Can't get full right lock

Hi,
I have a 110 that has been fitted (before I got it) with a 300tdi and power steering etc.
I was trying to adjust the steering lock stops yesterday and noticed that I can't get to full right lock. Left is fine and the bolt on the right hub hits and works as expected (got about 20mm between tyre and radius arm) but the bolt on the left hub doesn't and there is noticable less lock and teh tyre to radius arm gap is about 60 or 70mm.
I have got the centralising hole/notch on the steering box but when they are aligned the wheels are slightly turned right. The drag rod appears to be as short as it will go (about 914ish mm).
To my mind extending the drag link would mean that the wheels would be straight when the hole/notch are aligned but would give even less right lock?
I don't know what type of steering box I've got, or what it came from? But I have attached some photos.
Are there different drop arms that are offset differently?

What else should I do to check WTF is going on?
I was going to disconnect to drag rod to see if the hole/notch does actually match up with the centre of travel.
I bought a ball joint splitter (scissor type) but it wouldn't open wide enough to get over the end of the threads anyone recommend one?

Cheers
Grebby

hi you could try disconnecting drag link turn sterink full lock to full lock count number of tirns half it where is dop arm position now sorry I did not read all of your post ihave 1985 90 just checked drop arm is not off set don't know about 110 though

Thats the plan with the drag link. I'll try it when I get some spare time.
By offset, I meant when it is centralised (according to the hole and notch) what angle it is pointing and if there are different ones with different angles?

Also if the notch can be in different angular position with respect to the splines?
This would make more sense to my situation as my drag link is currently as short as it will go. With the notch/hole aligned (i.e. supposedly centralised) my wheels are slightly turned right. Lengthening the drag rod would straighten up the wheels. If the internal splines were in a different rotational position then this may then actually correspond with the actual steering box being centralised.

Has it been lifted by any chance?

I managed to get the drag link off and without it connected lock to lock is about 3 and 3/4 turns maybe abit more.

I then tried the centralising procedure from the manual.
Full LH lock.
2 turns right.
I then checked if the hole and notch lined up. Not even near. the scredriver that I used earlier went up through the notch and up the side of the lug with the hole in it to the RHS. This means theat the front of the drop arm is further to the LHS.
I then tried Full RH lock and back 2 turns to see if that aligned. No - similar to before but not quite so far out.

Having had a bit of a search about it seems that the master splines on the steering box shaft and drop arm only allow 4 positions 90 degrees out from each other and its not that far out.

To my mind this means that there is something wierd going on with the steering box internals or the splines does that sound right?

It's all back together now as it's my daily drive. Where do you think I should go from here?

Marmaduke - it's not lifted but is on HD springs as far as I know. I would have thought that a lift would mean that the drag link would need to be adjusted longer otherwise it would turn more right?

Cheers
Grebby

I assume that the steering box is a 4 bolt?
It is the number of bolts on the cap, yes?

Grebby said:

Hi,
I have a 110 that has been fitted (before I got it) with a 300tdi and power steering etc.
I was trying to adjust the steering lock stops yesterday and noticed that I can't get to full right lock. Left is fine and the bolt on the right hub hits and works as expected (got about 20mm between tyre and radius arm) but the bolt on the left hub doesn't and there is noticable less lock and teh tyre to radius arm gap is about 60 or 70mm.
I have got the centralising hole/notch on the steering box but when they are aligned the wheels are slightly turned right. The drag rod appears to be as short as it will go (about 914ish mm).
To my mind extending the drag link would mean that the wheels would be straight when the hole/notch are aligned but would give even less right lock?
I don't know what type of steering box I've got, or what it came from? But I have attached some photos.
Are there different drop arms that are offset differently?

What else should I do to check WTF is going on?
I was going to disconnect to drag rod to see if the hole/notch does actually match up with the centre of travel.
I bought a ball joint splitter (scissor type) but it wouldn't open wide enough to get over the end of the threads anyone recommend one?

Cheers
Grebby

Click to expand...

drag link length should be set when box is central road wheels straight
its possible you have a lhd drop arm

Thanks James,
Does a LHD drop arm have the splines rotated in comparrison to a RHD one?
Do you know which way or where I could find out?

Cheers
Grebby

Grebby said:

Thanks James,
Does a LHD drop arm have the splines rotated in comparrison to a RHD one?
Do you know which way or where I could find out?

Cheers
Grebby

Click to expand...

master spline is bout 20 degrees different but i cant remember which way ,might make it worse ,to find out you need another truck and center its steering box and do the same with yours then compare drop arm angles

jamesmartin said:

drag link length should be set when box is central road wheels straight
its possible you have a lhd drop arm

Click to expand...

further to the above - have you centred the steering box and put a pin in to lock it centrally? then aligned the steering wheel and steering geometry to it?

hi not yery likely is front axel mounted squar to chasis is it posibel you have left hand drive steering sector shaft in a right hand steering box have striped plenty of right hand boxes but never left very likely not possabel have you any friends with sanm type of vehicle you could do some comparisons do both both swivel pin arms look not bent not very lilkly I know silley suggestion is steering damper to short

Thanlk you James, 20 degrees is the sort of difference I think I'm seeing.

MHM - I did the centralisation as per manual (full left lock, back 2 turns) but the hole/notch were not then aligned. If I turn so that the hole/notch are aligned then wheels are currently slightly turned right. If I corrected this with drag link then I would lose even more right hand lock.

Nothing looks bent to me, but I'm all new to this. I do know that previous owners took it to Morcco so maybe it was replaced there?
I'll see if I can get a mate with a landy to come round and compare.

Can someone confirm that the steering box I have is a 4 bolt?

Yes, 4 bolt.

Flossie said:

Yes, 4 bolt.

Click to expand...

Thank you

I now have full lock in both directions

Given that it's my daily drive I needed to be able to sort things over a weekend and being new to this mechanicing stuff I needed to do a simple fix.
I spoke to Gwyn Lewis (what a nice bloke he is) about various bits he sent me pictures of the LHD and RHD drop arms showing the different orientation of the splines so I could work out what was going on. His opinion was that a LHD arm on a RHD box was unlikely and that the steering box shaft was probably twisted. The drag rod then adjusted to compensate as much as was possible.
So I decided to get a 2nd hand steering box and swap that in. Its a disco one so I've now changed the drag rod as well.
I'm going to try and get the drop arm off the old one to see what I've got etc and maybe have some bits to pass on.

Given my Landy is a complete bitsa so nothing is standard and it's my first time doing something big I feel quite good about it. I started about midday and finished about 9 but we had 2 massive downpours and I had lunch and dinner in that time as well. The downpours at least washed away most of the spilt oil There wasn't too much though, I did manage to catch most of it.

Things would have been a lot easier if I didn't have a hydraulic winch, 'cos the pump is right in the way for messing about with the steering shaft bits.

Anyway just a quick test drive tomorrow, retorque some bits and maybe a bit of bleeding and I hope I'm done (with this bit anyway)

Thanks for all you help

Grebby

Last night I eventually got round to having a look at the steering box that I removed. I got to play with a nice new hydraulic puller and ping off came the drop arm.
I the took a look at the picture that Gwyn sent me and it turns out that I did have a LHD drop arm on a RHD box. I asked Gwyn if he minded if I posted his pic online as I figured it might be usefull for others, he said that's fine and also sent a couple of others that might be of use. God know why/when/where it was fitted but there we go
So on with the piccies
My old drop arm. Photos taken from the top.


Pics Gwyn send to help with identification and alignment.


So I've not got a knackered steering box, I have a fully working spare . Plus the old HD drag rod that was on there.
I also have a good condition LHD drop arm that's of no use to me what so ever. But more importantly I got more tools for the man cave

If anyone in the Sutton Coldfield area needs to remove their drop arm I have a 10 tonne hydraulic puller that I can use to help

My god, having a decent lock in both directions makes car parks and small roundabouts much easier to negotiate.

Cheers
Grebby

Great read and good to hear of success! It's amazing what previous owners can do...... Cheers, A