straight ahead varies

[tommyturbo]

I have three SHO's,
A 1990 MTX
A 1995 MTX
And 1995 ATX

The two MTX cars have almost identical alignment numbers, the ATX just has a bit more camber and all three cars have new suspensions (bushings, struts, ball joints, etc.)

When driving I have noticed all three cars do the same thing and I can't explain it. Depending on what road I am on will depend where the steering wheel sits going straight ahead. And they all do the same thing in the same places, which leads me to think this is not a issue with any thing in my cars since they all do it and consistently in the same places.

I can be on a street that looks level, and when going straight the wheel is off to the left, turn onto another street that looks to be the same amount of level, and straight is now perfectly straight, or maybe to the right....and if I drove each car the same exact way they would all do the same thing in the same places.

I can understand needing to steer left to compensate for steep road crown, and it's not something like that, The car isn't pulling in any direction or requiring much if any steering input, but going pretty much straight. On most places on the road straight ahead the wheel is straight, but other times it is off to the right or off to the left, but the car still goes straight and is not pulling. The roads look flat to me. There isn't play in the rack or column, it's not that.

Is this a taurus thing? or fwd thing?maybe I am just over thinking something.

 

[luigisho]

You're not imagining things. All my cars have had wonky steering except my GenIII. Some of it is torque steer, wear and tear, and design and component quality. Try comparing the steering to same year import cars in the same class like accord/camry etc. Huge difference

 

[rubydist]

It doesn't take much of a rut in the road to make that sort of thing happen. My SHOs were noticeably worse in that sense if they had any looseness in the front ends: bearings, ball joints or tie rods, so maybe you have some looseness in the inner tie rod ends? or in the wheel bearings?

 

[tommyturbo]

All three are the same, all three have new suspensions basically. New struts, strut mounts, poly bushing kits, new lower control arms and ball joints, the one that is most noticeable has a new rack with new inner tie rods (was the same before the rack), and the others don't have any play, have checked. All have had recent alignments and are almost exactly the same specs.

The fact that they always do the same thing in the same spots on the same drive to and from work, makes me think it is not a actual car problem, but a design quirk or something.

 

[rubydist]

you might check the wheel bearings. on my 92, the first indicator of a wheel bearing issue was the symptoms you describe.

 

[tommyturbo]

I will check, but all three cars do it.