Steering jerking to the left

[tee_off]

For about a month or two now, my steering wheel occassionally jerks to the left when driving off at the traffic lights. Occassionally it will jerk to the right, and sometimes it will go left then right again, seems to have a mind of its own.

Also when driving normally I have to turn the wheel to the left slightly (about 10 degrees) for the car to go straight.

Thoughts? Cheers

[fluckaduck]

Sounds like torque steer but roccos shouldn't do that. Perhaps there's a problem with your diff.

[tee_off]

Sounds like torque steer but roccos shouldn't do that. Perhaps there's a problem with your diff.

Any idea how that might happen? And what I can do about it? Cheers. I haven't driven the car hard...

[Romp]

Had wheels aligned?

Hit a curb or pothole?

[tee_off]

Had wheels aligned?

Hit a curb or pothole?

That could be the issue, I hope it is...got my tyres changed recently and was told that.

Plenty of crap roads in melbourne, but just surprised it will cause that much damage in 1.5 year. Our family car is 10 years old and don't think its had any probs like that

[nat225]

what tyre size is your family car on??

Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk

[tee_off]

what tyre size is your family car on??

Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk

No idea, standard commodore vy. Sis's car mazda 2, 3 years old no probs with wheels either.

Is it just the large rims/tyres causing this?

[Andych]

You will know if its torque steer... the car will change lanes under power... just turn off traction control on a wet road and you will see what it is like... Oh... make sure the road is wide and no one else is around... it would be how owners of the Mazda MPS3 feel when they put their foot down.
Under normal situations this shouldnt happen as the electronics are extremely good... the only time you may notice something would be with well worn tires and extremely slippery conditions...

[tee_off]

You will know if its torque steer... the car will change lanes under power... just turn off traction control on a wet road and you will see what it is like... Oh... make sure the road is wide and no one else is around... it would be how owners of the Mazda MPS3 feel when they put their foot down.
Under normal situations this shouldnt happen as the electronics are extremely good... the only time you may notice something would be with well worn tires and extremely slippery conditions...

It happens mostly when accelerating from traffic lights. The direction it turns is mostly left but probably depends on whether the road is slanted left or right. There's a specific intersection on Bell Street Coburg where it will jerk violently to the right, every time. So weird.

I did have my tires changed recently and the guy said the wheels weren't aligned, but the problem only seems to have started a little after getting them changed.

[tee_off]

This sounds like the problem I'm having

http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/f112/wheel-alignment-issues-69480.html

[AdamD]

Definitely sounds like an alignment problem to me. I'd be inclined to take it to someone who's recommended for quality alignments in Melbourne, rather than a local tyre shop.

[tee_off]

Definitely sounds like an alignment problem to me. I'd be inclined to take it to someone who's recommended for quality alignments in Melbourne, rather than a local tyre shop.

Thanks all. I've been quoted $59-99 by Traction Tyres in Rowville who have been recommended on several non-VW forums. Couldn't find anything recommendations on this forum after a quick search.

[tee_off]

Well they made the steering wheel straight again. However the car was and is drifting to the left when trying to go straight and they said there isn't anything they can do. They also said torque steer was the main issue and that my new Goodyear Asymm 2 was crap (maybe the tyres are the cause?)...

The steering wheel sometimes still moves of its own accord although I've noticed it's mostly when the road surface isn't smooth, so I think maybe the wheel moves depending on the contour of the road. However, I don't remember it doing that initially. When I got my car serviced not long after the tyre replacement they inflated the pressures to 40.

Anything I can do about it? I bought the tyres due to good reviews on forums (not just vw forums)

[Andych]

You will not notice any Torque Steer from a Scirocco in normal everyday driving.... With worn tyres in the wet (yours are new) then you could potentially notice it depending on how hard you launch...
Different tyres have different feel while driving... some have more rounded shoulders than others...those with square or less rounded shoulders will tend to tram track a bit... also if you have gone up in width you may notice a difference...

40 psi ????? Really?? There is no need to go that high... it will affect the ride quality as well as dry road and more importantly wet road grip.
Off the top of my head I cant remember the recommended tyre pressures but I would suggest it is more like 34 front and 30 rear as there is very little weight on the rear...
High tyre pressure would create a crowning effect on the tread... this leads to excessive wear in the centre and lack of grip as the contact patch is reduced.

As to your choice of tyre... I cant comment having never had them...

Good luck sorting it out... as it shouldnt be doing what you describe...

Just in case... here is a link to the Wheel Alignment specs for the Scirocco R

http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/f48/standard-suspension-measurements-70042-2.html#post795190

[doubletea]

I had the same issue when my tires were almost bald, the tire shop did tell me that the rims were wacked because I hit a pot hole or something, I just told them to throw them to the back and the better ones to the front. So far I haven't had it come up since.