loose steering drives me nuts

[cro320]

Hi fellas,
I already posted this once before but problem still remains so I will try to describe it better.
It's a 1990 320i with no airbag, LHD car, standard power steering
Problem is when driving over slightly bumpy roads car feels totally loose in steering, like it's floating, and every single piece of small rock on the road I can hear in my steering wheel like knock from inside...it's really annoying, car feels stable enough, it's not changing lines by its own...just that shitty light steering feel
Car is perfectly maintained...PAS belt replaced last year, fluid also,
CAB's from E36 M3 original non excentric, balljoints new, steering rack is old I know but does not leak oil, in fact all the suspension parts have been replaced in last two years, on the ramp car shows absolutely no play from nowhere, it's tight as it should be.
I checked also rubber coupling in steering column, it's fine
rubbers are also as new, Rainsport 2 205/50/15, wheels straight, suspension is JOM coilovers mounted brand new 6 months ago but problem dates before fitting these....
last time I done alingment was two years ago...I don't drive it too much...about 5000 miles a year

I will consider every advice

Thanks in advance fellas
Cheers from Croatia

[cro320]

no ideas?

[Brianmoooore]

Sounds like it doesn't have quite enough toe in on the front wheels to me. Get the string out and check - you need between 1 and 2mm in.

[cro320]

Sounds like it doesn't have quite enough toe in on the front wheels to me. Get the string out and check - you need between 1 and 2mm in.

Thanks mate!
I think I will take to the professional shop to align it and will report here

[Brianmoooore]

I think I will take to the professional shop to align it and will report here

Your faith in 'professionals' is admirable, but one I don't share. Get the string out and check it properly.

[cro320]

well I don't know how to measure it with string, noob
just got back from alingment shop, totaly different car now, front toe was way out, I told him to get it 1-2mm in and he did, also the bloody steering wheel is not off centre any more.

However I can still feel some road bumps through the steering wheel, guy at the shop said that he can't find any problem in suspension so obviously it's just like that, probably because of lowering more than 40mm

[Captain_Birdseye]

my car is the same model/year and has a similar feel to uours by the sounds of it, the steering got worse after i got the tracking done to fix it, probably wasn't the correct thing to do though.

[ross_jsy]

Your car shouldn't do that, even if it's lowered.

I would be replacing all the bushes, check the top mounts and the steering coupler and see what it's like after that

[cro320]

Your car shouldn't do that, even if it's lowered.

I would be replacing all the bushes, check the top mounts and the steering coupler and see what it's like after that

only thing that never been replaced is steering coupler and steering rack....everything else, done already

[ross_jsy]

Coupler would be my first port of call then