I have a Mk3 2 litre (06 plate), which has developed a tendency to sharply pull when steering away from straight ahead at modest speeds. It feels as if the steering is hugely over-sensitive, and the swerving is sometimes so severe that it feels as if the whole car will flip over if I don’t quickly correct the pull! When it’s doing this it also feels like I’m steering on ice. The tyres are almost brand new and properly inflated. The rear anti-roll bars were both replaced as they were corroded and their mountings loose, as the dealer thought this would cure it: it’s slightly better but not a lot. They found nothing wrong with the suspension or steering. They did suggest that I should have the wheel alignment (4-point geometry?) checked. I noticed that the Hunter alignment system was mentioned somewhere in the forum - would this be the thing to go for? If wheel alignment is the likely solution, where in my part of the world (south east) is there an outfit I can trust to do it properly? What is the advice from you guys who know much more than I about this car? Any and all help very gratefully received!
Wheels In Motion in Chesham HP5 1SD are the best.
They know MX5s inside out. They also do the Ferraris and Astons for the local dealers.
Also check for sticking front brake calipers. If the wheels are getting too hot (don’t actually touch them!) there is a problem.
Hi Richardfx.
Thanks for your super-fast reply. I’m pretty certain the calipers are fine - but I will double-check. Thanks for the info re Wheels in Motion.
With Richard on this one - check the caliper on the side that you are being pulled to but as already commented, if this is the problem it will likely be very hot.
Only a catastrophic alignment/component issue would pull you violently to one side.
Another vote here for a possible sticking brake caliper
Took my Eunos to Wheels in Motion a few weeks ago because the alignment hadn’t been done since I bought the car 2.5 yrs ago. I thought the car had been handling fine and it certainly drove straight but had nothing to compare with. WIM told me the alignment was a long way out but I wouldn’t have known. Definitely handles better (particularly on left hand bends) and pleased I had it done but not the dramatic difference I might have expected having been told of the initial assessment implying to me a reasonable degree of tolerance. However they did indicate that they could have made larger adjustments for improvement with a lowered and uprated suspension set up. I have no intention to change though - can’t see much point in lowering unless using on the track given the general state of our roads and innumerable speed bumps!
On my '56 mark 3, I decided recently to paint my callipers bright red. I understand it halves your stopping distances. (I’d better mention that was a joke to save any comments) Offside no problem but when I jacked up the nearside I could hardly turn the roadwheel. Sure enough, the piston was seized solid. So 2 new callipers, and grooved and drilled discs fitted and now have lovely smooth braking. I had noticed some weeks ago that heavy braking at high speed caused slight weaving, but put this down to road surface. So my lesson was ‘check callipers’.
Tyres. You say almost new and correctly inflated. Are they a matching set of four? Certainly need to be pairs on front and back. There have even been reports of handling problems with tyres of the same brand but one tyre manufactured in a different country, different compound. If they are direction are they all the right way round. You have probably done all this but never does any harm to double check.
Hi guys. Thanks for all the helpful replies, and apologis for the late response.
I have checked the brake calipers - not sticking at all - only slightly warm after plenty of driving and braking. And heavy braking when driving straight ahead does not pull the car sideways. The 205/45 R17 tyres are a matched pair at front (Pirelli PZero Nero) and at back (Avon ZV-7); but importantly, this instability didn’t start until some time after the tyres had been fitted (two seasons in fact)- I would assume that the problems would start straight away if they were the culprits? Also, notwithstanding uneven road surfaces, when pointed straight ahead the car stays in a straight line, with no noticeable steering pull at all. It’s when I steer right or left that the car goes ‘unstable’, pulling, and the steering suddenly feeling loose and hyper-sensitive. I understand from one of the replies that full wheel alignment is unlikley to be the solution to such a sever problem - so now I’m stumped! On the assumption creeping up on me that the mechanic missed something, what should I now ask to be checked out, before splashing out on a (possibly unneccessary) wheel alignment?
Thanks again folks.
Maybe a fresh pair of eyes on the actual car is needed. National Tyres, ATS, Kwikfit, Halfords and loads more are offering free suspension checks. Can’t do any harm.
Hi - thanks Roadie. A good plan - can’t do any harm. Our local ATS is very good and well respected: I will go with a list of all the things you chaps have mentioned - plus a few other possibilities I have picked up on the way during my researches (or thought about), and badger them for some answers!
Rest assured I will post the outcome(s) of this saga here, which may benefit others.
Thanks all again.
are the tyres on the currently on the symmetrical or asymmetrical (ie directional, marked with a single direction arrow and “outside”)
Hi Bluebird67. I don’t know - I will check. Does this have a significant effect?
It could be a drop link broken. That would feel unstable and cause front end roll
Hi richardn, thanks for that: but both drop links have been recently replaced - as it was thought they were the problem (and one was indeed slightly loose, and both badly corroded). It may have made a slight difference, but hardly noticeable. Investigations continue - I’ll give the forum an update soon.
UPDATE!
Dear all, I took the car to ATS, who checked everything over, and found nothing wrong with the suspension, steering or alignment. They then spotted that the front tyres - the Pirellis - although with plenty of tread, were 8 years old (the rears are only 2 years old). When they examined them closely they found that they were as hard as rock! All the “rubberiness” had gone out of them. On removal they found that they were also noticeably mis-shapen. They replaced them with new Avons, as at the rear, and hey presto!! Problem sorted! The car now goes where I want it to go, not where it wants to go. No hint of lurching or of loose steering.
Sometimes it’s the simplest, most obvious things that should be looked at first. Thanks to all, but a special pat on the back for those who suggested tyres may be the issue, and for the suggestion to get a fresh pair of eyes.
I hope that this may help others in the future who experience a similar problem - tyres first!
Many thanks all.
Interesting post as my 07 Mk 3 gets a bit twitchy at the front end at times as if it has decided to oversteer (not at all times though) As the tyres are both of different make and tread of course on the front end I will get them replaced and see what happens.
Hi. I’m glad that maybe my solution will help! Do let me know if it cures the problem - I suspect that given my experience it will.
Thanks for your update. So many times people come on here with problems and get lots of useful pointers but never report back. It’s like reading a thriller and finding the last page has been ripped out.
Another happy owner and another sorted MX-5. Result.