somewhat. Therefore, when making almost
>any correction in near normal driving the wheel has to be constantly turned
>or the car just continues in the direction of the last turn (because the
>wheel hardly returns).
>
> The front end has been completely removed and torn down, the parts all
>checked and the upper and lower ball joints replaced, tie rod ends replaced
>and springs and shocks replaced. The steering column was torn down, checked
>and relubed.
>
> An allignment was done twice and according to the machine it is right on.
> In looking at the car though it appears to have visible positive camber.
>
> It was suggested to me that possibly the ball joints are defective and
>causing a drag. The steering rack has not been torn down completely, but the
>adjustment are correct and I've also tried fooling with less tension and it
>doesn't appear to be binding.
>
> The springs were replaced with parts from C.A.T. which are 1 1/2 "
> shorter than original , but it seemed to have the same symptoms before the
>new springa went it.
>
> HELP ! !
>
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