Hey Guys,

In recent times my steering has become somewhat...scary.

It feels VERY loose in the steering wheel, as if there's no resistance when i turn the wheel. And my wheels change direction very easily, strong breeze etc will change it badly.

My old magna (wagon) felt as tight as a drum in terms of steering and it had an extra 50k kms on it or so.

Would i benefit from changing to a TL steering rack or would it potentially be suspension thats fudged?

I've taken it to Jax tyres and apparently theres no freeplay, my wheels aren't loose, the tyres are only about 10k kms old plenty of grip etc.

When accelerating with enthusiasm i'm all over the road even with a strut brace...

Any suggestions?

It feels VERY loose in the steering wheel, as if there's no resistance when i turn the wheel. And my wheels change direction very easily, strong breeze etc will change it badly.
When accelerating with enthusiasm i'm all over the road even with a strut brace...
Any suggestions?

Yeah. Wheel alignment. Sounds like you got toe out on the front. Classic symptoms.

Test: car park, empty. Low and steady speed. Turn steering wheel half a turn, let go. Steering should self centre quickly.

Wouldn't hurt to check steering rack mount rubbers as well.

Toe out with sloppy rack mounts IS scarey! lol

Sweet, I will get it done before i bother getting a new steering rack. But would it cause the steering to feel very "light" weird way to explain it i know...

Sweet, I will get it done before i bother getting a new steering rack. But would it cause the steering to feel very "light" weird way to explain it i know...

Nope, toe out means your tyres are trying to run on the inside edges, contact area reduces as if you have bicycle tyres on the front. Have a look at tread depth across the tyres and compare inner edge with outer edge wear to confirm lack of toe in.
If you have low profile tyres with high pressure this just makes it worse.

Good example:
http://users.sisna.com/ignatius/subaru/tire4.jpg

Hmm well last time i checked them, they looked all fairly even. I mainly want to fix the light feeling with steering..i'm not sure if it's just a feeling thing or is a problem at all. I'm basing my judgement off driving my old wagon which was really tight to drive.

Also now wondering if i have the right tyre size on my 17" VRX rims...running 245/35/17 i'm fairly sure

Take it to a wheel alignment place and explain the symptoms. The bloke will nod and check the toe in. Ask him (politely) to look at the rack mounts for play while it's on the hoist. If the toe in is correct, ask him to check camber and castor. If they are off, suspect some bent components.

Having it lowered and 35 profile tyres makes it more important to get the wheel alignment right. You are probably comparing your car to the wagon which most likely had standard ride height, standard wheels and lower pressure. Am I right? lol

Perhaps it would be worth taking to a suspension specialist to see if there are any worn bushes or suspension components that are causing the play in the streering?

You are probably comparing your car to the wagon which most likely had standard ride height, standard wheels and lower pressure. Am I right? lol

...Maybe....haha. I always thought it was the rack that felt funny. Clearly I'm crazy :) I will take it to a shop during the week I guess :) I need new rears anyway, so i'll just get better new tyres and swap to the front and get them balanced etc

Let us know how you get on.
Magnas are supposed to be fun or relaxing to drive, depending on your driving style, but never scarey. lol

(1) Is the tyre pressure way to high. (2) Tyres that are too wide for the rim will give slopy steering. (3) Too many tools in the boot.

Also now wondering if i have the right tyre size on my 17" VRX rims...running 245/35/17 i'm fairly sure

If they're 17x7s, 245 tyres are too wide for the rim, and in fact, illegal (as are 235s). The wider tyre can cause the car to wander or 'tram-line'.
225/50R17 is the correct fitment for 17x7 3rd gen VRX rims.

If they're 17x7s, 245 tyres are too wide for the rim, and in fact, illegal (as are 235s). The wider tyre can cause the car to wander or 'tram-line'.
225/50R17 is the correct fitment for 17x7 3rd gen VRX rims.

Interesting info. The OP might want to consider borrowing some stock wheels to put on the front and seeing if things improve? Just an idea . . .

If they're 17x7s, 245 tyres are too wide for the rim, and in fact, illegal (as are 235s). The wider tyre can cause the car to wander or 'tram-line'.
225/50R17 is the correct fitment for 17x7 3rd gen VRX rims.

Oh crap really?

They were what were on all four wheels when i bought the car...i never really thought twice about it. Had them swapped too and the tyre shop didn't say anything...clearly theyre morons.

whats a good tyre in that size? And is it a terrible idea to mix tyre sizes? because my front set are fairly new

Try the wheel alignment first.
If no improvement, find two standard wheels to go on the front.
If that fixes the problem, put standard size tyres 225/50s on your 17" rims, and put the fat ones on the back. If the 245X35 tyres (now on the back) flex a lot, you may get some oversteer around corners, so be careful initially.
Having two different size tyres front and back can make for a problem when you need the spare though.

245 are very wide tyres, on a 7 inch rim it would make the car feel horrible to drive, try 225 or 215 is 225s are to expensive, they will improve the feeling of the car.

Any particular brand of tyre and a good warehouse thats non ebay to buy from? My rears are illegal and need to be swapped anyway

Just got Kumho KU31 for my van from Tyres for Less in Fairfeild East.

A good tyre I have used before and at a good price (but from memory you are up newcastle way?).

Yeah up in newcastle :)

Still not sure if i should order them off ebay or the like and get them fitted or just bite the bullet and take it to a tyre shop

By the time you get it delivered and fitted and balanced, the cost savings could be insignificant. Best bet is just to shop around.

You're best to look at particular models of tyres, not just brands. Your tyre choice will come down to your driving style, your budget, and what you want out of a tyre.

Kumho KU31s are incredibly popular and are worth looking at.

I rang a few places yesterday, 250 odd each tyre was about the average which is INSANE! Thats $130 per tyre more than i can get them off ebay. But I may put it off until after christmas as much as I don't want to because they're shitting me to tears currently. (my current nexxens i should say that can't grip even in the dry)

(my current nexxens i should say that can't grip even in the dry)
if your tyre's are that bad check the wrecker for a set of standard rims with good tyre's
till you have the cash to get new tyre's for your rims

Oh I've got the money :) I just don't want to spend it too close to christmas! :) But I think it may be needed!