I am getting concerned with the steering of my car due to a rather unsettling behavior that has developed within the last month or so. at first it was barely noticeable but over the last several weeks its become more pronounced and more than a bit unsettling.
This issue occurs under two conditions accelerating on a steep upward incline or accelerating to highway speeds / passing. The severity of the problem seems to be a factor of how much torque is being applied to the wheels.
When I accelerate hard the car feels like its pulling slightly to the left but as soon as I let off the gas the car seems to jerk suddenly to the right. I am concerned that there is problem with the steering assembly does anyone have any idea what can cause this.
Why are you asking us instead of taking it post-haste to a reputable chassis shop?
Clearly there’s something dangerous going on. The clock is ticking.
A difference in tire diameter will cause a pull during acceleration on some cars. I have found a noticeable pull after installing a new tire when the opposing tire measured 6/32".
This could be torque steer - when the engine revs it can affect the vehicle. One thing to look at is engine mounts. A bad engine mount could cause this.
While I agree that this is something that the OP needs to get checked-out a.s.a.p. by a qualified mechanic, I agree with Mike that this sounds mostly like torque steer effect.
I think that most of us were surprised by the amount of torque steer when we first drove a FWD vehicle. The unequal length of the drive shafts makes this more or less unavoidable on most FWD cars.
However, if there are broken motor and/or transmission mounts, this effect could be magnified–both when accelerating and when easing off on the gas pedal.
So, in addition to having all components in the steering mechanism inspected, I strongly suggest that the OP have his mechanic take a close look at the motor and transmission mounts.
I think that the mechanic will find nothing wrong in the steering, and may find a broken mount or two.
Another possibility on a 14 year old car is, if you live in the rust belt, the engine sub frame might be rotted out. This could allow the lower control arms, which are attached to the sub frame to shift in relation the car body causing crabbing one way on acceleration and then the other way on deceleration.
