Vague Steering

Hi all,
Don't know if this has been discussed before, I can't find anything that's similar to my problem.

Steering is a bit vague, as in when initiating high speed turns when on the motorway, it's steering is very light and direct'ish. But sometimes it seems to have a bit of a dead spot before anything happens, mostly when in mid corners when at speed, around 80-100kmh.

I've gone through all the normal problem areas and now I've begun to change bits.
Changed all of the rear bushes, most were stuffed. (Had a case of rear wheel steering, fun but not good)
New panhard bushes, also stuffed.
New swivel bearings, pins and wheel bearings. (Changed on spec.)
Steering box is now nipped up to just off of stiff steering, took a while to get right. (No more noticeable play I can see or feel)
New steering damper, changed on spec.
New shocks all round, were stuffed. (Case of bad maintenance before my ownership)
New track rods (one was stuffed, changed rest on spec.)
Both prop shafts changed when gearboxes were replaced.

Rear wheel bearings seem to be fine, can't feel any play.
Not changed the radius arm bushes, yet.


I was wandering if other than doing the radius arms, if there was anything else that would contribute to this weird feeling?

Never had this problem with my other 110 I had before, but this 90 just seems a way bit more nervous on the road, fine in the rough.

Keith.

it helps if yu put this in the forum related to ya motor.

it IS a defender?

Drop arm ball joint. Get someone to move the wheel and see if the arm out of the box moves without the steering rod (with the damper fixed to it) moving - and you may see movement in the ball joint.

The Mad Hat Man said:

it helps if yu put this in the forum related to ya motor.

it IS a defender?

Click to expand...

Too true, im assumin it's the motor in yer pic! If not (and it's an alfa) the not a scooby mate! (although the car will have failed on everything else before the steering goes if it is!)

odenne said:

Too true, im assumin it's the motor in yer pic!

Click to expand...

Yep it be. Sorry, forgot to give specs.

'nother ooops, did the drop arm ball joint 'bout month ago and that was also stuffed.

The easy answer is its a landrover as odenne says its not for high speed cornering.

Have you made sure your drop arm is tight?

It's tight, it's damn tight, had to change the ball joint in suitu not easy.

Driving in a straight line is fine, simple lane changes is fine, going round rounder bouts is fine.
But taking bends in the road is weird (50-70mph ain't fast or high speed driving it's normal), it feels like it want to stay on the straight and narrow when you turn the wheel, so you have to give it more input and then have to back off when it does decide to turn. Not very funny when you have to play the see-saw game every time you take bends.


Any-one got a clue

alfaman said:

But taking bends in the road is weird (50-70mph ain't fast or high speed driving it's normal), it feels like it want to stay on the straight and narrow when you turn the wheel, so you have to give it more input and then have to back off when it does decide to turn. Any-one got a clue

Click to expand...

Check the castor angle before doing anything with the radius arm bushings.Plenty threads here on how to do it.
Does it have a lift kit fitted?

When you changed the ball joint in situ, did you manage to get the inner upper cup out OK (the one that stops the ball coming out the top of the hole)?

I tried to do an in situ replacement but the inner cup was so tight and worn that i ended up having to get a new arm! Any play would have been from a combo of warn ball but more from the worn inner cup, and if it was badly warn it's virtually impossible to get it out in situ coz the edges chamfer perfectly to the line of the upper drop arm hole so there is nothing to grip or push against!

When you replaced the swivel bearings what preload did you give them, cos when I did mine last year I shimmed them up to give maximum preload summat like six an a half pounds, but I'm not happy with the steering so I'm off to re-adjust em to a lower preload.

welcome to the days of driving a series. ha ha. ok i know this does not help, but then again when you have owned a series and gotten used to such things, i don't see it as a problem.

gramor said:

Does it have a lift kit fitted?

Click to expand...

Nope, bog stock.

achuakh said:

welcome to the days of driving a series.

Click to expand...

Yeh, well, if I wanted to drive a series I would have bought one. Drove one in the RAF; crap driving position, noisy, lousy steering, difficult gear changes, cold, etc.
No offence.

odenne said:

did you manage to get the inner upper cup out OK

Click to expand...

Yep, got all the crap out and replaced it with new stuff.

Got a fair selection of sockets and tubes and stuff to get most things removed. Drop arm wouldn't let go, no matter what I did and No I didn't use any heat on it. Box dribbles enough, don't want to compound it.

GRUNT said:

When you replaced the swivel bearings what preload did you give them, cos when I did mine last year I shimmed them up to give maximum preload summat like six an a half pounds, but I'm not happy with the steering so I'm off to re-adjust em to a lower preload.

Click to expand...

Tight, loose, before I replaced the swivels made no difference.
Tight, loose now I've replaced them no difference.

Hi,
had a bit of trouble with an old range rover,
turned out the front c/v joints inside the hubs had worn a grove out driving straight. steering would get stuck sometimes when turning. might be that.

Two thoughts:

• you say this occurs on a 90 and didn't experience the same thing on your 110. Handling of the 90 will be different because of its shorter wheelbase which will make it less stable in a straight line.
• the radius arm bushes haven't been changed. Try driving in a straight line at reasonable speed and accelerate/decelerate. If one side is worn more than the other then the torque will tend to swivel the axle causing a degree of steer.

Cheers,
Guy.