Did a search but couldn't find what I was looking for.

Recently my steering has been acting strange, it feels heavy and a little notchy (get's heavier in certain points of lock), and it doesn't return to center like it should. Thought it may have been something to do with the fluid, so I changed it but it feels exactly how it did before.

Could it just be the alignment? I haven't hit anything recently, but just over a month ago I did do a track day in the car.

 

Thinking it could be the U-joint that may need some lubricating. Does that sound reasonable?

Don't think it's the alignment because that shouldn't make the steering heavier and notchy with the car stopped...

 

How many miles? Any suspension mods? Any recent on-road incidents that might explain the steering problems?

 

Master Cylinder?

 

78xxx miles. No suspension mods. Only "incident" was when I had an off at the track day, but that wasn't anything bad.

 

Check tire pressures.

 

Lubed the u-joint. That helped a lot, but not sure it it's completely back to normal yet. Will have to drive it for a few days

 

Well it got worse again the next day. It's very bad now. Like dangerously bad. I used some anti-seize on the u-joint but it had no effect

 

"Dangerously bad" means it's time to take your car to someone who's qualified to make more than an educated internet guess on what the problem might be. If you can't figure out the problem with the tools and knowledge you already have, then take your car to a mechanic. BTW, anti-sieze is not a good lubricant for a U-joint. Follow the FSM.

 

I tried a different lubricant (white lithium grease) and that seemed to make things better but not 100% again. Think I can conclusively say I need a new U-joint, and with it being only $75 from Z1 I can't justify not replacing it.