After changing tires from Dunlop RF to hanook NON-rf, my steering wheel is loose.
At this point I'm not suspecting change of tires for change in responsiveness because even when the vehicle is in parking and I move the steer I notice it needs relatively small force to turn it (I could use a finger and with extra pressure can turn the steering wheel). could it be a problem with power steering ?
3/02/16 .Adding more info .the front axle is non RF (hankook) and rear axle is RF (dunlop.)
The rear one's have more inside wear due to negative camber alignment for mini coopers and also due to not so often rotated tires.
-
ask your mechanic if he has topped off the power steering reservoir, when he changed the tires.– kaseyMar 1, 2016 at 19:20
-
does that mean excess power steering fluid will make it loose.– cyborgt8Mar 1, 2016 at 19:47
-
Maybe the tyres have a higher pressure in them than before.– HandyHowieMar 1, 2016 at 20:09
-
If the power steering was low on fluid it would definitely be harder to steer, so topping off the reservoir would definitely make a hell of a difference. This is true only in the case if it had lesser fluid.– kaseyMar 1, 2016 at 21:12
-
@kasey - This is plainly just not true. Unless the reservoir was out of fluid and the pump is pulling air (and making a ton of noise in the process), the fluid level won't impact how much force the power steering pump puts out.– Nick GMar 2, 2016 at 17:55
1 Answer
The difference in the composition of the tire itself is most likely what you're feeling.
I changed up my rear tires on my Mazda RX7 once and the new tires felt so squirmy I would have sworn they were flat. Different tires can definitely change the feel of the car.
Tire pressure can also have an impact. Higher tire pressure usually means less of the tire on the ground and less rolling/turning resistance. This of course comes at the trade-off of less traction.
-
difference in composition of tires on front axle Vs rear axle?. just so you know the axles have same brand&kind of tire pair.– cyborgt8Mar 2, 2016 at 23:07