Too Tight Steering

[cv70chall]

I finally was able to get all my steering components replaced that needed to be. Had an alignment done and the care seems to drive "very tight".
I was told that sometimes, newly installed components take time to "loosen up or break in", which results in steering returning to normal.
I've noticed that the steering seems "very tight" and that I feel some creaks- and even can hear the lower collar closest to the dash sometimes struggling to turn either way. Is this mainly due to "new parts not broken in", the column and steering assembly being too tight, or the column needing to be fully lubricated?
I did not experience any of these symptoms until after replacing the worn components.

Thoughts?

 

[pschlosser]

If by tight, you mean responsive and sensitive to input, and lacking in the slop one may feel from a vintage (20+ years old and 100,000 miles or more) automobile with power steering, then I agree, this may loosen in time... but a long time, like 30K-50K miles of driving, unless you take it off-roading on a weekend joyride. This tightness is those fresh new bushings, ball joints, and tie-rod ends keeping the alignment dead-nuts accurate, even under a load in the turns or hard acceleration.

Add to this, the potential of polyurethane bushings making the responsiveness even better, such that one can practically feel when the tire rolls over a pebble ion the roadway.

But if by tight, you mean the pivoting of the steering seems tight, and/or the steering doesn't return to straight when driving in a flat grade loosely holding the steering wheel, I disagree. The ball joints and tie-rod ends are typically greased, and should pivot and rotate freely without much operational friction.

With the front wheels up on jack stands, and the engine idling, one can "steer" the car by moving the wheels themselves, left and right.

I would not think a newly rebuilt front suspension would need road-time to loosen up enough, where any perceptible friction in the steering mechanism is freed.

A front-end alignment by a tire and wheel place is not likely to find or discover friction in the steering system, since the alignment process is mostly stationary on a rig, lift, or platform. However, Positive Caster is the alignment setting that resists turning left and right at higher speeds, and after turning, pulls the wheels back straight, again.

What you describe MIGHT BE binding on the steering linkage, due to a number of factors, potentially incorrect parts, or some other issue.

But we leave it to you to clarify further, what you feel and think as you drive the car.

 

[pschlosser]

thinking of this further, if the positive caster was set higher than its supposed to be, this may cause your tight behavior. but I would expect the wheels-off-the-ground-and-turning-by-hand test would still require little effort.