Juddering Steering

Hi
Can you guys suggest what is wrong with my steering.
A couple of times recently when I have hit a pot hole or a slightly sunken drain my steering wheel judders quite vioently in my hands, braking slightly stops the problem but its worrying me.
I cant see what the cause is, any ideas.
Its a intermittent problem and I have actually driven at holes hoping to make it happen, no luck.
Living in Bedfordshire its hard to avoid pot holes!!!
Many thanks.
James

check your shocks? What vehicle? How long after the pot hole does it happen for? I assume it only happens on potholes? but not everytime? Sure it is not the back end? Feel similar to going over washboard?

Hi thanks for the reply Pickup
Its a seriesIII
Its weird, I am an archaeologist (no thats not the weird bit!) I drive up and down ruted tracks all day long with no problem at all, as soon as I hit the road and glance a pot hole or drain the steering shakes badly, to correct it I have to apply the brakes slow down and then all seems well.
I cant see anything obvious wrong. If my wheels needed balancing would that cause such a violent reaction.
I really don't want to start replacing bits that don't need replacing I have just been ripped of by a local garage for stuff that I later found out didn't need doing
so any ideas would be great.
Thanks Again
James

Steering damper U/S or swivels need shimming to increase preload.

jack it up and grab yer wheels at the 3 and 6 o'clock positions. give them a good wiggle any play and you have a problem. could be wheel bearings or swivels. i suspect swivels in this case. of course it could be yer track rod ends

if it was yer wheel balance that would occur at a set speed and be more predicktable

Thanks Slob
Are these big jobs to replace,
and Jedi what is shimming to increase preload?

Thanks for the help Guys

nah piece of piff..behind yer wheel you have a big round thing. it has bits attached to it with four bolts, both top and bottom. yer top one has shims under it to set the swivel pre load. you need to adjust it so that with a spring balance you need to exert a force of around 6lbs to move it. if it too slack you'll get steering wobble and you need to remove a shim or two. if its too tight yer wear **** out and have heavier steering... get a workshop manual

A pain in the arse of a job that involves removing the wheels and trackrod/drag link in order to check the amount of 'pulling' force required to move the swivel assembly back and forth. Usually they are way too sloppy and require a shim or two removing to tighten them up. It's well worth the effort though. Some times if they are sloppy there is a minor leak at the bottom of the swivel seal, which stops after you've done it !

you think thats a pain in yer arse job??? what do you call easy??? renewing the wiper blade perhaps?

Thanks guys
Had a good laugh
Will take a look to see if I can sort the problem.
I have just been reading through some of the posts here.
I am amazed that any landy's are actually driving round with the amount of things that could and do go wrong with them

Thanks again

you've only been reading the gaylander bit

As much as I hate helping an arky Slobs right, its the shims on the preload. I had exactly the same on my S3 and taking a shim out stopped it.

If you'r local to S.E.Essex, bring it round and I'll sort it for you.

Do you record with P.A.S?

ya don't want to just whip a shim out you could make it too tight. you need to get hold of one of them there spring balance that fishermen use. or find someone ,like me, that has done it so many times i can get it spot on by hand..