| | | quote | | Originally posted by kmerkle01: does anyone know what might be causing my cars turning to be so hard and when i turn the wheel it doesnt return to the center position, it just stays where i turned to ? |
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When was the last time you lubed the front suspension?
When was the last time you checked your tire pressure?
Put your car back up on those jack stands and inspect the front suspension, or get it in to a shop and have them do it.
The steering wheel should want to "self center" under forward motion. If your steering is sufficiently stiff that you're having a hard time turning the wheel, and the wheel will not return to near-center without assistance, one or more components in the front suspension are in need of some TLC.
It could be anything... under-inflated tires, bad or poorly lubricated ball joints, failing steering rack, etc.
If nothing is obvious from a visual inspection, an easy first step to isolating the problem is to pull the front wheels and disconnect the tie rods on each side. If you can't pivot one or both knuckles fully from left to right with minimal effort from one hand, or notice any grabbing or clicking while moving them, one or both ball joints on that side need servicing. If there is little or no change in the effort required to turn the steering wheel, you have problems in the rack or the column (more likely the rack).
Good luck!
[This message has been edited by dguy (edited 03-06-2006).]
