I am having an issue with the steering. When driving at all speeds, the car will drift to the left or right (doesn't matter with the contour of the road). At hwy speeds it is worse. There is play in the steering wheel. I was first told by one mechanic that it was the rear and front bushings and the control arms. Another mechanic told me it could be back steering rack. However, when I removed the belt connecting the power steering, it drove the same as if nothing had changed. Now a third mechanic has said that it could be just the way the steering rack is set up and it is just the way it drives.
My 2003 Baja Auto is the first import I have owned. I am used to driving domestic vehicles which all had really tight steering, so I don't know if this is a common thing with Baja's or imports in general (my wife's Honda CRV does a similar thing, but not nearly the same play).
Any comments or suggestions on what to do would be helpful. It sounds terrible, but the steering issue is really turning me off from my Baja and making me miss my old truck.
This is not normal. In my experience it is rare to have an imported car steer looser than a domestic, especially a domestic truck.
How will removing the power steering belt reduce any loose play in the rack?
How many miles are on the Baja? At some point front end parts on any vehicle wear. The steering rack may be worn, or it could be just loose mounting points. Tie rod ends could be worn. Control arm bushings could be worn. Incorrect caster can cause the vehicle to wander.
Did any of the mechanics you spoke to show you what they were talking about? If there is visible looseness when they shake a joint BY HAND then it's a problem, but beware of a mechanic showing you loose joints by making them move with a prybar, some joints are spring loaded and designed to compress.
Another thought. Was this car a recent purchase? Has it ever been in an accident? If accident repair was not done properly and the chassis geometry is wrong then all bets are off.
1) Removing of the power steering belt was done to test to see if it was an issue in the power steering components vs. a mechanical issue (ie. bad rack)
2) 198000 km (123000 miles)
3) The 1st mechanic told me that the front and rear bushings and the controls arms were needing replacement. I took his word for it, but got a second opinion from my landlord (2nd mechanic) who knows a thing or two about Subarus.
4) The 2nd mechanic did just that: He had it up on his hoist and used a pry bar to see if there were play in any of the bushings. Rear bushings had a tiny amount (not enough to warrant replacement, but I did it anyway) and front had no play at all. Everything looked fine. It did not explain the conclusion that the 1st mechanic came to.
***I trust the judgement of 2nd mechanic more. He owns an STI and works at an extremely reputable shop in our area***
5) As far as I know, no accidents. I recently purchased it off an older lady who bought it from her best friend (original owner)
Control Arm Bushings Question:
Everything seemed solid when 2nd M tried to see if there was play. He used a pry bar and I watched him. Why would 1st M tell me that the control arms and bushings needed replacing? 2nd M couldn't understand why 1st M would say that was the issue if there was nothing physically wrong and almost zero play.
Thanks. Let me know if you have any other thoughts or suggestions or comments on the above.
Did the first and second Mechanics jack them up in the identical way? If you jack it up on a lift and the suspension is hanging down it will not show as much wear as if it were jacked up from under the lower control arm....
When lifted that way the suspension is hanging down , it is under tension and would be very hard to find a loose bushing since there are more than likely in a bind. ..
