Hi,

my car has now 216'000km and for quite some time now, it has a bad behaviour at high speed. It feels like there is some play in the steering and the steering feels inconsistent around center. I had the lower arms replaced but this has not changed the problem. I have looked at the trackrod ball joints and they don't show any sign of wear nor play. The only thing that I may suspect is the strut upper mounts. I have removed them and they look in good shape (also the bearing). However when mounted on the car, if I bounce the front of the car, I can hear a little tapping noise from the front strut mounts just as if the shock piston nut wasn't secured (but it is!). All the screws are tightened to the correct torque and I don't know where these instabilities may come from. Of course tires are OK with correct pressure and the car has been aligned recently.

What do you think? Is it possible that the upper strut mounts need raplecement or may it be a bigger problem such as power steering troubles or even a worn steering gear (rack and pinion...)? What else may I check?