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EP3 New EP3 Owner - Steering Feel Advice

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13
Hi all,

Recently purchased en EP3 after looking for ages. Car is unfortunately off the road at the moment due to current COVID-19 situation. I had a week with the car and really fell in love with it before it went in the garage.

One thing I wanted some advice on was steering feel. I know it's not great in EP3 as a rule, but wanted to check something. My steering self centres well most of the way, but it never properly goes back to dead straight, it gets a few degrees out but never dead centre. On a motorway for example if you change lane, steering would stay as it is, but going round a roundabout it will centre itself near enough. Car is lowered on HSD coilovers.

Is this normal, or is it a rack issue?

I read up that the superpro castor increase bush kit can help this, so I've taken a punt on ordering these. If/when I get them fitted, does anyone know of a good place to fit and do geometry in the North East? Teesside/Middlesborough sort of area? Willing to travel further afield for someone good though.

Thanks in advance.
 
I'm not too clued up on the North but area motorsport for anything steering or suspension related for me. They'd be able to advise you of any issues and sort any geometry problems you might have.

Sent from my Mi MIX 3 using Tapatalk
 
It's not making any sort of noise at all from suspension. Overall car feels rock solid. Running Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres

Thanks for suggestion, did look at Area Motorsport
 
Eagle F1 are a bit on the soft side in terms of sidewall stiffness.
 
Hi all,

Recently purchased en EP3 after looking for ages. Car is unfortunately off the road at the moment due to current COVID-19 situation. I had a week with the car and really fell in love with it before it went in the garage.

One thing I wanted some advice on was steering feel. I know it's not great in EP3 as a rule, but wanted to check something. My steering self centres well most of the way, but it never properly goes back to dead straight, it gets a few degrees out but never dead centre. On a motorway for example if you change lane, steering would stay as it is, but going round a roundabout it will centre itself near enough. Car is lowered on HSD coilovers.

Is this normal, or is it a rack issue?

I read up that the superpro castor increase bush kit can help this, so I've taken a punt on ordering these. If/when I get them fitted, does anyone know of a good place to fit and do geometry in the North East? Teesside/Middlesborough sort of area? Willing to travel further afield for someone good though.

Thanks in advance.

The lowered suspension can cause the whitelining/tramlining and not centering type steering, I fitted a rack raiser and its now sorted... (It raises the angle of the track rods to nearly level...)
 
The lowered suspension can cause the whitelining/tramlining and not centering type steering, I fitted a rack raiser and its now sorted... (It raises the angle of the track rods to nearly level...)
I had the opposite effect! Not massively low on coilovers, tried wheel alignment and couldn't get rid of the bump steer. So removed the rack raiser and it's miles better now!

Area will be able to measure any bump steer and advise if any rack raiser, inverted track rods ends etc will be needed. I'd save buying anything unnecessary until someone has had a look for you. Personally I found the caster increase bushes made a huge difference to the steering feel. I've just fitted some new coilovers with caster increase top mounts, but have only set the tracking by eye as I was aiming to get it corner weighted, then the country ground to a halt so that's on pause.

Sent from my Mi MIX 3 using Tapatalk
 
The car has rack raiser and adjustable tie rods already fitted by previous owner.

I'm hoping it's just some fine tuning needed to get it right. It's only a couple of degrees around centre like I say where it doesnt pull dead straight, it's not much at all. Having not driven another ep3 I dont have a point of reference of what's normal or not!

Definitely going to get it setup properly with a FRSU though!
 
I have a 2005 EP3R that does the exact same thing, except mine is unmodified. It's my first EP3 so I was wondering the same thing. I don't hear any noises and the car is in excellent condition, which is why I'm a little surprised it doesn't correct up the last 5-10% until straight.
 
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