steering issues

[Admiral]

hi all, I have had issues with my 95 v6LE driving in a straight line (not an alignment issue). I was told to check my control arm bushings, so over the weekend i looked at the control arms and such and they look fine. However i noticed while parking that when turning my steering wheel the rpm meter revs up 300-400 rpms and drops when i stop turning it. I don't know much about steering but pretty sure that shouldnt happen. What could be messed up on my car? and would that explain why my camry will not drive in a straight line? Thanks

[John5516]

My engine also revs up a couple K's when I move the steering wheel. Im pretty sure its supposed to do that, because the fluid is pumped to the rack..etc correct me if I wrong

Could also be a bad Tie rod my left side is fused together, so they cant adjust the tie rod. The steering sits a little crooked because of it, also it pulls to the left. Other factors can affect steering: wind, tire balance, road curve/embankment...etc....

Hope this helps!

[eyeball96]

I too had steering problems (tracking straight) with the recently purchased 94 Coupe. It also revs rpms when turning the steering wheel. So far I've replaced the strut mount bearings,(fixed the tracking) and today I dropped it off to have the Steering Rack replaced, it Leaks and groans!

I'll let ya know tomorrow if this fixes it!..Good luck!

[Admiral]

what gets me is my dad also has a 95 camry, so I started it up to see if it is supposed to rev up and his rpm meter stayed steady no matter how hard and fast I turned it. Also, John5516, I know it is not tire balance and it happens when there is no wind also. Eyeball, I dont hear any groaning coming from the pump, but do let me know how it works out and if the rpms stay steady or keep fluctuating.

[eyeball96]

Well I just picked up the 94 Coupe, after the steering rack replacement and everything seems perfect, no reving, groaning, and hopefully no leaks! I find out tomorrow when I move it out the driveway!

No more than I drove it tho it seems to drive as well as the 96 now! Admiral I wish I could help more with ur problem but I not a mechanic. I suggest u check ur strut mount bearings, maybe they've seen better days! I know when mine were replaced the car tracked alot straighter.

My mechanic thought that the fact that the strut mount bearings were bad, that over time it lead to my steering rack going out, "binding"..his theory!! Who knows?

[Kep]

eyeball96, I am drawing a blank. Can you give me an idea of what strut mount bearings are?

Thanks,
Kep

[eyeball96]

The front strut mounts have a bearing between the mount and the lower plate that contacts the top of the spring...the 94's were totally worn when I got it, like nothing left of them, except pieces of debris!! The right side worse than the left, so the car pulled to the right, for a short distance after turning right then it straighten out, and tracked straight until I made another turn!....shes good to go now tho!!

[parimento1]

If the strut mounts were bad, I think you would hear clunking. Wiggle your wheels with the car up on jacks and check for play. This way you can check for bad control arms, tie-rods and the like. If all else fails on or more of your tires may be bad, I had that problem with 2 sets of goodyears, it drove me mad, 'til I changed tires, and the alignment problem vanished.