Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Steering Issue Still - HELP!

Hey guys i posted this before, but didnt get much info. I have since had a safety check done, whereby they need to check the steering as part of that i would imagine. They said nothing is wrong with it.

Its a 1996 Ford Contour GL 2.0L 4cyl w/Automatic trans @ 221,xxx kms.

The steering seems loose, seems when i am driving straight the car seems to drift on its own. Steering works fine when i use the wheel, just seems to drift on its own, constantly adjusting the wheel, turning corners is fine.

My question is, awhile back, my radiator undershield started falling apart, and eventually came off LOL...i was wondering if that would affect anything? Someone mentioned i should get an alignment done...I know my PS pump has issues as its quite loud when i turn the wheel, but still works, fluid level is fine....its just annoying, especially on the highway, i imagine i look drunk when the car starts drifting. I dont want to pay a bazillion $ just to find out what the issue is...i checked the steering boots and such, followed the Haynes book, they look fine...nothing leaking. Only thing i think i notice, is when i look at the wheels on the drivers side, both look straight, but on the passenger side, the front wheel looks turned slightly...i dunno if im seeing things, could this be true?

Anything else i could check on my own? The book wasnt too descriptive LOL.

Thanks,
Ken

if you let go of the wheel and the car does go straight it is the alignment, now don't forget most roads are crowned and you car should drift off as it is just following the road

check the tie rods, bushings, and bal joints and replace as needed and get an alignment done and that should take care of it

As stated.. tie-rods (for bends, etc) or possibly the control arms.

A bent control arm (or a control arm bushing that is missing) can cause that same drifting "with a mind of its own" and can make it very unnerving... rear control arms (being bent) tend to make taking curves, or corners more of an... ahem... experience... shall we say.


Ray

Thanks guys, now i know what to check...but what do i look FOR when i check underneath? how do i know if the components are good or bad?

so i need to check:

- tie rods
- bushings
- ball joints
- control arms

any help on what to look for would be great and ill go out and have a look right away.

Thanks,
Ken

Not to sound completely like captian obvious, but add tire pressures to that list as well.

LOL, thats ok thanks....i did check tire pressure today, supposed to be 35psi, all tires were roughly 30-32psi...so topped them up...no change in driving...and its getting worse actually...havent been driving much, and went out today, on the road going over 30kph, was terrible, car drifting alot to one side, i adjust, then the other, geez i musta looked like a drunk driver hahaha...

jacked up the car when i got home and looked underneath, used the haynes manual to spot all the components, but cant see anything really wrong...but then i dunno what it would look like if it was bad LOL

Most lube shops will do a basic inspection of your suspension, etc, if you ask. Probably no charge (if you are already getting an oil change) but a minimal charge just to take a look-see at the bushings, etc..


A thought, is all, if you don't know what to look for.


Ray

ok guys, i had some inspection done back in february, and just noticed a hand written comment on it, so i called up the garage, and apparently my front strut bearing is bynding...whatever that means, the guy said that probably is causing my steering issue...is this possible? The parts are only 23$ (said i need 2 so thats 46$), but labour is a bit much...so i want to know if this is possibly causing my issue, if so ill have it done...

Thanks,
Ken

Check for loose pinch-bolts, as well. If the suspension was worked on previously, they might have left them a little loose.
LLL

My front strut bearings were worn out last year, and I had the same issue as you, the car would drift towrds one side of the road or the other. Took it all apart and the bearings fell apart on the floor. So yes, they could be the things causing the issue. The only thing is, prepare for blown struts too, because I discovered mine were gone when they were taken out, which I didn't know beforehand. So the little job of replacing the strut bearings got a bit more expensive than originally planned. Hope this helps you out.