sorry if this is something thats on the forum and if i missed it but i looked and could not find a symptom of what my steering is doing on the forums when i searched on trouble shooting. i have a 2004 vr rx8 it was running fine till i got in an accident....i hit a curve pretty hard and my steering has been acting up, when i drive my alinngment is messed up since i hit the curve just yesterday, i checked out the control arm, tie rods, coilover, sway bars, and end links for anykind of warpage and found non. also my eps is pretty new still since i took it to mazda when my steering went out they replaced my connections and some wires a while back. when i drive i have to hold my steering wheel more right just to drive straight, when i turn right and let go of the steering wheel it goes back and fixes it self but when i turn left it continues to turn left and gets stuck left unless i force it to straighten it self back up. its still driveable at least im sure it is lol. when i hit the curve i was probebly around 30-40 mph i tried to avoid it but didnt clear it in time and hit it then i cracked my rim on the front right tire. my steering still smooth like butter no power steering problems just the alignmnet and the wheel trying to turn left when i let go of the wheel when im moving foward, also my tcs/dsc(the light with the car and the swerve lines behind it) light comes on and stays on when im driving. is this mechanial or electrical, in my opinion i think it might be mechanical and hoping i didnt mess up my steering rack or something if anyone might have any idea i would greatly appreciate it.

 

I wouldn't be driving it untill the problem is rectified.A few components may have been tweaked, look at the lower control arm on the side which made contact with the curb, look at the area where the control arm is attached the the chassis, check that it is not cracked around the bushes.You also may have damaged the ball joint, the tie rod end . Your not still driving it with the cracked wheel ?

 

i looked at the control arm and it seemed fine but i have not inspceted where it connects to the chasis thanks for the tip, and the tie rod end thats another part i didnt look at i just looked at the whole things for wapage but not the ends where they connect now i feel like an idiot and yes i was driving it with the cracked rim it got me home and right now im looking to get a ram to replace it since this is a daily which this is a problem for me.

 

well i checked the ball joint all the tie rod ends and control arm and where it connects to the chassis on both leff and right side of the car and dont see anything out of the ordanary or any kind of warpage. all the i think that i have left to look at is the rest of the steering rack and steering motor, does anyone know a way to test the steering motor i was doing some test runs taking left and right turns today and when i go right (the side that hit the curb) everythng seems fine, but when i go left i hear a small grind and the wheels starts to go left on its own and i have to turn the wheel myself to go straight again. could the grind be the steering motor? durinng all this no lights for eps malfunction are on, just the tcs( the car and swerve mark) light stay on when i start to move and stays on.

 

smh...

Put the car on jack stands, put the key in the on position.

Get under the car have someone turn the wheel left and rotate the tire manually see if you see anything rubbing and try to isolate the noise.

My best guess if your alignment is off and the tire is rubbing against something.

 

It's surely mechanical, and surely something is bent, even if it's not apparent to your eye. You'll need to take it to a suspension shop and have them inspect it.

And Freddy is right, don't drive it until you get it fixed. The least of your problems would be that you will damage parts that are currently ok. But the big concern is safety and liability.

 

thanks guys for all the great info you guys are giving me. ill try to put the front on jack stands to day and turn the wheel and see if anything seems different or wrong, when i conducted my suspension i took of my rim and looked at all the components one side of a time. maybe lifting the car on both sides at the same time just might show me a difference in between them. if that all fails and i cant see a difference il take it to an alignment shop and have them inpect my suspension and check my alignment out aswell.

 

If you hit the curb on the left side I would be inclined to believe that you shifted the wheel backwards. measure the distance between the tire and the fender arch in the front and rear of the driver's front tire then compare those measurements to what you have on the passenger's front tire.

Shifting the wheel back on the left side will significantly alter your caster readings which are critical for the responsiveness of your steering and for its ability to return to center after a turn. My money is on a bent but not visually noticeable lower control arm. you have limited adjustability for the caster but is generally not intended to make up for bent or damaged parts.

get the alignment checked and don't be surprised when they shrug when you ask which part is bent.

Ray

 

Put it on an alignment rack and see where things are bent. If you hit a curb that hard you have bent/ broken things

It is easier to diagnose on a rack..you can jack the car off the wheels and have good access to see

Any time the steering wheel is crooked after an accident you have bent something for sure.