Twitchy Steering....

Hi
I’m consulting the collective oracles, as the steering in my 1990 ‘90 appears to have become a little more ‘twitchy’ lately. It’s nothing alarming, but just feels like it responds to smaller inputs and then I need to correct, and before you know it it all feels a little wobbly!
Any thoughts, what are the obvious bits I should have a look at (given I’m a novice with the oily bits)?
Ta

MontyChops said:

Hi
I’m consulting the collective oracles, as the steering in my 1990 ‘90 appears to have become a little more ‘twitchy’ lately. It’s nothing alarming, but just feels like it responds to smaller inputs and then I need to correct, and before you know it it all feels a little wobbly!
Any thoughts, what are the obvious bits I should have a look at (given I’m a novice with the oily bits)?
Ta

Click to expand...

Check the ball joints by lying on the floor, and getting someone to turn the steering while you hold the joints in your fingers.
If they are all tight, jack up and check the swivels and wheel bearings.
If all that seems OK, examine steering box for leakage and excessive play, adjust as per manual if needed.

If there is no problem at all in the steering itself, you probably need to start looking at suspension bushes.

Worn bushes on any of the steering or suspension components, worn track rod ends? What have you checked?

Thanks, some good starting points. Haven’t started to check anything yet as as I wasn’t sure what the likely culprits would be.

I’ll see where I get to.
Ta

Drop arm ball joint caused the worst of this on mine - but as said could be any of the many swivels on the linkages. Not expensive (tho drop arm benefits from hiring a mega custom puller ime....!). Good luck - and check it out soon, mine was scarily worn by the time I looked at it

All of the above but to add, steering box adjustment (unlikely but check anyway) and stiff or worn steering column ujs, both of them.