blubird302

Hey guys, I have a 99 Honda Accord and here's my problem. When I am driving my car or making turns at low speeds the steering seems to be harder to turn for one, and also the steering wheel will "wobble" side to side, especially while turning and coming back straight. At high speeds it seems to do fine, the steering wheel does shack side to side a bit but nothing like at slow speeds. I had thought at first it may be my tires out of balance or the front end alignment but both checked out good, even have a different set of tires so it seems to be something else. From the posts I have read it seems to be either the power steering pump, rack and pinion assy or possibly the front struts.

The car has about 119K miles and I have has it since about 85K and never have changed the struts or any of the power steering system, and it seems to be worse now than when I got the car. I'm not sure where to start in diagnosing it, I sure don't want to spend the money on say the R&P system to find out that's not it, or the pump because both of those are expensive. I have done the "bounce test" for the struts and they seem to be fine, but that doesn't mean the tops of them are good "where it turns". Have any advice on how to proceed?, also if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask, thank you.

blubird302

83 views and no replies?, surely somebody has some input on this...

RaceRx7

Usually, when your steering wheel wobbles (from side to side) it's a tire issue!... And, if the wobble is more pronounced at low speeds... it usually means that your tire has a "flatspot"!...

Tire shop personnel are NOT rocket scientists!...
Believe me,... I have an uncle that owns a tire shop, and the guy is a total "mechanical" moron!...
Unfortunately, most tire shop personnel simply go through the motions, but don't really know how to diagnose tire problems!
Simply balancing your tires would not cure a "flatspot" problem!... But, you did say that you replaced your front tires with a different set, right?

Are all of your suspension components in good working condition?
(Things to look for are: worn/loose ball joints, worn/degraded/torn bushings, bent or broken steering/suspension components -- that's just for "starters"!)
These are all good, inexpensive starting points for these types of symptoms!

Have you tried "flushing" your steering system?...
When was the last time you had your power steering system flushed?
If you've never flushed your system, before,... this would be a good time to do it!...
Sometimes, "gunk" builds up over time within your power steering system!...
If, this is the case,... you might be experiencing a "sticking" valve condition!

Just be sure to do it the right way!... Follow the recommendations in your owner's manual!...
And, use Honda power steering fluid,... NOT some crappy Wal-Mart cheap-o stuff!...

Let me know if this helps!.

Millie5

Yeah, I agree, this problem may be occurred due to flatspot tires issue.. There are many ways to overcome, there may be any issue in steering, Check it, let flushing it.

Bishop-Kennith

I agree with RaceRX7 here. Steering wheel usually wobbles because of the Tires being out of balance or the "bushings" (not sure the technical term) are worn in the steering system. I would suggest you to get your tires rotated and balanced.