Help with my 405 steering?

[carlo]

Could anyone help me with this? I know I'm a bit obsessive with my 405s but this latest one is making me wonder about the steering - despite being very good in most other things. One of a 405's best features is the steering, it usually tracks straight as an arrow down the motorway or a straight road. This one, though feeling nice and accurate round the bends, needs constantly correcting on the straights. You are forever making minute adjustments to keep the car going straight, almost as if there's a bit of play (very un-Peugeot like). It's got nearly new Hankooks on the front and the tracking's fine.

 

I just wondered what the most likely suspect is, wear in any joints, or the rack perhaps?

[dollywobbler]

Grab an assistant, jack the car up (and safely put it on stands) and get them to wiggle the wheel while you check to see where the play is disappearing. At some point, something will move while the thing it's connected to won't. Could be track rod ends, could be rack. I know some vagueness in my Merc W123 was due to worn balljoints, but they only displayed the wear with weight on the wheel. A friendly mechanic showed me by levering the wheel just to put a bit of weight on it (not enough to lift it off the axle stands!).

[Guest Len H]

If it does turn out to be track rod ends, I have a pair of new ones you can have for the price of postage.

 

Could also be the anti roll bar bushes, which are a terrible design and expensive to replace.

[carlo]

I may well take you up on that Len, thanks

[dollywobbler]

Would ARB links cause vaugeness though? On BXs I've owned, they've just rattled in a bloody irritating manner.

[alf892]

if there is nothing obvious on the front check the back...........you may have wear causing 4 wheel steering.

 

You have checked tyre pressures?