(1) Car Information:
-Year/Trim: Scion FRS 2013 10 Series
-Millage: 110,000
-Trans: Manual
-Location- Lower United Sates ( never in the north)
(2) Problem:
My steering wheel does not always point straight when driving straight. Straight position wanders with steering wheel 10 degrees clockwise after left hand turn and/or intense bump and/or elevation change in road. Creates hazard. I pucker the poop shoot every time turning left at speed. I describe the issue as feels like the car is tripping over itself.
What is going on!!?!?!?!?
(3) Problem Origination:
Ran over rubber wheel choc with front RH/Passenger side wheel. Swerved left , hit it, then ran off road. Insurance covered initial body work in late 2021 into 2022. ( New bumper, side rail bondo)
(4) Symptoms (since wreck, some days are worse, some days very minor):
-Increased bump steer
- Floaty suspension
- When steering wheel angle locks clockwise, small to large jerk back to center as steering wheel returns to 0 degrees. This typically causes ABS to turn on. I reduce speed.
-when steering wheel angle locks clockwise, I can jerk steering wheel to return to center, hit bump to return to center, or wait to be jerked back. If road is even, I can drive over a mile with steering wheel positioned/locked 10 degrees clockwise. (At times when jerking steering wheel back to center ABS engages. At times I feel like I can hear a small grinding sound as I jerk the wheel, which may still be ABS but no ABS light.)
-Pinball effect, when issue happens at speed (typically on uneven and/or change in elevation chicanes on freeway) , jerk back to center starts left to right death wobble. Feels like controlling a floating bull as the gauge cluster lights up like a Christmas tree.
-Long left hand freeway ramps if taken at speed starts ABS on left hand wheel. NO ISSUE when turning right at speed.
-When ABS engages. Light does not always go off unless intense ABS. When car is put in Trac Off, ABS still engages with Issue. No change in symptoms.
- Car shaky over 75 mph . Feels like tires are not balanced.
-Problem intensifies over uneven roads or large change in elevation
-Increased speed on even roads with less than ~10 degree steering wheel angle variation left or right , NO ISSUE
-Increased inside tire wear. Bald tires wander worse then full tread tires.
-(other)I know I probably need new bushings, front suspension sounds like bag of rocks when going over minor rough terrain at parking lot speeds.
(5) Work that has been done over 1 year period to try and fix: ( At first Service would not believe me and shrugged me off)
-Multiple Alignments by Dealer
-ABS Diagnostic by Dealer
-New steering rack assembly including inner an outer tie rods by Dealer (This hardened the steering and helped stop the pinball effect)
-Steering angle recall by Dealer
-Computer codes reset by dealer
-New Brakes by me (Helped reduce ABS intervention at lower speeds)
-New rotors by me
-Added Brake Fluid
-Wheel Balance
-New Tires (Current tires Micheline AS4, Previous Micheline AS3/+, will need 2 new tires soon from front end issue chewing them up)
-Reducing/increase tire pressure
(6) Documentation
https://sendvid.com/aal7x4p6
https://sendvid.com/weqiueyp
https://sendvid.com/burfjozh
https://sendvid.com/bxfv1083