TD5 Vague Steering

Have noticed that the steering on my 2001 td5 es has become a bit vague over the last few weeks. It seems that it is becoming more and more difficult to keep it in a straight line without constant correction. I'm also getting a bit of wheel wobble at about 40mph.
I have done the obvious and checked tyre pressures all round, checked for uneven tyre wear which is not apparent, and checked wheel nut tightness. I know the wheel wobble could indicate out of balance wheels but I have not had any tyre changes and I thought it would be more noticeable between 50-60mph which it isnt.
None of these were a problem but I'm now totally confused and concerned.
Any of you fella's perhaps "steer" me in the right direction of where to look now or what to look for.
Thanks,
Paul

my 2001 es gets the wobbles every so often, can go 3/4 days with nothing, then next day it comes back, checked the obvious,nothing a miss, had tracking done when alloys were fitted,but still comes and goes, not worrying now as its up for sale as im getting a mobility car,but it does tend to baffle you as to what the cause is

The plot thickens...I have noticed that the whole motor has a slight vibration that is as though the car is travelling across an uneven road surface. Any advise would be apreciated.

paulypaul said:

The plot thickens...I have noticed that the whole motor has a slight vibration that is as though the car is travelling across an uneven road surface. Any advise would be apreciated.

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Dual mass flywheel could be fooked, this will cause a vibration through vehicle or maybe your uj's are worn!!!

On a defender i would point at the steering box and tighten up the hex nut (loosten the 17(ithink)mm bolt on top of the box, tighten up the hex in the mioddle of it and then tighten up the bolt again - if it was lose it would cause slightly vague steering and also cause wobble and vibration at 35+ mph.

Also check the ball joint out of the bottom of the steerign arm for play, and the ball joints at either end of the steering bars (just inside the wheels)

It is probably a combination of slight wear of all these things!

Good luck
OD

Check your panhard rod bushes, this is what is causing this on my 300tdi. You can get both bushes and bolts in a kit from a certain auction site for about £7.

TheMunster said:

Check your panhard rod bushes, this is what is causing this on my 300tdi. You can get both bushes and bolts in a kit from a certain auction site for about £7.

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THANKS FOR THAT, i HAVE JUST HAD A BUTCHERS IN THE hAYNES MANUAL AND IT SAYS A HYDRAULIC PRESS IS REQUIRED TO REMOVE & REFIT THE BUSHES, IS THIS TRUE OR JUST OVERKILL??

Dunno about needing a press, I did some on my mates disco 1 with a hammer and a block of wood, but then again we did take the rod off the motor completely so the hammer could get a decent run up!

Most bushes can be cut out but getting complete ones (e.g. full circles) back in is a real pain.

You need a vice, large socket and a lump hammer and to keep control of the testosterone, wallopping them in with excessive grunt can damage them.

Certain brands of poly bush come in a kit of 2 halves and are easier. I've never done them on a Disco but would think that the procedures is the same. Other than that it's a good excuse to buy a new bit of kit for the workshop.