Series 3 steering problem

Hi,

I have a 1983 series 3 the problem I have is that the passenger front wheel sits slightly on an angle (i think its positive camber). If i drive on full lock the steering wheel kinda jerks left and right and you can see the wheel skiding trying to straighten up where as the other wheel is normal, does the same in 2 & 4 wheel drive. There is no movement in the wheel when jacked up.

Thanks

Bryguitar said:

Hi,

I have a 1983 series 3 the problem I have is that the passenger front wheel sits slightly on an angle (i think its positive camber). If i drive on full lock the steering wheel kinda jerks left and right and you can see the wheel skiding trying to straighten up where as the other wheel is normal, does the same in 2 & 4 wheel drive. There is no movement in the wheel when jacked up.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Put it in 2wd jack up the front left wheel and give it a spin. Does it spin smoothly or is there a rumbling from the bearings? Grab the tyre top and bottom and pull the bottom of the tyre outwards and the top inwards, do the reverse and keep jiggling it around very hard like this with someone else watching the gap between the brake back plate and brake drum. If this gap opens and closes then probably the wheelbearing is out of adjustment or collapsed. If this gap does not open and close then check for movement between the chrome swivel housing and the hub carrier. If there is movement here then there is a problem with the swivel pins. If there is no movement then try levering under the wheel with a crow bar. Sometimes when the top swivel pin bearing has worn out, unsrupulous or incompetent mechanics will just take some shims out to heavily preload the swivel pin bearings which will mask the problem. I think this is what might be the case with yours.

You may have some other problems with the front axle, the skidding of the wheel when turning in a tight circle could be caused by a problem with the universal joint in the halfshaft. With the passenger front wheel jacked up and the transfer box in 2WD turn the steering full lock both ways and check than the wheel will rotate freely. If it won't rotate at all then perhaps the gearbox is stuck in 4WD which would cause skidding when turning in a tight circle because the (non factory v8) series gearboxes have no centre differential.

Thanks for the help, I'll try beak it down this week see if I can see anything.