Went from no bump steer, to having bump steer... what could have happened?

[Slider]

I built a MK4 complete kit with coyote and power steering in 2012. All brand new parts. I’ve never had an issue with bump steer until about 1/2 way through last summer. Yesterday I took her out for the first ride of the spring and the bump steer was almost a little scary. What would cause bump steer to get worse over time? Is alignment possibly off? Something break? Any thought on how I can track this down? This is a new one to me.

[frankb]

Make sure all couplings in the steering column are tight...I had one come just a bit loose on #8317 and so did the steering!

[ben1272]

Could any of your suspension bolts not been torqued, and maybe let something slip out into a new undesirable geometry? (front or rear for that matter) Maybe check alignment.

[Railroad]

Ride height changed....

[GoDadGo]

Scary is not a good thing when describing steering issues.
Please let us know when you figure this out.
Good Luck From The Dark-Dart Side!

[Norm B]

As suggested, check all suspension components both front and rear. Front upper ball joints and tie rod ends would be my first two items to check.

Good Luck

Norm

[2bking]

If the tires are also 2012, the traction may be going away due to the rubber getting hard and a little tow out. My tires are 2013 rubber with no noticeable wear (7000 miles) and getting less traction every day. I can spin tires on asphalt at will in third gear now.

[Slider]

Thanks. I’ll be looking at all components over the next week. No changes to ride height or anything else have been made. I’ll post back what I find. Thanks for the thoughts... sort of confirmed what I was thinking. Hopefully it’s as easy as making sure everything is right

[johnnybgoode]

I built a MK4 complete kit with coyote and power steering in 2012. All brand new parts. IÂ’ve never had an issue with bump steer until about 1/2 way through last summer. Yesterday I took her out for the first ride of the spring and the bump steer was almost a little scary. What would cause bump steer to get worse over time? Is alignment possibly off? Something break? Any thought on how I can track this down? This is a new one to me.

If your caster angle is changing that could affect your bump steer. I'd check that everything on the front UCA's is tight and that your ride height has not significantly changed. Scott

[NAZ]

It helps if you can quantify your bump steer which requires measuring it. Just like all alignment adjustments, unless you measure them you're just going by "feel" or more accurately, perception. Perception is not nearly as reliable as quantifying your actual settings. If you have a baseline from your initial alignment it's easy to measure again to see where the change is. There are many variables to your suspension that when changed, affect other areas. Having a baseline makes troubleshooting much more easy.

[totem]

Check the lower control arm urethane bushings. Unlike rubber that wear progressively, urethane bushings slit and become loose suddently.

If you need to make a steering input when your brake, it’s definetly this.