steering problem.

I have noticed that when I steer round corners that initially the steering wheel feels ok and then it suddenly goes loose as i am turning (i.e. the wheel starts turning too quickly and easily.)

I read my trusty manual and decided to check wheels for movement. I found on drivers side that the wheel has play in it when i hold it in 3 and 9 o'clock position (and this is when the car is still on the ground!! - other side doesn't)

As I need to change front discs and pads as my next job anyway, I was thinking that I could change wheel hub bearings at the same time. but on refering to the manual, it could be balljoints on track rod or drag link. Not too worried here, as I can fix them after pulling hub etc off

Is there a possibility it could be to do with swivel balls? if so, do I need to fix these at same time as pulling hub off or can I do what I need afterwards?

How are your front tires wearing ? as it could be tracking but as you said you have play then get someone to rock the steering left and right amd check ALL your ball joints ( 4 of them ) for any play .
also check your steering UJs that run from your steering box to the column .

Jack it up and axle stand it --- give it a good shake and see if theres any play in the swivel bearings ( top and bottom ) then get a pry bar under the wheel and try and lift it up .

there should be NO play in the joints if there is get em done .
( I take no responcibility if it falls off a jack etc , its up to you to make it safe so it dont fall on you ) .

when my landy over steered that was a mixture of swivel bearings and tracking .


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front tyres seem fine. I've not noticed this happening for that long - seems to have suddenly gone a bit odd.

presume then that until i know for sure about swivels then there is no point pulling the rest of it apart.

This is exactly what I started to notice a few weeks ago and I temporarily fixed the problem, although it does seem to have reappeared. To reduce the slack / jiggle in your wheel, it could require one or both of the following adjustments:

- Wheel bearing tightening
- Swivel pin preload adjustment

The wheel bearing is as simple as this: Adjusting Wheel bearings from the early series to the 300TDi Discovery - LR4x4 - The Land Rover Forum.

The swivel pin preload adjustment is actually an easier job to do. You need to remove the two bolts shown under the brake pipe in this photo



and then REMOVE one or two of the thin metal shims that sit under neath the metal plate. Then tighten it back up and check again. If there is still some slack, remove another shim until it tightens up, but don't go too far, have at least a tiny amount of play, rather than it being too tight.

Also check the universal joints on the steering column. One of mine was slack on the column.

-Pos

thanks so far.

tomorrow I will jack it up to see if wheel bearings are the problem first. read somewhere that if it's the wheel bearings then the wheel will not rock in 3 and 9 o'clock positions if you have brake pedal depressed (need a friend for this one!). If it still does, then probably steering problem.

All right,this is my first carefully trodden footstep into the muddy world of Defenders,time to stomp.
I only read the first few lines but sounds likeyour drive shaft or more are knackered.I own/drive a Freelander,a much meLIEned vehicle,to cut a long story short have a look at these,oh just looked they only had the price of a cv joint for a Defender of £29.I ordered pair of front drive shafts for my '98 2Ldi , lunchtime sunday,over the phone and they arrived to the door ,cross channel,wednesday morning,all for the princkley sum of £121 including £12 shipping.
So you might not be tempted,
eBay.co.uk Shop – J R TRADING UK LTD: Search results for.

OldIrishWulf said:

All right,this is my first carefully trodden footstep into the muddy world of Defenders,time to stomp.
I only read the first few lines but sounds likeyour drive shaft or more are knackered.I own/drive a Freelander,a much meLIEned vehicle,to cut a long story short have a look at these,oh just looked they only had the price of a cv joint for a Defender of £29.I ordered pair of front drive shafts for my '98 2Ldi , lunchtime sunday,over the phone and they arrived to the door ,cross channel,wednesday morning,all for the princkley sum of £121 including £12 shipping.
So you might not be tempted,
eBay.co.uk Shop – J R TRADING UK LTD: Search results for.

Click to expand...

so what's this got to do with the OPs question ?

not sure i understand the above either. How could this be a driveshaft problem? last time i greased them (at beginning of november) they didn't seem to have any excess play in them.

hees a gaylander owner tryin to help defender owners (bless). different causes to the symptons between gaylanders an defenders.
check what sypher an pos have suggested an get back to us if it's not that

Sean said:

so what's this got to do with the OPs question ?

Click to expand...

Probably nowt. Ah reckon he should just stick wi' the freeklander section mesel'

'Ere Dringo. Ah'd be tempted tae look at the track rod ends, drag link ball joint and steerin' drop arm ball joint if none of the above work.

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f41/drag-link-ball-joint-renewal-82152.html

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f41/drop-arm-ball-joint-renewal-63811.html

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f41/collapsible-steering-shaft-removal-63795.html

There might be some other steerin' stuff in me guides as ah've done all the steerin' stuff on mine