hay you lot i got a fiesta and yes we all have problems and this is my biggest (well apart from the wife) when i drive down the road the stearing wheel fills like its locking in a stright line, its fine when you go round bends and turnings and as weird as it sounds its ok when pulling away but as soon as you get up to about 30-50 it starts to lock. its not got power starring. this happened over nite one day it was fine and the next this happens. ARE ALL FIESTAS A PROBLEM LIKE MY ONE.
Almost certainly the flexible joint in the steering column has failed (this is very common on Fiestas) It is easiest to reach it from underneath, it is at the bottom of the column under the bonnet, basically it is a short, metal flexible coupling. It costs about twenty five pounds, a garage would probably charge about thirty pounds to fit, it is quite simple to fit, possibly a little awkward if you are not mechanically minded, but basically only two bolts !!
I would suspect something in the suspension has failed. It's really not a good idea to drive it in this state, as further bits may fall off, including wheels. Not to mention possibly extreme tyre wear, with them only lasting a few miles.
thanks alot mate is this the part that bolts onto the part coming out of the bulk head and on to the stairring rack. and thanks for the quick reply at this time off the morning
yep, that is the thing, should be black, probably rusty, if you remove it then the fault is usually obvious, it should be easy to wobble in all directions (universal joint) almost certainly one way or two will be stiff.
there are other possibilities, but this is the most likely, matches your description, and is easy and definite to check once you take it off.
i have jacked it up so both wheels are off the ground and have checked the springs, shoxs. track rods and bottom ball joins. i have put bigger wheels on it at xmas time. even when up in the air i can hear a little noise coming from stairring collum
i have jacked it up so both wheels are off the ground and have checked the springs, shoxs. track rods and bottom ball joins. i have put bigger wheels on it at xmas time. even when up in the air i can hear a little noise coming from stairring collum
The XR3i had a manual steering rack AFAIR so it should be OK. Don't go by the fact the wheels are ford wheels. It's irrelevent. The tyre width is the issue. As the tyres get wider, the steering needs more force to turn the wheel which in turn overstresses the rack and the track road ends.
Overstress? Hardly. I've no doubt the same steering components are used, whatever size wheels and tyres are fitted by Ford as original equipment. Will be more stress with wider tyres, but I'll still be well within the max limits of the rack, track rod ends etc. Mike.
So in effect you're saying that manual steering Fiestas have different racks and track rod ends according to the size of the OE wheels and tyres. Have you any evidence, URL etc, to support that belief? I think not.
And what has that got to do with what is fitted to a much later Fiesta? Mike.
No, I'm saying they're designed to work to a maximum size. Anything over that and they're not guaranteed. Go to a Ford parts counter and ask them if they'll honour the guarantee if you fit it to a modified vehicle.
No one, least of all me is suggesting otherwise, but that is not my point. What I am saying is that similar models of Fiesta will all have the same steering components, regardless of what wheels and tyres are fitted as std. It is simply not economic to make more than one type of box, and track rod ends, etc, for the same model Fiesta, so they fit one lot that will suit all specifications. They will be engineered to be suitable for the largest and widest wheels and tyres that are fitted to similar model Fiestas as OE. That is why your statement that, "As the tyres get wider, the steering needs more force to turn the wheel which in turn overstresses the rack and the track road ends." is nonsense. Apart from the fact that to use the word 'overstresses' implies that it is dangerously unsafe, risking failure of the rack and track rod ends, if wider wheels and tyres are fitted to a manual Fiesta. Which is also nonsense BTW.
This is all about Fiesta's. Not Capri's that are probably 10-15 years older, and for all I know might have different racks etc, depending upon whether it is a 1.6 Laser, or a 2.8 injection. Mike.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.