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Thread: Lubricant for steering? (Potential solutions for Mirage's lack of self-centering)

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    Lubricant for steering? (Potential solutions for Mirage's lack of self-centering)

    Hi folks,
    just wondering what sort of grease (silicone, lithium, particular type) is specified for the steering gear?



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    Administrator Daox's Avatar
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    What are you trying to lubricate? Everything is sealed and shouldn't need lubrication...
    Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block

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    Quote Originally Posted by Daox View Post
    What are you trying to lubricate? Everything is sealed and shouldn't need lubrication...
    Two reasons:
    1) The steering is sticky. The wheel stays in whatever direction it is turned. Doing a lot of highway driving and it gives me tendonitis, and it has become so bad, that one of my tendons in my right forearm has received damage by becoming fragmentated. I can be happy if it doesnt have permanent damage. I also drive other vehicles including heavy trucks, but nothing like it with this car.

    2) The japanese manufactures have a long record of there being barely sufficient lubricant (grease) in the steering.

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    Senior Member satria_wr's Avatar
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    I use lithium grease for metal to metal, and silicone for plastic to plastic/metal parts,...
    2013 Honda Vario CBS VB
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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage Exceed 1.2 automatic: 39.0 mpg (US) ... 16.6 km/L ... 6.0 L/100 km ... 46.8 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by foama View Post
    1) The steering is sticky. The wheel stays in whatever direction it is turned
    I believe this may be the result of the suspension geometry. It has been pretty widely reported, eg:

    Thread: Do you find the "self-centering" of your Mirage's steering to be odd?

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    Quote Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
    I believe this may be the result of the suspension geometry. It has been pretty widely reported, eg:

    Thread: Do you find the "self-centering" of your Mirage's steering to be odd?
    No, it is like that even when both front wheels are jacked off the ground.
    Btw, the front suspension geometry is nothing unusual, compare the specs to the Metro...

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    The lack of self-centering would have been a deal breaker for me, but it didn't bother my wife. Guess who makes the decisions at my house. Whether it is geometry or lack of lubrication, or something else, it should be correctable. I consider it a safety problem, because a moment of inattention can send the car out of the driving lane, rather than correcting to a straight line.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE 1.2 automatic: 46.4 mpg (US) ... 19.7 km/L ... 5.1 L/100 km ... 55.8 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member Ares's Avatar
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    If you can test with a little wider tires, that may solve your problem. I know it feel more like "a normal car" with wider tires on.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MiMi View Post
    The lack of self-centering would have been a deal breaker for me, but it didn't bother my wife. Guess who makes the decisions at my house. Whether it is geometry or lack of lubrication, or something else, it should be correctable. I consider it a safety problem, because a moment of inattention can send the car out of the driving lane, rather than correcting to a straight line.
    I think it's a safety issue too. I don't think you will get anywhere with it though.
    I believe it's a characteristic of the electric power steering system, combined with the tightness of all the new components.
    I read a bunch about it when I got my Wife a 2013 Corolla, and realized how dangerous it was on the highway.

    I am hoping the steering will loosen up after some miles.
    The Corolla is a COMPLETELY different car now at 20K miles.

    I wonder if you could gut an EPS unit, making it a pass through, so the car would be straight rack and pinion...(?)

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    Quote Originally Posted by ThreePot View Post
    I wonder if you could gut an EPS unit, making it a pass through, so the car would be straight rack and pinion...(?)
    The electric power steering on the Mirage is just an electric motor bolted onto the steering column. Just reach under and unplug it for manual steering.



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