T20Driver

iTrader: (3)

Just thought I'd let you know ..

The team at Triton Motorsports (Bournemouth Airport) recently identified the cause of a steering problem I was having - a 'cooked' lower steering column UV joint.

Triton have come across a number of these on newages where the catted downpipe - with heatshield - has been replaced by a downpipe without a heatshield.

So ... given the cost of a replacement UV joint is c.£170 ... I suggest you keep an eye on yours if you have this setup.

I am told that heatwrapping the downpipe or installing a made up heatshield should prevent this from happening.

Symptons are that the steering just feels a lot stiffer as if the power steering is failing. The original thoughts were that it was either the pump or the rack failing, but there was no noise associated with the stiffness and no signs of leakage or drop in steering fluid. Hence the uncertainly over the cause.

I have contacted Iain Litchfield and Subaru4You about this and they have said that they are going to look at checking the joint in their services from now on. I thing Triton already do given the number of instances that they have come across.

To put this in context though, neither Powerstation/Litchfield's nor Subaru4You had ever come across this situation before, so I am not sure how common this failure is .. I am simply warning you of something that has happened to mine.