Steering Issues

[karl webster]

When we went out playing in the snow the other night i had a misshap where my truck came off the road in the ice at fairly low speed and going in a straight line.
Since then ive been thinking i have a prob with the front end. It is getting worse.
Today i lifted it with the fortruck and had a good look under it. Felt like a little play in the n/s wheelbearing so i tightend it and the play was still there. Turned out to be a little play in the top and bottom bearings on the hub.
I still kept looking. I also noticed that i have some play on the ball joint that conects onto the steering box. Only slightly but it is there.
On the way home i was expecting it to be better, but its not. It seems like a wheel is going to fall off over 40mph.
Tomoz i will change the rod that connects to the steering box and try to get rid of the play.

Anyone had simlar issues on a 80 could steering box be past it?

Thanks karl

 

[Chris]

Steering boxes are new to me, but I understand that they are adjustable? Might this take out some of the play?

I have got top and bottom bearings in stock if you are desperate and stuck Karl. I should think that you have spare housings though in the Batcave.

Chris

 

[karl webster]

Thanks cris
I have stoped the pay on the nearside at the min. I will order new bearings top and bottom and get the done when its next in bits.
I will try and tighten the box up as well tomoz but to me there is play on the ball joint on the steering rod. Everything else seems tight
karl

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Check that the studs holding the steering arm to the underside of the swivel are tight on the passenger side as they sometimes come loose on 80's. With no load on the wheel you might not notice that the arm moves more than the wheel but with the wheels on the ground while someone rocks the steering back and forth it would be more obvious.

 

[karl webster]

Thanks jon, I have checked that already. I brought a truck a while ago where the four nuts under the passenger hub had come loose on someone and snapped off.
I have also so a couple of axel ends,due to the same reason.
karl

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Ok how about the panhard rod? If the bolts on that aren't clamping the rod tight enough you get a bit of movement that feels like play in the steering.

The FSM shows how to adjust play out of the steering box I think, but you undo the nut on top of the box that has a slotted stud in the middle with a screw driver in the slot to stop the centre turning, and then turn the centre in a bit to take up the play, then tighten the nut holding the centre again ...

 

[frank rabbets]

Also; with the panhard rod check condition of the bushes and the brackets which hold it onto the axle at one end and chassis at the other. If you went off with the car going straight and the steering at an angle this would have put stress on the rod assembly. I assume your wheel was turned; or were you heading for the scene of the accident on purpose !?

Frank

 

[karl webster]

Jon, i Swaped the steering arm that connects to the damper as there was play in one side. I hadnt noticed your other post regarding the panhard i will have to have another better look at it tomoz. I thought the steering arm would have sorted it.
It feels terrible to drive as front end doesnt feel good at all,and after my rear wheel falling off im on edge all the time.

Frank,
As just mentioned i will have a good look over everything again. Didnt understand this bit though mate (or were you heading for the scene of the accident on purpose)
Thanks karl

 

[frank rabbets]

It's Martin Brundle's expression off F1. "Found himself heading straight for the scene of the accident". I wasn't being sarcastic. I did the same in our lane showing off to my 5 year old passenger/daughter. Doing 40mph in the ice in a dead straight line and went backwards through one of the neighbours fence demonstrating a handbrake turn in the middle of the night. So guilty I never owned up!

Good luck something must be up if it suddenly handles badly.

Frank

 

[karl webster]

Earlier in the night i had been playing/messing around. When lost controll was on the mainroad and was far to dangerous to be acting a fool.
No offence taken mate just thought id missed something.
Ill keep you posted when i get to the bottom of it.
karl

 

[frank rabbets]

If there is something wrong you'll defo find it. They are fairly simple. Did occur to me later that it might be one of the king pin taper rollers brocken up. If you jack the front off the ground with steering ahead and grab the top and bottom of each wheel in turn , you should not be able to move the bottom of the wheel in and out [ at right angles to the chassis].

I had king pin failure on a land Rover and you could move one of the wheels 4 inches in and out at the bottom.

Frank

 

[karl webster]

Cheers frank
Its not that bad of a wobble. I had a wheelbearing give up and the amount of movement was unbeleivable really.
Today i have swaped the prop as small amount of wear,swaped tyres front to the back,took The slight play out of the steering box. swaped the bars that hold the axle to the chasie(My minds gone blank on the name)
So really im now out of options.

Jon, Can vibration be anything at all to do with the diff? Or play where the cv cums through the stub axle do you think?

Thanks karl

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

diffs can cause vibration but mainly when the pinion bearings are worn and then you'd feel some play at the flange. No good checking with the prop attached at the diff end I'm afraid unless it's really bad, it needs to be disconnected really so there's no load on it. Not sure if a worn spindle bush would cause vibration you could feel, more than likely not you'd just keep killing inner axle oil seals as the shaft moved about too much and def not a death wobble. Are you feeling it through the floor or through the steering? Through the steering is usually loose wheels or suspension and through the floor is more likely to be diff, props etc. Are you wheel spacers bolted to the hub tight? i.e. not just the wheels bolted tight to loose spacers

 

[karl webster]

I took the prop off And replaced it with a good one I had. When the Prop was off i turned the Diff flange where the prop bolts to and i could turn it Probably 10minuets. But there doesnt seem any up or down play.
Eveything is as it should spacers etc etc.
I couldnt pin it down to being on steering or through the floor really.
Dave said it may be my tyres distorted
Thanks karl

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

the tracking being out can give you a bit of a wobble on the steering wheel bit like out of balance tyres, but then you'd know that was through the wheel. Did you check the rear prop because sometimes where you think it's coming from is the wrong end? Also rear axle bushes on the control arms and where they connect, rear panhard etc?

 

[karl webster]

I havnt had a look at the rear end but i will do

 

[frank rabbets]

Jon has just taken the words out of my keyboard. I was just about to suggest checking the rear. If you have ever had a rear wheel puncture the front feels terrible and is worse than a front wheel puncture. So anything wrong with the rear axle fixings may be what you are looking for.

Frank

 

[karl webster]

fingers crossed