I lucked out! I managed to get my hands on a 1985 Maxima that has been in storage forever. This car is literally out of the box new! It only has one little problem. The steering on this car is "STRANGE" and I'm not sure what's going on with it.

When you steer into a turn the car will suddenly over-steers just a little then back off. It does this over and over again where the car kind of rocks in and out of the turn. The steering wheel will also move turning in and out like the car has set up some kind of harmonic movement. If you grab it with you knees and hold it the car will stabilize a little but the minute you let the wheel go the car will start this rocking motion again.

To try and explain this a different way when I go into a turn at any speed above 55mph and the turn is fairly sharp the car seems to want to segment its way around the turn, its not smooth but jumpy in that the car oscillates as its turning. The steering wheel oscillates while I turn too. The front end is aligned! Nothing seems to be loose at all! The original owner says its always been like that! Since the original owner is my dad I can believe him.

In a very sharp turn the car turns OK. Its like there is this SPOT where the car is having this problem! Anyone ever heard of such a thing? Anyone know what the problem might be?

Thanks for your help!

 

Just wondering, what do you mean by "This car is literally out of the box new!" ??? How many miles are on it? How often was it started, etc. ?

 

Your in Seattle? I live up in Lynnwood. Maybe if I have some free time, I can meet up with you and see what is going on.

S

 

Sounds like tires. Out of shape from sitting forever in one poisition?

 

^what he sayas^

 

I should have been more discriptive! The car has been well taken care of. It looks new. It has about 76K on it. My dad says the the steering has always been the way I discibed it.

The tires are new and are in good shape. They don't make any strange noises or anything. I thought the tires might be messed up but the car did this with the first set too. My dad thought this was just the way the car steers. He mostly used it on the freeway all the time. Being 80 something he doesn't drive too fast! So when he's driving you can't tell there is a problem. The car is old enough where its worth nothing but is in such good shape he couldn't see just giving it away. Since my car gets 400 miles to the quart of oil he gave it to me. I will give my car away.

Where I'm at I'm on country roads and so this turning problem is a real pain. I'm also wondering if this can cause some real problems in the snow! I've parked it until I can get some idea what's going on.

As I've said there is this one spot where the car oscillates around the turns. Its really the most strange thing I've ever felt in a car before. I've had cars with oversteer and understeer but never both at the same time. The steering wheel actually oscillates in the turn. And it only does this at a curtain point, turn more sharply or less and it doesn't oscillate. Its really strange.

 

check the power steering, odds are its black or atleast not red so i would get it changed out, it may be low too

 

I experienced the exact situation with my 87'. I have trusted my beauty to the skilled gentlemen at Z-sport in Everett. They had discovered a small leak in the power steering return line. It made a significant difference yet it still slightly reacts as you have discribed. I don't mind because this car has far too many great qualities. Cruise on!

 

Mine has been doing the same thing since I bought it. I noticed the lady that had it before me (1 owner) had had the steering rack changed less than a year ago. What gives? The way you describe the cyclical, notchiness of the wheel is exactly what mine is doing. The thing on mine is that it only does it in one direction from center (to the left, I believe). It does it with pressure on the wheel even when stopped. This is stealing all of the joy of ownership of this car, believe me.....

 

I have an 88 se 5speed and my car scared the hell out of me the first time it happened to me. 45mph or above in a turn, the car would lean a bit as normal, then out of nowhere in the middle of the turn, snap into a secondary lean. During the process of lowering my car, I discovered that my lower control/A-arm bushings were shot. The smaller metal ring, surrounded by rubber and another metal ring came right out when I removed the arm which is connected to the bottom of the rotor by a ball joint. It was easier for me buy two arms for 24$ from salvage than pay 35$ for two bushings, then find a machine press to change them out. Tested them and found my
PROBLEM COMPLETELY SOLVED. Went on to lower my ride, put back on my lead foot, and happily take those 35mph curves at 60+!!! But thats just me.

 

Lower control arm bushings eh? I'll have to have a look when I rotate my tires this weekend.

 

Mine did that for awhile. Then I added fluid to my power steering and it was fine. I later found it it was my tires which is what it sounds just like on yours. The inner part of one of the front wheels is starting to wear out. It may not be so visible but you could be getting down to the woven steel they have in them.

 

hmm....i know my lower control arm bushings are missing and i dont have that problem....but it does lean bad but then again i need those bushings ontop of other bushings and slocks/struts (theyre BLEEDING....CALL AN EXORCIST!)

 

Just wondering, does your car exhibit those symptoms during general steering/turning or do they surface while attacking curves at higher speeds? Under hard acceleration? My power steering fluid was really dark until a leak occured and it all drained out resulting in a large set of forearms. Fixed the leak and added fresh fluid, but snap handling problem persisted. Changed tie-rod ends, had tires rotated/balanced, alignment, checked tightness of rack & pinion bushings to firewall, to no avail. Having intact control arm bushings killed two birds with one stone. Really bad inside tire wear(two sets of tires a year with shredded wires and bald patches and practically brand new middle/outside meat!), and strange handling as you described to where it would hit a "spot" during the curve like something gave way and it would pull my steering wheel in the opposide direction until I slowed or exited the curve.

 

Mine will do it just sitting still. If you turn the steering and put pressure on the pump, it will reach a certain point where it will start the rocking feeling. Like it has assist, and then doesn't. You can feel it helping, and then not. It rocks the steering wheel back and forth. I can definately rule out any front end problem on mine.....it isn't moving!

 

that kinda sounds like air to me

 

my car has similar problems when the ps fluid is low. it feels like the car is fighting me when i turn the wheel it keeps wanting to go back to straight. im going to try some lucas ps stop leak, and see if it helps keep the fluid in my ps system.

 

One of my power steering hoses broke back when the car was my Grandmas. Power steering fluid shot all over the manifold I could have sworn that the car was on fire. Since I got the car and started driveing it on a regular basis I have also noticed a point at which the car starts to turn in segments. My power steering pump also makes a lot of noise.