As a driver, you depend on your car’s steering system to control your vehicle on all types of roads, from winding country lanes to busy city streets. The steering rack is a vital part of the steering system because it transforms the turning of your steering wheel into the movement of your wheels. When the steering rack starts to fail, it can cause many problems that affect how your car drives and how safe it is on the road.
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The Big Power Steering Pump Issues It Pays Not to Ignore
If your power steering pump goes wrong, then chances are you will lose the ability to steer your car easily. Fortunately, there are several warning signs that can give you a heads up of any impending issues, hopefully preventing a major issue or fault whilst on the road.
Continue readingHelp… My Car is Pulling to One Side, and I don’t Know What to Do
It’s not a great situation. If your car is pulling to one side, either under braking or whilst driving, it can not only be frustrating, but down-right dangerous. However, despite the initial shock, it’s not quite time to go to panic stations yet, as the cause could be actually quite simple.
Obviously, this is a real safety issue, so you’ll want to get it checked out as soon as possible – and the chances are the problem originates from one of the following culprits:
Continue readingDo The Shake: Why Your Car is Juddering…
A judder is a jerking motion or shaking feeling you get behind the wheel. For example, you put your foot down and expect to move forward in a continual motion, but instead you jerk and stop. This can be a frightening experience, and your passengers won’t thank you for it either. Juddering can be caused by a number of issues and in several scenarios and should never be ignored; it’s often a sign other problems could develop in your vehicle if left unchecked. What are the various symptoms and how can you complete a little amateur diagnosis yourself?
Continue readingWhat’s Causing those Steering Wheel Shakes?
When you’re out driving, a shaking steering wheel can be irritating. However, it can also be a great way to get an early heads up on problems with your car. Some of the most common causes are likely to be warped discs, causing shakes under breaking, or poorly balanced tyres resulting in shaking under high speed.
There are of course more serious issues with your car that can be revealed by shakes through the steering system. Which signs need a little attention, and how can you spot the serious red flags that mean you need a little hand investigating further?
Read morE6 Vehicle Steering Warning Signs
Having a responsive, powerful steering system is absolutely essential for the modern motorist. Urban travel can be so demanding that vehicles need to be extremely responsive. The parts that helps ensure the drivers actions at the wheel are quickly translated into movement is the steering column and steering rack.
The steering system connects the driving wheel to the steering. It is designed to take the force of a collision and dissipate the energy in the event of an impact to the front of your vehicle. Therefore a steering failure can be a particularly dangerous situation, especially if it happens whilst you’re behind the wheel. However, with a little care and attention – you can stay on top of the condition of these parts – by keeping one eye open for the following symptoms.
Continue reading7 Signs You Car’s Suspension is Failing
Suspension is all about giving your car a smooth ride. Can you imagine what it must have felt like for those first motoring pioneers as they bumped and rocked their way over every single shingle and nook in the road? Nowadays, we barely notice a crevice or the smaller pot holes thanks to the high design quality and engineering of our shocks and springs.
However, suspension is about more than keeping you from being jostled and pushed around in the driving seat. Did you know that this system also helps keep your wheels in contact with the asphalt, improving traction? Which can result in an increase of stopping distances by up to 20% if the system is worn or broken.
Continue readingThe Signs Your Power Steering is Failing – And How to Fix Them…
Power steering is a great invention. Without it, turning your car’s steering wheel would be quite hard work, especially when driving slowly. It’s hydraulics and electrics are designed to support your efforts in the driving seat, keeping you free from fatigue and making the car’s drive an altogether more promising experience.
Continue readingInstalling a New Steering Rack
As with all moving parts in your car, the steering rack is likely to wear down over time and experience fatigue. This will take a few years, but the tell-tale signs are in the responsiveness of the car’s steering. If turning the wheel seems to take more effort than it used to, or if the whole system seems strangely sluggish, then you know you have a problem with the steering rack.
Continue readingReplacing a Power Steering Pump
Have you seen a spillage underneath your car that you know is not oil? Is your car growling like a big cat when you turn the steering wheel? If so, then the likely culprit could be your power steering pump. Like all parts in the engine this pump is prone to fatigue, with the gaskets and seals around the unit generally failing first. Although some hardened mechanics will argue that it is possible to rebuild the unit, it is generally best replaced with a new or second hand part. This is a moderately difficult procedure that you should expect to take around four hours.
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