Chrisvespec
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Have a 03 facelift 100 v8,power steering has started to get stiff now and again, anyone ideas as to rack or pump, fluid is topped up and not loosing any as just gone thru mot yesday....
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power steering
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BobMurphy
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Check your lower suspension ball joints.
I know the '100' has a far better arrangement than the '90', but when my '90' joints dried out and started to fail the steering felt stiff.
I don't think there are any ball joint greasing points on the '100' (I haven't found any on mine) and the '90' certainly doesn't have any.
I'm not suggesting that the joints are about to fail (they are in constant compression) but they may be dry - just a thought.
Bob.
I know the '100' has a far better arrangement than the '90', but when my '90' joints dried out and started to fail the steering felt stiff.
I don't think there are any ball joint greasing points on the '100' (I haven't found any on mine) and the '90' certainly doesn't have any.
I'm not suggesting that the joints are about to fail (they are in constant compression) but they may be dry - just a thought.
Bob.
Hi,
Maybe try an oil swap in the system and see if this improves things as it is not usually changed, also worth checking the tyre pressures as this makes it hard work for the pump especially if oversize tyres are fitted.
Maybe jack up the front and check for any tight spots or anything fouling the mechanism.
After that its a pressure test to elimate either pump or rack I would think?
Does the steering assitance get worse when it hot?
Hope this helps.
Maybe try an oil swap in the system and see if this improves things as it is not usually changed, also worth checking the tyre pressures as this makes it hard work for the pump especially if oversize tyres are fitted.
Maybe jack up the front and check for any tight spots or anything fouling the mechanism.
After that its a pressure test to elimate either pump or rack I would think?
Does the steering assitance get worse when it hot?
Hope this helps.
Chrisvespec
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Tyre pressures fine...going to change the steering fluid 1st off as the steering is fine one day and bit notchy the next....whats the best way to do this...
No problem with you changing fluid, it's good practice.
But I'd take the advice to check the lower ball joints and the steering ball joints.
It shouldn't take too long to jack it up, crack a steering joint taper (or two) and check how free the bottom ball joints are by hand.
On my 80 I had a steering ball joint seize and I must have done a few hundreds of kms before it sheared off at the thick end of the taper. Luckily it happened reversing in the garden, and not at 100kph on the highway.
JMO of course.
But I'd take the advice to check the lower ball joints and the steering ball joints.
It shouldn't take too long to jack it up, crack a steering joint taper (or two) and check how free the bottom ball joints are by hand.
On my 80 I had a steering ball joint seize and I must have done a few hundreds of kms before it sheared off at the thick end of the taper. Luckily it happened reversing in the garden, and not at 100kph on the highway.
JMO of course.
Chrisvespec
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How do i go about changing the power steering fluid....and its just flown thru mot so if there was a problem with ball joints tester would have said something...
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The tester tests for excessive play not seizure.
BobMurphy
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The lower N/S ball joint failed on my '90' two months after it passed the MOT
.The 90s and 100s have different lower balljoint arrangements - 100s are much better . . . But I would still check it, if only to eliminate it from the quest.
Bob.
BobMurphy
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Sag,
On a '90' the lower ball joint bolts to the lower end of the steering knuckle - where the track Rod attaches. It faces down, with the taper going through the lower wishbone with a nut underneath.
The rivets you are looking at are part of the lower wishbone - not the ball joint.
You have to:
Support the lower wishbone.
Undo the driveshaft from the front wheel hub (but don't try to separate them yet).
Compress the front coil springs to take the load off the joint.
Undo the Track Rod nut and separate its ball joint from the arm that is part of the lower ball joint assembly.
Remove the nut from the ball joint.
Support the wheel hub.
Lower the lower wishbone.
Separate the ball joint taper from the wishbone with a ball joint splitter.
Lower the wishbone away from the ball joint.
swing the steering knuckle out a bit - sliding the drive shaft out of the hub (watch the ABS wiring and Brake Pipe).
Undo the four bolts that hold the lower ball joint assembly to the steering knuckle (good luck with that !).
Remove old ball joint.
Re-build it all with the new ball joint
.
On the '100' (and '120') the nose of the lower wishbone sits inside a 'stirrup' at the lower end of the steering knuckle. The ball joint is attached to the underside of the stirrup and faces upwards - through the lower wishbone. It is therefore constantly in compression unlike the '90' where the ball joint is in constant tension.
Bob.
On a '90' the lower ball joint bolts to the lower end of the steering knuckle - where the track Rod attaches. It faces down, with the taper going through the lower wishbone with a nut underneath.
The rivets you are looking at are part of the lower wishbone - not the ball joint.
You have to:
Support the lower wishbone.
Undo the driveshaft from the front wheel hub (but don't try to separate them yet).
Compress the front coil springs to take the load off the joint.
Undo the Track Rod nut and separate its ball joint from the arm that is part of the lower ball joint assembly.
Remove the nut from the ball joint.
Support the wheel hub.
Lower the lower wishbone.
Separate the ball joint taper from the wishbone with a ball joint splitter.
Lower the wishbone away from the ball joint.
swing the steering knuckle out a bit - sliding the drive shaft out of the hub (watch the ABS wiring and Brake Pipe).
Undo the four bolts that hold the lower ball joint assembly to the steering knuckle (good luck with that !).
Remove old ball joint.
Re-build it all with the new ball joint
.On the '100' (and '120') the nose of the lower wishbone sits inside a 'stirrup' at the lower end of the steering knuckle. The ball joint is attached to the underside of the stirrup and faces upwards - through the lower wishbone. It is therefore constantly in compression unlike the '90' where the ball joint is in constant tension.
Bob.
