Tight steering, or not?

[Bat21]

I have 33x12.5x15 tyres on my 80.

If I am sitting at a complete standstill it is almost impossible to steer the wheels anything more than say half a rotation of the steering wheel in either direction. If the truck is moving even at snails pace it is fine.

Is this normal due to the wide foot print of the tyres?

Not really noticed it before.

 

[Dave_S]

Similar size to mine and I can pretty much lock-to-lock stationary, albeit with a little bit of effort. What pressures are you running?

 

[clivehorridge]

Mine are marginally narrower at 305mm but I can rotate the steering wheel at rest, with some effort mind, but it's doable.

Have you tried it with the front wheels jacked in the air. I ask this because I had a seized ball joint on the pitman arm and didn't know it. I imagine that with the wheels up, any stiffness would show immediately, then you should start checking for seized joints. It's important, because the ball joint taper pin eventually sheared off, luckily in the garden and not on the open road at 100+ KPH

 

[Chris]

Mine are 315 Paul and I can sit and spin all day mate. No binding at all. Drive the front wheels onto a couple of glossy magazines and try it then. If it's still tight then its actually in the steering rather than resistance from the tyres

 

[Bat21]

Similar size to mine and I can pretty much lock-to-lock stationary, albeit with a little bit of effort. What pressures are you running?

40psi I think Dave.... got me thinking now, it's been a 'while' since I last checked them

Have you tried it with the front wheels jacked in the air. I ask this because I had a seized ball joint on the pitman arm and didn't know it. I imagine that with the wheels up, any stiffness would show immediately, then you should start checking for seized joints.

Thanks Dave yes I did read about your seized ball joints, lucky escape there

I haven't tried it with the wheels off the ground.... but surely as it moves freely once the car has ANY forward motion it can't be a seized ball joint can it?

I rebuilt the pump while I had the engine out 3 years ago (blimey doesn't seem that long ago ) and all looked fine in there.

I might get her up on axle stands tomorrow and have a poke about.

 

[frank rabbets]

You can check for ball joint binding by grabbing the tube and rotating it on its axis rather than turning the steering and guessing. The tube/s should rotate freely. Any binding at all of the ball joint/s and you would not be able to rotate the tubes by hand.

Low front tyre pressures increases the amount of effort dramatically when stationery.

 

[clivehorridge]

I haven't tried it with the wheels off the ground.... but surely as it moves freely once the car has ANY forward motion it can't be a seized ball joint can it?

Oh yes it can, that's my point. I was blissfully unaware of any problem with the steering until it went with a bang. Imagine how seized a joint has to be to shear off the taper! It drove just fine albeit a bit on the heavy side... Not surprising really. Anyway it's worth a check. BTW, on the 305s I can lock to lock it stationary with two fingers...

 

[Bat21]

Mine are 315 Paul and I can sit and spin all day mate. No binding at all. Drive the front wheels onto a couple of glossy magazines and try it then. If it's still tight then its actually in the steering rather than resistance from the tyres

Missed your post earlier Chris, I was just sitting here and thought of that too.... mine involved sheets of steel or ally though

You can check for ball joint binding by grabbing the tube and rotating it on its axis rather than turning the steering and guessing. The tube/s should rotate freely. Any binding at all of the ball joint/s and you would not be able to rotate the tubes by hand.

Sounds like a good plan/test.... but this wouldn't test the first ball joint would it? or have I got that wrong?

Oh yes it can, that's my point. I was blissfully unaware of any problem with the steering until it went with a bang.....

Axle stands will be out tomorrow and I'll report back.

 

[Bat21]

40psi I think Dave.... got me thinking now, it's been a 'while' since I last checked them

Just been outside and checked.

32psi in both fronts which, thinking about it, is where I normally run them.

 

[clivehorridge]

Frank's comment is good! If you try to rotate the rods they should rotate about 60 degrees or so, which would prove the ball joints aren't seized. If they are tight then you've narrowed it down to one of two!

This sounds a bit scare mongering but I had such a shock TBH. It must be a very rare event, but it happened sure enough. It's quick to eliminate then you can move on.

http://www.landcruiserclub.net/forums/showthread.php/45474-Steering-(fail)

http://www.landcruiserclub.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=3157&d=1339572479

 

[Dave_S]

I'm only running 35 psi, so think that rules out tyre pressure.

 

[clivehorridge]

Just been outside and checked.

32psi in both fronts which, thinking about it, is where I normally run them.

I don't think tyre pressures would be the cause. I've run at 30lb and up to 40lb. It runs a bit lighter with 40 and probably uses less fuel, but as for heavy weight on the steering, I don't think so.

 

[Bat21]

You can check for ball joint binding by grabbing the tube and rotating it on its axis rather than turning the steering and guessing. The tube/s should rotate freely.....

Sounds like a good plan/test.... but this wouldn't test the first ball joint would it? or have I got that wrong?

Ooops I was being dumb there Frank. Both tubes/rods rotate fine

....Drive the front wheels onto a couple of glossy magazines and try it then. If it's still tight then its actually in the steering rather than resistance from the tyres

Placed two pieces of shiny ply under the wheels..... and she turns freely

Maybe the tyres, Hankook Dyna Pro MT03, grip like the proverbial whatsit they were actually rotating the ply wood on the tarmac and the shiny side was on top

 

[clivehorridge]

Well that's good news, sorry for the scare-factor, but better safe than sorry!

 

[Bat21]

No need to apologise Clive, it's always worth mentioning what happened to your truck as that is something everyone should be aware of....

 

[frank rabbets]

Every garage used to have shiny/greased metal discs which you placed under the front wheels. That way you could adjust the tracking without having to role the car back and forth, readjust and recheck.