Steering issue

Since purchase the steering has not been right on my cruiser. Far to much play which I thought was leading to over correcting and hence me drifting/wandering down the road. Not all the time but often enough to make things a little uneasy at high speed and not being able to relax whilst driving.

I checked all the steering linkage and all seems well I then addressed the excess play in the steering wheel by tightening up the steering adjust screw and that has made a vast improvement as I no longer feel the need to constantly over correct/compensate for a wandering front end...or so i thought.

It would seem although the steering has less play on a straight road with me holding the wheel straight and still it will go along fine and then pull to one side..it would seem it does not have a favourite as either will do.

I do notice a small amount of pull on the steering but its once it has gone that i feel it slightly but no pull to either side when braking on a straight line or vibrations so am not sure where to look next.

I don't know if maybe the steering damper could be on its way out and if this could be the cause or if perhaps it could be something in the rear that is causing the wander although it feels like it is coming from the front.

Advise appreciated.

I was about to point you to this thread which has loads of very interesting info on it (especially about the rear steer) but then I saw that you're the one that posted it. Doh!

http://www.offroad80s.com/another-vague-steering-question-for-an-80-series-t6055.html

What tyres have you got on there? 4 decent ones all the same and fair enough. But tyres can do odd things. So can balance. The thing is on a live axle vehicle like an 80 you don't feel the out of balance quite so much. But that energy has to go somewhere and it can result in those sudden, odd lane changes. I have had it so I know.

Hi Warren I found a difference the opposite way round when I got my 100 series, the steering felt almost too sharp. After a few 80's under my belt I would say that they nearly all feel like yours to drive, also a solid axle has a certain amount of bump steer which has largely been eradicated by the IFS you are used to.

Andy

Thanks Chris i will take a look and make sure but to my knowledge they are almost new but who knows on the balance. I would have thought a vibration would have been felt if unbalanced and not a lane change but will take a look at alignment and caster etc tis weekend.

I presume Warren, the geometry has been checked, to be within tolerance? When mine became noticeably wanderlust, I had them set the tracking at 0.5 degrees toe out.

That was some time ago and it seemed to cure it, haven't checked or adjusted it since. If you haven't already, I would advise you to get yourself a full print-out.

Will do clive ASAP and let you know.

As I said Warren, the axles are very heavy and not connected directly to the body of the vehicle so wheel vibration is hugely damped. But there are certain 'harmonics' that can appear when all the wheels line up in a particular way and whoop, off you go. Not science fact, just previous experience. I put liquid in the tyres and suddenly it stopped. I never felt out of balance vibrations at all, but trust me when I say it was like driving a mad bull.

warrenpfo said:

I checked all the steering linkage and all seems well I then addressed the excess play in the steering wheel by tightening up the steering adjust screw and that has made a vast improvement as I no longer feel the need to constantly over correct/compensate for a wandering front end...or so i thought.

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Did you check the passenger side steering arm where it is bolted to the bottom of the swivel housing is secure? If that's ok, check the front panhard rod bolts are tight and the bushes are ok. Also check for play in the front wheel and swivel bearings. Those are the main things that can be a bit hard to pin down how they behave. Unless you have no rubber left in rear axle bushes the kind of rear steer you get from worn bushes is more subtle than I think you are describing.

Thanks all lots to check and double check. I will get to the bottom of this and report back.

Only the tracking is adjustable on the solid axle setup. Kingpin, castor and camber are not adjustable.

To check for play in all the joints and fixings get someone to waggle the steering back and forth enough to just move the wheels whilst you lie underneath with your fingers on the suspect parts.

Jack the car up and check for obvious play in the wheel side to side as in steering and back and forth top and bottom as in kingpin checking. Wheel bearings may need adjusting.

I find myself in your situation Warren. I have eliminated all play but still cannot fully relax when driving as if I glance out of the window I sometimes look forward and see I'm off line. My car was like a train on rails when I first had it with 30,000 miles.

That leaves the steering damper??????

Don't buy a Milners one or those that have a picture of the original Toyo one in their description.
1. They don't fit.
2. They are crap quality a bit like a bicycle tyre pump.

Thanks Frank. My Damper would seem to be the original one so I guess 19 years is good going but am not sure what the signs are of a failing damper??

I have a Milners one and it fits perfectly. I got it for free as someone else said it didn't fit, so I fitted it and send them photos. They let me keep it.

But I wouln't buy one either as I think Franks description is spot on. But as they only really work when the wheel receives impact it has little function for daily driving. I drove for several months without one and couldn't tell the difference on road.

But it did fit perfectly.

Fully extended they are shorter than the original Toyo ones. Therefore on full lock they may be on undersigned tension. Mine was.

Did the whole lock to lock thing Frank. That was part of the test I did for them and it was fine. Moot point maybe as I still wouldn't buy one. But just setting the record straight in relation to the fact that it DID fit. Milner had Trading Standards investigating the complaint.

If I was just on road or tarting it up for sale, one of these would be fine.

But I'm not.

Has anyone used a sprung "centralising" damper? Id like to know if they are effective, or just a waste of springs and extra weight.

Well. Have spend all day on this and still be the wiser but hope I might be on the right path.

Tyre's are the same
Pressures are the same
No specific rotation required for the Tyre's
No movement at all in any joints
Steering box bolts tight

BUT I hope this could be the culprit...





There seems to be no support at all as the steering tube goes through the fire wall and this can't be right.

Please tell me I have cracked it

I may be wrong but I'm not sure that's the issue Warren. I think all that's missing there is the rubber seal that stops water coming in by sealing around the steering shaft.

Agh bugger I wax hoping the up down movement of the shaft might be translating to left and right movement in the Tyre's. Oh well I shall carry on the dearch

Is it possible that given I have a slight weep in the steering pump not the steering box and I mean ever so slight that this could contribute to the problem??