Jim Mann

Hello, and please help! This is my first trip to this website. A friend gave me his 1988 Maxima this week, and I have a steering question. This car has 221,500 miles, and has been well maintained. When I steer left or right around turns, the steering wheel wants to tug back towards the center, as if the tires are trying to straighten out. You can feel a good tug on the steering wheel. It is fine on straight roads. The tires are properly inflated and seem to be in alignment, it has a new power steering pump and plenty of ps fluid, and a new front axle. The auto parts store said that it might be a stuck valve in the rack and pinion setup, and that a special ps fluid with a certain additive might unstick it and return it to normal. Or, it might be a worn out something with the rack and pinion steering itself. Any ideas ? Thanks in advance for your help. Jim Mann

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

How hard does it tug back? The steering should return to center if you let go of the wheel. It's the Caster angle that causes this. If your Caster angle is too steep, that could cause what your describing.

The return to center has nothing to do with your power steering system. That only provides you with power based on input from your steering wheel. The power steering system can't pull your steering wheel in any direction left, right or back to center.

Faulty steering racks generally bind up or leak if they go bad.
A binding steering rack would make the car difficult to steer and not return to center position. This would require you to manually straighten the car out after turning. Thats not safe at all.

Are you feeling a lack of assistance by the power steering system or is your steering wheel actually pulling back to the center position with to much force?

Jim Mann

Well, I sent you a reply, and it got lost in Cyber Space. You are correct in your reasoning that the PS pump is not the problem. You are also correct that the problem lies somewhere in the steering hardware. The dealer wanted a minimum of $75 to verify this today, so I will rely initially on contacts. The tugging when turning is significant enough to make you think that the tires are jerking back towards center, kinda like when they get caught in the ridges of a ground down roadbed. It is most noticeable in a sweeping turn, such as merging on to the interstate. I turn the wheel to the right, the wheel gets tugged basck to the left, as if something is happening to the tires. I correct, it happens again, etc. etc. all in small doses, never enough to make me lose control, but very annoying. I have to get this car to the safest possible point, so I'll chase this one down. The camber seems fine, but we will check it. I think you were on the right track with the steering hardware. Thanks again, and I'll take any advice you have. Jim Man