AH-HA!!! Solved uneven steering problem!

mechanist · #1 10-09-2002, 12:54 AM

Well my 27Mhz silver Porche ZZ has always turned left better (smaller radius) than it could turn right.
I've scoured the message boards for the past couple days to see what I could find out about how to fix this. I've tried all the fixes I came across but none of them seemed to help or were applicable to my ZZ.

So I tore the front end down and looked it over very closely tonight. I noticed that the magnet would get much closer to the right hand coil than the left one. That was obviously the problem with my steering (I noticed this before) but I couldn't see why it was having trouble getting close to the left hand coil.

I tried forcing it with my finger but it just wouldn't get close to the left coil. So it must have been something mechanical physically keeping the magnet and carrier from having a full range of motion to the left (driver's side)

I first thought it was the steering knuckles. Maybe one had not been properly molded. I used an Exacto knife to shave the white steering knuckles down a bit first and then reassembled. This didn't fix anything.

So I inspected the sway bar, steering linkage etc. Then I finally saw it:

The left hand coil was glued into the body about 1 mm further back than the right hand one. The magnet carrier was hitting the coil before it could move all the way over to the left. This is what was keeing my ZZ from making tight right hand turns.

I shaved a little notch in the plastic magnet carrier to allow it to clear the mis-alligned coil and reassembled everything.

Problem solved!

I've attached a little (crummy) diagram of what I did.
Or at least I've tried to. Hope it shows up.

The top picture shows the magnet carrier bumping into the coil and the bottom picture shows how I cut the notch to allow it to clear the coil.

Maybe someone has found this problem before but I sure missed the answer if they did. Hopefully this helps someone out.

Mattydiah · #2 10-09-2002, 01:54 AM

Hey, good find!! I'll have to take a look at my ZZ, as it does the same thing, hopefully this is the fix!!

Thanks again!!

latency · #3 10-09-2002, 09:26 AM

This was also the problem on my Supra, only I was not able to fix. Too many beers, and a careless slip of the knife broke it.

Good idea, just don't have too many drinks before doing it!!

GryphicRacing · #4 10-17-2002, 06:15 PM

I think I have always had full travel of the steering magnet, but the bigger issue was that the centering spring wasn't at all centered. My 27Mhz had the adjustment lever all the way to the left and it still drifted right.

After I pulled apart the front end, I messed with the spring (bent one side actually) so the it was more balanced. I haven't run it for the long straights yet, but am hoping it helps.

GryphicRacing · #5 10-17-2002, 06:44 PM

Yep...you are right. Sorry.

ctshaynes · #6 10-17-2002, 06:52 PM

Crap! I just tried this and broke my part. BE CAREFUL!!!
I used super glue on it I hope it holds...

kwikbb · #7 10-17-2002, 07:54 PM

Ahhh I see said the blind man, so simple... excellent catch mechanist.

mechanist · #8 10-17-2002, 09:53 PM

Kwikbb: Sweet. I'm glad it helped you.

latency & ctshaynes:
Man I'm sorry it broke on you guys.

I didn't realise it was that dangerous of a mod.
Did you bust the carrier? I used a lot of patience and I only shaved a little tiny bit of plastic at a time off with an X-acto knife until I had a little knotch. Just enough to clear the coil.

My advice for anyone else I guess is to really take your time and don't try to remove too much plastic at once.
Oh and I didn't try to cut the knotch in with 2 cuts at right angles to each other. That might have split the plastic I was thinking at the time. So I just did little "J" shaped cuts, a little deeper each time until I had a little knotched carved out. Don't try to saw a knotch into it.

And BE CAREFUL that you don't loose that little spring on the carrier. That thing is a pain to find if it falls off.

GryphicRacing: Sorry if you responded to the post I put up and then deleted. I just decided it wasn't a big enough deal to say anything about. Shrug.

ctshaynes · #9 10-17-2002, 10:24 PM

I was just shaving away a bit at a time, but the way I was holding it caused it to fold up suddenly. I fixed it with super glue, and it seems to be ok for now. Still steers uneven though.