Wandering MR2...

[SebW20]

Hi everyone, been a MK2 owner for a while now and i’ve recently taken the leap into MK3 ownership...

Generally my MK3 drives and feels great but sometimes I can definitely feel some lateral movement while driving in a straight line and with the steering wheel straight, it feels almost like driving on a very windy day (it wasn’t windy!). I think possibly it could be occurring in conjunction with changes in throttle application as it seems pronounced if you are flooring it and then go to change gear but I could be wrong.

Anyone else had anything similar? Got any ideas what it could be?

[mrhappy62]

steering column uj common fault.

[greglebon]

As above..and also, if you have aftermarket alloys / low-profile tyres, you can get that effect from tramlining, due to the tyre stagger front /rear....

Check tyre pressures, too....

The UJ in the frunk is open to the elements, especially if you have removed the plastic undertrays.

They can get really sh*tty looking...but they often look worse than they actually are: if you don't get steering wheel play when stationary / engine off, then it should be ok.

Best way is to get someone to move the steering wheel while you hold the lower column under the UJ: If they're moving the wheel 2+cm left to right and you're not "feeling it", then there's a problem....!

[SebW20]

Thanks for the replies. The UJ looks to be in pretty good condition but I will give it a proper check. It feels like the movement is in the rear of the car but there is nothing obvious to be seen. I’ll try and get the car up on a four poster to give it a thorough checking over... it seems to have gotten worse so it’s now off the road until the source of the problem is found and rectified.