Steering behaving strange after alignment of Tata Safari

trance_nut · 11th February 2008, 23:42

Hi Guys,

Been facing this strange problem for the past one week now. Got the wheel alignment done for my Safari (with OEM alloys) about a week back. The alignment chap used the "computerized" method to align the wheels. On mounting the sensors to the wheels, the screen showed the camber and toe to be out of the specified range for the safari. He adjusted both of them and brought them within the range. My steering wheel that was slightly off-centre also got "kind of centred".
After this alignment, the steering wheel has become very imprecise. it moves left/right even on the slightest undulation in the road, and when trying to change direction suddenly(from going left to suddenly changing the direction of steering to right), it feels as if the steering wheel is moving a lot to cause a small amount of change in direction.
Is this because the play of the steering has increased? Also there is a very "loose feel" to the steering as compared to the earlier "tight feel".

Strangely though, the alignment is okay.
Can the correction in toe or camber have resulted in this behaviour?
I recently showed it to two A.S.S (Dhingra in gurgaon and vivek automobiles) and both of them say everything is OK. But i can feel that something (maybe small) is not okay.
Please help!!.

-Nitin

1100D · 12th February 2008, 01:02

Was you car earlier running on excessive toe?

Why I ask this is that it seems that you have a steering linkage issue here. But prior to alignment your car was tight. Maybe due to excessive toe any wearout of the steering system bushes might have been negated.

trance_nut · 12th February 2008, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1100D

Was you car earlier running on excessive toe?

Thanks for the reply 1100D.
It wasnt excessive, just marginally out (as indicated by the alignment software).
During the first 1000 km, there was an issue with the steering pump (oil leakage), and it was changed under warranty. While connecting the steering linkage back, they connected it such that the steering was off centre by about 20 degrees from the vertical.

Thereafter n number of efforts had been put in to centre the steering (just by taking out the steering and trying to align it to the centre). However after the alignment, the steering seems to have been centred, but the feeling is very "soft".
How can the linkage issue be detected? Also is there any other symptom that indicates a linkage issue?

Thanks

Nitin

abhishek2 · 12th February 2008, 15:44

Hey finally i find someone whose problem matches mine.
I experienced a problem like this when my driver told the A.S.S (Sanya
Motors) to lighten the steering, without my knowledge, i drove the car and
the steering was completely imprecise and Sh*tty, i could feel a lot of play,
after showing it to another A.S.S they told me if they tighten the steering
there would be a risk of the car toppling over at high speed (A-One Motors), i
was completely shocked at this statement and told him not to do anything, at
another instance i again asked the service station guys to check steering
play and he simply told me it was because of worn out tyres, my car is lying
unused and under covers since because of it feeling unstable waiting for a
tyre change, let's see what happens.

11th February 2008, 23:42	#1
trance_nut BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Delhi/Noida Posts: 63 Thanked: 51 Times	Steering behaving strange after alignment of Tata Safari Hi Guys, Been facing this strange problem for the past one week now. Got the wheel alignment done for my Safari (with OEM alloys) about a week back. The alignment chap used the "computerized" method to align the wheels. On mounting the sensors to the wheels, the screen showed the camber and toe to be out of the specified range for the safari. He adjusted both of them and brought them within the range. My steering wheel that was slightly off-centre also got "kind of centred". After this alignment, the steering wheel has become very imprecise. it moves left/right even on the slightest undulation in the road, and when trying to change direction suddenly(from going left to suddenly changing the direction of steering to right), it feels as if the steering wheel is moving a lot to cause a small amount of change in direction. Is this because the play of the steering has increased? Also there is a very "loose feel" to the steering as compared to the earlier "tight feel". Strangely though, the alignment is okay. Can the correction in toe or camber have resulted in this behaviour? I recently showed it to two A.S.S (Dhingra in gurgaon and vivek automobiles) and both of them say everything is OK. But i can feel that something (maybe small) is not okay. Please help!!. -Nitin
	() Thanks

12th February 2008, 01:02	#2
1100D Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Calcutta Posts: 4,390 Thanked: 4,096 Times View My Garage	Was you car earlier running on excessive toe? Why I ask this is that it seems that you have a steering linkage issue here. But prior to alignment your car was tight. Maybe due to excessive toe any wearout of the steering system bushes might have been negated.
	() Thanks

12th February 2008, 15:44	#4
abhishek2 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 33 Thanked: 0 Times	Hey finally i find someone whose problem matches mine. I experienced a problem like this when my driver told the A.S.S (Sanya Motors) to lighten the steering, without my knowledge, i drove the car and the steering was completely imprecise and Sh*tty, i could feel a lot of play, after showing it to another A.S.S they told me if they tighten the steering there would be a risk of the car toppling over at high speed (A-One Motors), i was completely shocked at this statement and told him not to do anything, at another instance i again asked the service station guys to check steering play and he simply told me it was because of worn out tyres, my car is lying unused and under covers since because of it feeling unstable waiting for a tyre change, let's see what happens.
	() Thanks