Steering sticks

After driving long distance without turning steering starts to “stick”. Kind of feels like a detent on an old radio dial. So I have to use more force to get the steering to turn. When you apply enough force to get it unstuck it will let go and you of course turn more than you wanted to. Problem is the same on bough directions.

When the problem started it only happened at very cold temperatures after something like 80km or 50 miles of driving without turning much. Now the problem happens even at 10c or 50F and only after 50km or 30 miles. So the problem is getting worse.

I have done the wheel alignment and checked and lubricated the steering shaft u-joints.

Has anybody experienced this problem?

 

It could be a bad strut bearing but why would it only act up after driving long distance without turning in (relatively) cold temperature? And if I lift the front end up and turn the steering from a tire I don’t fell the problem at all (but of course this test isn’t done after long straight drive).

Did yours only act up after straight drive or all the time? More in cold weather?

Yes it was done with the previous owner. And wouldn’t it just make the steering lose and clunky (before failing totally)?