Megane FML or maybe just my Megane - steering racks

[Ewan]

So, it's been a long day and I am really disappointed with my car
Got the car back with the 250 engine fitted (it's a R26) last night and on the drive home noticed that the steering had quite a pull to it. Thought it might just be tyre pressures so checked them out and sure enough the FL tyre was low. Pumped it up last night before I parked it up and thought that would sort it out.
Got the car out early this morning to drive down to RS Tuning to get it mapped and it wouldn't even start! Turns out the battery, which happens to be the original, was kaput. Managed to get a new battery at 8am and got on my way, although a bit late.
Except the steering pull I now notice is quite a lot worse than I thought. When you lift off the throttle or brake, the car will veer sharply to the right, and then when you apply throttle it will veer sharply to the left. Driving along above 40-50mph and the car just wants to go left. FFS
Get it to RSTuning and the guys there get it up on the ramps and check there isn't anything loose. We didn't find anything although there is a fair bit of play on the steering. Except I have not long replaced inner and outer track arms, steering rack bush, anti-twist links, shocks, springs, and top mounts.
Thankfully the 250 engine was good and the mapping went well, made some good power.

I am going to get the alignment checked in the morning but I already have a suspicion that the rack is on the way out. There is quite a bit of movement at the wheel centre before the car does much, the car feels like a boat on LH turns and ultra-sharp on RH turns.

FFFFFF-ing car! Makes me want to chuck it off the cliff and just get a PCP deal on a new motor.

Anyways, to get this post back onto something technical and not just a whine from me, has anyone ever replaced a rack on a 225? Can you get reasonably priced steering racks for them?

 

[Andyquadra]

what did it made on the rollers?

 

[Dave_gtt]

Could it be hub bearings, my steering is pretty irratic, hub bearings need doing.
I can hear a jingle from my front suspension over bumps because the 24mm bolt in the hub bearing is loose and the washer is making noise.
Maybe check your bottom hub bearing bolt, see if it has worked loose?

 

[Ewan]

Will have a look, although I am not sure it is the hub bearings. I should have said in the first post that the car will veer even if I am holding the steering wheel perfectly still. I.e the front of the car is moving without the steering wheel moving.

It made a healthy 297hp, or 300 amongst friends [emoji6] but with around 335 lb/ft!

 

[Ewan]

Should say, I asked Paul to keep the power output the same as it was before which he obliged! Peak power output is about the same between the engines, but the midrange on the 250 is miles stronger [emoji846] There may be more to be had from the setup but I wanted safe.

 

[Brigsy]

I would check the hub bearings and check the geo. In my experience a seized hub bearing and tracking miles out made the meg pull all over the shop on acceleration.

 

[Ewan]

Had the alignment checked and it's ok but we did notice that the rear wishbone bush on the near side was starting to show a bit of movement.

 

[Brigsy]

Bushes failing looks to be fairly common. Whack some polybushes in i would get the bar in on the balljoints and trackrod ends to check for play too.

 

[DaveL485]

And it wasn't like this before you had the engine fitted?

 

[Brigsy]

Its not uncommon for the hub bearings to seize up when laid up for a period of time if they are on their way out. Shez's meg was laid up in the garage for 2 month and the bearings were fine beforehand then the car was all over the place when used.

 

[Ewan]

Hub bearings were replaced less than 2 years ago, and the wheels swivel freely when in the air. Am going to whack on a couple of lower bolts with grease nipples and pack them full of grease. That should do them.

Again, my suspicion is that it isn't the swivel bearings because the steering is over the shop with the steering wheel fixed. Seized swivel bearings will cause steering pull but the steering wheel has to move with them.

No, there certainly wasn't such a bad issue with the steering as it is now. I am not driving the car it's that bad! But we have replaced everything bar the lower arm bushes in the suspension and steering over the last year or so. If it is the lower arm bushes, then it probably has been developing for a while.

 

[Brigsy]

Take the trackrod ends off to check the hub bearings. I would do the bushes that will be the issue if its pulling when on and off the throttle

 

[Ewan]

I have ordered a set of Powerflex bushes for the lower arm which should provide a better long term solution.

 

[Ewan]

My set of swivel hub lower bolts with grease nipples turned up today! Had to hunt down a grease gun in my garage, found one that I think was my fathers. Lol

Hopefully the Powerflex bushes will turn up soon