Am I The Only One To....

[Richard A Thackeray]

Is it just me, or................

When you're parking/parked up, and need to steer, do you try to have the vehicle moving - even if at a 'Snails Pace'

This circular scraping shows that someone has turned the steering whilst stationary

It puts additional strain on the steering components, & scrubs the tyre on that particular tread position
(especially if you're a driver who runs with tyres close to the legal minimum tread-depth)

I know that power-steering masks this particularly with the 'City Steering' (or whatever phrase button), but those of us who grew up with no power-assistance remember how much easier it was, with even the slightest motion
Heck, you were even told that by driving instructors!

Are learners still taught it, with power-steering being ubiquitous on even the smallest cars?

The only exception to me always having the vehicle moving, when steering, are when I'm on grass, mud, or gravel

Surely, your car will thank you for it

 

[Cerdic]

I always did this back in the no power steering days. I still mostly do it today in my own car.

But at work, I will go from lock to lock while stationary in the company’s vehicles. Partly though, this is often because stuff is parked so tight in the yard that it is impossible to get out any other way…

 

[alicat]

Yes, I don't turn the wheels without my foot on the accelerator or gravity in play.

 

[sheddy]

Sometimes called Dry Steering.

 

[cougie uk]

Is it just me, or................

When you're parking/parked up, and need to steer, do you try to have the vehicle moving - even if at a 'Snails Pace'

This circular scraping shows that someone has turned the steering whilst stationary
View attachment 667026


It puts additional strain on the steering components, & scrubs the tyre on that particular tread position
(especially if you're a driver who runs with tyres close to the legal minimum tread-depth)

I know that power-steering masks this particularly with the 'City Steering' (or whatever phrase button), but those of us who grew up with no power-assistance remember how much easier it was, with even the slightest motion
Heck, you were even told that by driving instructors!

Are learners still taught it, with power-steering being ubiquitous on even the smallest cars?

The only exception to me always having the vehicle moving, when steering, are when I'm on grass, mud, or gravel

Surely, your car will thank you for it

Given the way people drive moving cars - I'm not surprised they don't drive stationary cars that well either.

 

[tyred]

Some people have very little mechanical sympathy or understanding.

 

[gbb]

circa 1976 as I learned to drive in a new Escort 1600 Sport, I asked the tutor, can I turn the wheel to align the wheels before I start a manoever?
Not sure or can't remember WHY I asked that but his reply was..
Well yes you can, but you're not doing the car any good doing it.

So I always try to have the wheels moving to relieve the stress on the components, tyres.

Oftentimes, I suspect we all do stuff wrong simply because it never occurred to us there was a consequence, or a better way of doing it.

 

[mistyoptic]

I was muttering about this the other day while watching someone wrestle with the wheel in a stationary vehicle. Mechanical empathy needed

 

[mustang1]

Yeah, I nearly always do this: always moving fwd and back if I need to turn the steering.

But those cars that auto-park turn the steering wheel while stationery as well as when moving.

 

[Juan Kog]

Some people have very little mechanical sympathy or understanding.

The same people who like the sound of the ratchet when they apply the handbrake.

 

[Cerdic]

The same people who like the sound of the ratchet when they apply the handbrake.

Niche. Like it…

 

[neil_merseyside]

The same people who like the sound of the ratchet when they apply the handbrake.

A lot of car makers recommend using the ratchet as otherwise you can be 'between teeth' and a hot handbrake might release on cooling. VX had recall on the Vectra.

 

[Juan Kog]

A lot of car makers recommend using the ratchet as otherwise you can be 'between teeth' and a hot handbrake might release on cooling. VX had recall on the Vectra.

I didn’t know that , I always leave my car in gear when parked. Plus when leaving the car on a hill the front wheels turned into the curb.

 

[neil_merseyside]

I didn’t know that , I always leave my car in gear when parked. Plus when leaving the car on a hill the front wheels turned into the curb.

Not using ratchet on VX (+Citroen CX(?) too) caused some runaways, so while ratchet teeth is noisy it has to be better than runaways! Is the in gear, turned wheels still taught I wonder?

 

[Jameshow]

Not using ratchet on VX (+Citroen CX(?) too) caused some runaways, so while ratchet teeth is noisy it has to be better than runaways! Is the in gear, turned wheels still taught I wonder?

I had a xantia that once ran away down a Bradford street how it didn't damage any cars I don't know!!