Steering feel
For a while I have felt I’m getting excessive feedback through the steering wheel of my 2003 Rover 75 CDTI tourer with 118,000 miles, especially on poor roads. I sometimes think the road surface is dictating to the car rather than the other way around, and I do find the car tramlines quite a bit compared to my wife’s Rover 25. The car is fitted with 16in alloys and has Dunlop Blue Response tyres, all in good order.
I have replaced all the anti-roll bar links, the front lower suspension arms, the antiroll bar rubbers front and back and the inner rack balljoints. In desperation, I’m replacing both the front struts, top bearing mounts and rear shocks (although, given the mileage, they should be replaced anyway as they are all probably a little tired and will lose their crispness even though they pass the bounce test).
Is it possible that the power steering valves are shot? Is it the pump that stops the feedback from the road or the rack itself? If a faulty valve is the cause, how do I check? The car had no signs of wear in the steering or rear suspension when it recently passed its MOT.
The other thing I was going to ask was regarding the tyres. Would you know the modern equivalent of what was fitted originally at the factory, as that might be part of the problem? Karl Sheridan
Although the steering is assisted hydraulically, the steering column enters the steering rack and is directly connected to the track rods via the rack-and-pinion system. Any problems with the steering valves would impair the efficiency of the power steering but should not alter the basic feel of the steering. Having said that, I remember that you wrote to me a couple of years back with a similar problem. At that time, you mentioned that the steering appeared to have too much feedback through the wheel – rucks, potholes and uneven road surfaces seem to almost take the wheel out of your hand. If this is still the case, then it may be a power steering problem, but I think the first course of action would be to find a specialist to ensure the vehicle tracking is correct. This can make a big difference to the feel of the steering. The settings should be 1.22 +/– 0.72 mm toe-in.
The Rover 75 originally came out of the factory with Dunlop SP Sport 3000 tyres and the modern alternative would be the Blue Response tyres that you have. However, it may be worth changing to Michelin Primacy 4 tyres, which have a slightly different tread pattern.