June 16, 2019
Perhaps you've heard someone use the term "loose steering." And it's pretty much what it sounds like. You turn the steering wheel and the vehicle's wheels don't seem to go exactly where you thought you were pointing them. You have to constantly make steering adjustments.
Loose steering is sloppy steering, and it can be a safety hazard. You need to be able to control your vehicle with pretty much the same precision as the way it was when it came off the assembly line.
If the steering in your vehicle is starting to feel loose and sloppy, there may be some significant suspension issues that need examining by a trained technician.
How do you know if your vehicle needs to be looked at? Try turning the steering wheel and see how much play is in it. One rule of thumb: if you can turn it the distance of a quarter and a dime placed side by side without seeing the outside wheels move, it's time to have it inspected by one of our technicians.
Our Tuffy Bloomington technician will examine those components that are supposed to work together to make sure your steering is tight and precise. They are linked together by things called (of course) linkages.
When these linkage components were new, they all fit together tightly and moved together to make sure your wheels responded quickly and precisely to your movements of the steering wheel.
But hit a few potholes, travel over a couple of rough railroad tracks and those metal components can be damaged or bent. Given enough time, they will simply wear out. Our trained Tuffy Bloomington technician can inspect all of those parts and determine what needs to be repaired and/or replaced.
Keep your steering tight. Loose or sloppy steering can be dangerous. Thank goodness it usually warns you in plenty of time before it fails completely. Just straight talk… about steering.
Tuffy Bloomington
1505 East Vernon Avenue
Bloomington, Illinois 61701
309.662.0537
April 13, 2025
Vehicle emission testing has become ubiquitous in North America and for a good reason. Clean air quality is important for the environment and all of us. Since vehicle emissions are among the main causes of air pollution, emission testing can alert you to problems in your vehicle than can be fix... More
April 6, 2025
You know how exposing your skin to sunlight can cause sunburn and other unhealthy things. Sunlight can also create major problems for your headlights. After they've been exposed to ultraviolet light, acrylic headlights can yellow and fog due to oxidation. And when that happens, less light can ... More
March 30, 2025
This may have happened to you. You drive somewhere and get out of your vehicle only to try closing the door and it just won't stay closed! What a helpless feeling. You can't lock it; you can't leave it like it is. Or, let's say you head down to your vehicle to head out to work in the morning a... More