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stiff steering wheel

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Old 06-22-2004, 02:17 PM
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stiff steering wheel

what causes your steering wheel to be stiff when turning (not smooth).I drove my friends 1992 GXE and I could turn his wheel with one finger no strains, mine on the other hand takes a bit more effort. there is new fluid, belts, no leaks.
any takers?
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Old 06-22-2004, 02:28 PM
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Wider wheels/tires for one
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Old 06-22-2004, 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Jeff92se
Wider wheels/tires for one
Ok...but my friend's GXE is running on factory rims and Dunlop A2's 205/65/15.

why would I have to get wider wheels/tires if he is running on OEM specs?
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Old 06-22-2004, 06:52 PM
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i think he meant wider wheels would make it harder to turn.

between the gxe and the se i think the gxe's steering is a bit easier to steer compared to the se most likely because the se is meant to be sportier. i could be wrong though.
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Old 06-23-2004, 01:25 PM
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[/COLOR][COLOR=Black]
Originally Posted by mtcookson
i think he meant wider wheels would make it harder to turn.

between the gxe and the se i think the gxe's steering is a bit easier to steer compared to the se most likely because the se is meant to be sportier. i could be wrong though.
[COLOR=Black]
I want mine stiffer. oh well
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Old 06-23-2004, 02:50 PM
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The SE's steering is quite a bit stiffer than the GXE system from the factory.. not sure whether it's in the pump, rack, or what, but it's much lighter in the GXE.
I'd rather have the stiffness of the SE.. Right now if I hit bumps while I'm holding the wheel with one hand, my arm moves enough to turn me into the next lane... not cool in heavy traffic. I'd hate to see it any softer than it is now.
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Old 06-23-2004, 06:54 PM
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Right now if I hit bumps while I'm holding the wheel with one hand, my arm moves enough to turn me into the next lane... not cool in heavy traffic. I'd hate to see it any softer than it is now.
Yeah, how do we get rid of that? I was thinking your suspension mods would help me with this annoyance... but yours sounds a little worse than mine though.
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Old 06-23-2004, 07:56 PM
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that's due to the very sharp steering response on mine.. nothing you can really do about it unless you start dinking with the steering rack- not something joe schmoe should be dinking with.
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Old 06-23-2004, 08:31 PM
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Yeah, when I upgrade from stock worn 140K mile suspension to new Konis and Eibachs.. I noticed that when I hit a bump, it was much harsher. I have to hold tighter on the steering wheel to keep from going in the other lane. I love it b/c the tires are in perfect contact with the road at all times. So the driver better be alert.
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Old 06-23-2004, 08:40 PM
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that's more bumpsteer and the wheel twitching than increased traction.
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Old 06-23-2004, 08:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Matt93SE
that's more bumpsteer and the wheel twitching than increased traction.
But I'm sure I have more traction when compared to my 140K mile stock suspension! Even with the bumpsteer!
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Old 06-24-2004, 05:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Aaron92SE
But I'm sure I have more traction when compared to my 140K mile stock suspension! Even with the bumpsteer!
Is that another new word or is it really bump-steer, add it to the template along with butt-dyno too!
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Old 06-24-2004, 05:54 AM
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when you talk about suspension, bump-steer is a very common word and something most people have problems with.. but in the case of the general public, they just think the car is twitchy when you hit bumps because of the suspension... it is, but it's because the alignment/steering is changing as the springs compress and the ride height changes. that's bump-steer.
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Old 06-24-2004, 08:03 AM
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matt ,

is your GXE steering response stock? or did you do some mods to acheive this ??
the steering response is one of the only things i hate about my maxima when trying to increase performance. It feels like im driving a bus when i take a turn...

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Old 06-24-2004, 06:02 PM
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check ur fluids and the pump
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