centering my steering wheel?

As in the title my steering wheel is a bit on the **** so im guessing its from when the last owner had the tracking done.

Is there an easy way to straighten it out without re-tracking?

How much free play should there be in the wheel its my first disco and have never driven one before so i have nothing to compare it to... seems a fair bit in mine

it a 3door 200tdi 1993.

cheers guys!

Lyndon said:

As in the title my steering wheel is a bit on the **** so im guessing its from when the last owner had the tracking done.

Is there an easy way to straighten it out without re-tracking?

How much free play should there be in the wheel its my first disco and have never driven one before so i have nothing to compare it to... seems a fair bit in mine

it a 3door 200tdi 1993.

cheers guys!

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As long as your tyres are wearing ok then your tracking should be ok

Unless you got an air bag in there You might find you can take the steering wheel off turn it a bit and put it back on straight.

The only real test of free play in the steering is to check all your steering components and suspension for excese play by looking/feeling whilst someone else turns the steering wheel.

Hope that helps

thanks!, i've only had it about three weeks so i cant really tell with the tyre wear yet but they seem ok. Its bog standard no toys of any kind, how are the wheels held on is it splines or a shaped recess in the wheel?

Lyndon said:

thanks!, i've only had it about three weeks so i cant really tell with the tyre wear yet but they seem ok. Its bog standard no toys of any kind, how are the wheels held on is it splines or a shaped recess in the wheel?

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Check tyre wear with a chalk test

The wheels are held on with wheel nuts

As I can't see you're steering wheel.........................

If it's like mine there maybe a Landrover badge in the middle this can be prised off carefully with flat bladed screwdriver underneath there is a 23mm nut (Think its 23mm anyway) and the steering wheel is on a splined shaft

awsome! thanks:tea:

U can recentre the steering wheel by adjusting the drag link.

The wheel is out by between 30 and 40 degrees to the left, is that to far for adjustment by the drag link?
If it's to much for the drag link is it just as simple as remove wheel..move to 12 o'clock and retighten? if so anything to watch out for? it can't be... nothing in my life is as easy as that....

Lyndon said:

The wheel is out by between 30 and 40 degrees to the left, is that to far for adjustment by the drag link?
If it's to much for the drag link is it just as simple as remove wheel..move to 12 o'clock and retighten? if so anything to watch out for? it can't be... nothing in my life is as easy as that....

Click to expand...

Wow thats a lot, yes it's far to much the book says adjust drag link only if less than 5 degrees otherwise remove the steering wheel and re-fit which is a bit more involved if you an air bag.
If the road wheels are straight ahead the the steering box drop arm should be parallel.
Is it a possibilty that the drag link has been disconnected from the drop arm and then the steering wheel was turned while the link was reconnected?

discool said:

Wow thats a lot, yes it's far to much the book says adjust drag link only if less than 5 degrees otherwise remove the steering wheel and re-fit which is a bit more involved if you an air bag.
If the road wheels are straight ahead the the steering box drop arm should be parallel.
Is it a possibilty that the drag link has been disconnected from the drop arm and then the steering wheel was turned while the link was reconnected?

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NOOOOOOOOOOO!

before yu do any of that - count no of turns clockwise from full anti-clockwise to full clockwise. and centre steering wheel in mid position.
check drop arm - see if it is vertical - it shud be.

there is some form of notch arrangement in the drop arm at the back, this needs to first be lined up with a notch at the back of the steering box.

then adjust the steering wheel splines so the wheel is straight. this can also be adjusted on the steering shaft splines in the engine bay.

then you can adjust the front drag link so that the car drives in a straight line when the wheel is straight.

this assumes that the tracking is correct first - if you are not sure then it needs setting first. i set mine to 0 degrees (0 toe) wich i believe works fine for landys. i use tape measure front and back on the wheels to get them parallel.

cheers, sam

discool said:

Wow thats a lot, yes it's far to much the book says adjust drag link only if less than 5 degrees otherwise remove the steering wheel and re-fit which is a bit more involved if you an air bag.
If the road wheels are straight ahead the the steering box drop arm should be parallel.
Is it a possibilty that the drag link has been disconnected from the drop arm and then the steering wheel was turned while the link was reconnected?

Click to expand...

no air bag sono problems there! I don't know about the drop arm good point, i will have a look tomorrow when its light, i have only had it three weeks and im going through the massive list of things to fix

Lyndon said:

The wheel is out by between 30 and 40 degrees to the left, is that to far for adjustment by the drag link?
If it's to much for the drag link is it just as simple as remove wheel..move to 12 o'clock and retighten? if so anything to watch out for? it can't be... nothing in my life is as easy as that....

Click to expand...

I'll say this only once


It could be that simple cos the previous owner may have taken to removing the steering wheel like I do when the vehicles parked up for a while.

Just ...as others have said check your wheel alignment or quick n simple like MHM says count turns to the left then the right.

N.B. to do this it's best to put front of the vehicle up on axle stands

Thanks all! busy evening after work tomorrow for me!

Lyndon said:

no air bag sono problems there! I don't know about the drop arm good point, i will have a look tomorrow when its light, i have only had it three weeks and im going through the massive list of things to fix

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Thats what happened to me, I replaced the outer drag link ball joint but failed to lock the steering wheel and refitted the drag link at the hub with the wheel well askew. I just broke the joint again straightend the wheel and refitted the joint, sorted.

30 to 40 degrees out sounds like a bent drag link! Check that first. As it's that far out, I'd check the Rave procedure for making sure the steering box is straight ahead first, then steering wheel, and then drag link for final adjustment.

Airbags need battery disconnecetd for at least 10 minutes - make sure you have radio/alarm codes handy!
Cheers!

Nobody seems to have mentioned the airbag when removing the steering wheel? Though you can get away without the rigmarole of disarming it you do have to take care with it and I rested mine on a cushion whilst I was working on it to make sure it didn't drop and disconnect the wires...they aren't very long.

Manicinfrance said:

Nobody seems to have mentioned the airbag when removing the steering wheel? Though you can get away without the rigmarole of disarming it you do have to take care with it and I rested mine on a cushion whilst I was working on it to make sure it didn't drop and disconnect the wires...they aren't very long.

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WTF planet are you on

Manicinfrance said:

Nobody seems to have mentioned the airbag when removing the steering wheel? Though you can get away without the rigmarole of disarming it you do have to take care with it and I rested mine on a cushion whilst I was working on it to make sure it didn't drop and disconnect the wires...they aren't very long.

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what do you do for fun?

mine hunting??

dont listen to him, if you had one and i know you dont ( i read threads) then it must be disarmed before you do anything.
:doh::doh::doh:

DiscoPol said:

what do you do for fun?

mine hunting??

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:hysterically_laughi :hysterically_laughi

Remove airbag, unplug, put on seat, carry on working.

Never faffed about with disconnecting the battery, it soon becomes tiresome.

Airbag requires voltage to blow - when the car is off there is never gonna be voltage cos the system ain't armed, and disconnecting it with the battery connected won't provide voltage either. Nor will plugging it back in.

Do as you wish, obviously, but I've never known anyone in the trade to worry about airbags like the forums say you should.

Cheers