Turning the wheel while stationary

Skurge

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2009
5,195
1
71
I heard that if you turn the wheel while the car is stationary, you might damage the transmission in FWD cars.

Not that I do this, I can turn the wheel pretty fast while moving, I just wanted to know if its another one of those car myths or if its a real concern as soon people, especially women do it a lot.
 

simonizor

Golden Member
Feb 8, 2010
1,312
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I really doubt that there is any truth to that what-so-ever. How would people back out of parking spaces if their transmissions were going to go out when they turn their tires while stationary? If there is any truth, you would probably have to sit there and turn it back and forth for a very long time, and your power steering would probably go out long before the transmission.
 

desy

Diamond Member
Jan 13, 2000
5,447
216
106
You can damage your power steering if you go all the way over and hear the pump strain and hold without easing off a bit
 

exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
13,679
10
81
The closest related real problem is towing an AWD car with half the wheels still on the ground with the center differential locked and burning up the clutches.
 

Skurge

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2009
5,195
1
71
You can damage your power steering if you go all the way over and hear the pump strain and hold without easing off a bit

Is it pretty easy to damage the power steering by doing that or does it take repeated abuse over a long period of time?
 

desy

Diamond Member
Jan 13, 2000
5,447
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Not very easy, just more wear and tear on the pump than needs be which eventually leads to failure. .
 

Christobevii3

Senior member
Aug 29, 2004
995
0
76
If you don't have power steering and can man child it then you can mess up the steering column on a car that used to have power steering.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
100,461
17,949
126
I heard that if you turn the wheel while the car is stationary, you might damage the transmission in FWD cars.

Not that I do this, I can turn the wheel pretty fast while moving, I just wanted to know if its another one of those car myths or if its a real concern as soon people, especially women do it a lot.

If your car is stationary, how is the tranny being hurt? You could argue you are hurting your tires or maybe (remotely) rack and pinion, but tranny?
 

shabby

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,782
45
91
If your car is stationary, how is the tranny being hurt? You could argue you are hurting your tires or maybe (remotely) rack and pinion, but tranny?

Well the tranny is connected to the front wheels, and the wheels are connected to the steering wheel, it only makes sense...
 

exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
13,679
10
81
Well the tranny is connected to the front wheels, and the wheels are connected to the steering wheel, it only makes sense...

That's like saying your arm and leg are connected via the same skeleton, so if you break your arm, it will damage your leg.
 

Bartman39

Elite Member | For Sale/Trade
Jul 4, 2000
8,867
51
91
I agree its possible...

Only if you fall on the broken arm and stick it up your arse...:thumbsup: (might get a leg in the process...?)


The sound your hearing is just the relief valve in the pump doing its job which is designed to do millions of times during the life of the pump... Run it out of fluid one time and see what happens (more likely to fail)...
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,781
5,941
146
It's a crappy habit for a couple of reasons:
1)hard on the steering gear.
2) scrubs the tires.
3) this is my pet peeve, it tears up what you are driving on.

Go ahead and scoff but I have seen cars dig into soft asphalt on a hot day doing just that. I run equipment and supervise, and guys will get a piece of my mind if they do it with a backhoe or dump truck on my site.
It is much cooler and suave~ to start to roll, and then roll in your turns.
Folks who used to have manual steering may have that habit already.
 

exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
13,679
10
81
Dumbest fucking thing I've ever heard. Completely not true.

What moron told you this anyway?

We know who, he's not on this forum anymore. :awe:

It's probably a long winded out friend of a friend of a friend told friend of a friend of a friend of an experience burning a differential (eg: often a transmission component in many cars) from being towed improperly from the front or rear wheels in gear, and as it got passed down it turned into this.
 
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JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,584
985
126
We know who, he's not on this forum anymore. :awe:

It's probably a long winded out friend of a friend of a friend told friend of a friend of a friend of an experience burning a differential (eg: often a transmission component in many cars) from being towed improperly from the front or rear wheels in gear, and as it got passed down it turned into this.

Inflate to sidewall? :D:awe:
 

MrWizzard

Platinum Member
Mar 24, 2002
2,493
0
71
You can damage your power steering if you go all the way over and hear the pump strain and hold without easing off a bit

Not damage just more wear and tear. Just like burning out shortens the life of your tires, or improper shifting wears out your clutch faster. It's a wear and tear part. That being said I have seen lots of people abuse their power steering and never had that part of their car fail. Most people don't keep their cars long enough to even worry about this.