The steering on my Series 3 was wandering, so I've changed all the ball joints, and the steering relay. Everything seems to be tight but I can still turn the steering wheel quarter of a turn before the wheels move. The play seems to be after the relay. Would worn swivel bushes cause this? The chrome chalices are badly pitted, and this is on my list of jobs to do, just not yet! Any other thoughts please? Thanks.
Series 3 sloppy steering
- Thread starter FirstLW
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steve2286w
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1/4 turn is really bad, mines about 2” at circumference of steering wheel and manageable.
I have just been doing a bit on mine changing the 2 ball joints on longitudinal arm,
There are 4 bolts holding steering box to bracket and also the big nut on the top drop arm, to see the play in this really need someone to move steering wheel while you watch for movement or set camera up
A little bit play here can make a lot at steering wheel.
I guess you have adjusted the steering box up ?
Check swivels yes , jack up wheels and rock top to bottom and side to side, as play can also be
hub bearings need nipping up a bit
I have just been doing a bit on mine changing the 2 ball joints on longitudinal arm,
There are 4 bolts holding steering box to bracket and also the big nut on the top drop arm, to see the play in this really need someone to move steering wheel while you watch for movement or set camera up
A little bit play here can make a lot at steering wheel.
I guess you have adjusted the steering box up ?
Check swivels yes , jack up wheels and rock top to bottom and side to side, as play can also be
hub bearings need nipping up a bit
rob1miles
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Mine is under 2" at the rim and its not rebuilt, but everything is adjusted right.. Jack it up, get someone to keep rocking the steering wheel and see where the lost motion is. Something may be loose, my steering box was moving, check the drop arm is tight on the relay, shim the steering box (you can do it in situe) and adjust it. 1/4 turn is pretty much un-drivable.
steve2286w
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interesting , if you take the cover off do things drop out ? Balls etc
rob1miles
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Yes, the end cover has shims behind it, you can take some out. LR helpfully seem to have put a mix of sizes in so you can try a few combinations. You'll need to stick the balls in with grease and do it up each time. There's a torque figure for the steering wheel in the manual. Basically you take shims out until there's just a little bit of resistance. Seal the bolt threads or oil leaks. Then do the adjuster on the side.
nathanglasgow
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Steering is quite a safety critical part. Do the job properly and remove steering box and rebuild. I've seen too many steering boxes wrecked by folks just putting a spanner on the adjuster and doing it up tight in an effort to remove play. The adjuster needs just a touch more than finger tight and no more. I'm on the fence with the Mot exemption for classics for this very reason. A quarter turn of slop just does not develop overnight and if it did then something is woefully broken.
Well, lots of helpful advice here. I hasten to add that I've not been driving it like this: it was this way when I bought it, - unseen, in Lockdown! The first time I've ever bought a vehicle unseen! When I went back and checked I realised I'd not changed the 2 ball joints on the longtitudinal rod, because they looked OK. However I decided to change these anyhow and correct the angles at the idler. While I had the arm off I checked the steering box securing bolts, which proved to be only finger tight, so I think that's a clue! Put it all back together and it feels much better, though I've not yet driven it. I may still have to take Nathan's advice about completely re-building the box, but I need to get the engine running properly first. I still seem to have some sideways play in the steeering column at the wheel. Is that just the top bearing which seems to be sprung from the back of the wheel into the column housing?
I'm with Nathan on historic MOT exemptions. It does seem barmy, how did it arise?
I'm with Nathan on historic MOT exemptions. It does seem barmy, how did it arise?
nathanglasgow
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If you're having to do the top bearing as well then for the sake of your sanity it's a remove and do on bench job.
Turboman
Mab An Gov
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Think you have kind of answered you own question already. As they are off the road most of the time, they aren't involved in many accidents!
Have you checked all the ball joints, and the steering relay and it's arms? You only need a few mm of play in all of them, and it adds to a lot of movement at the wheel. The arms often aren't tight enough at the clamps on the relay, even if the relay itself is good.
rob1miles
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Take your time adjusting the box, its worth doing the adjustment but its a delicate job. The manual says (if I recall) just to the adjuster finger tight, but that's not as easy as it sounds. There's stiffness on the thread so it pays to get the adjuster and the lock nut really clean then you can feel when the play is taken up. The usual wisdom with steering boxes is that they wear more in the centre and so adjusting the play at the centre leaves the box to tight at full lock, but I've spent a lot of care adjusting mine and found that the play does not vary over the range even though its clearly an old box.
Iirc the book says to adjust it until it just touches then a further tenth of a turn inwards before doing the nut up, in practic at work on the trucks I find doing it so the stud just makes contact then lock the nut up works well, to tight even by a knatts cock makes the steering very heavy at slow shunting speeds.
Turboman
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US gnat, or Imperial Gnat?
Bobsticle
De Villes Advocaat
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Reminds me of a girl I used to know from Bolton.
Got it at last I think. The steering relay was moving, rotating a few degrees around the longtitudinal axis of the truck. The bolts were tight, but obviousely not tight enough, and they are a b*** to get at. I would have thought the flanged plate around the bottom of the relay on the underside of the cross member should stop any rotation, but tightening the two top through bolts seems to have cured it. I fitted the flanged plate with the flange down, as per manual, but I wonder if it would be more effective flange up so it squeezes into the housing?
steve2286w
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Glad you sorted it, mostly relays always seem to be seized in position so surprised it was loose
LordOWar
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I noticed at the top it says you replaced the relay, did you fit a genuine one or aftermarket? If it was aftermarket then they are usually a little undersized and can cause the relay to move about in the housing. The usual way to fix it is to either get an aftermarket bottom plate that is quite a bit beefier than the thin pressed original or shim up the relay in its housing. Just a fancy way of saying wrap some thin steel around the bottom of the relay. If you look at the relay the bottom inch and a half is machined and should be a good tight fit in the hole, oh er missus! This is the bit that gets rusty and gets it stuck in place.
Sputnik01
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I had this issue when I got my series 3. I ended up doing as LordOWar says, shimming the bottom of the relay. A previous owner had welded the bottom plate in place in an effort to stop the relay moving.
One other thing I did find was that the old Dunlop Xtragrips I had fitted at the time were quite sensitive to being at the correct pressure. Even 2-3 psi too low would result in slightly more wandering about.
One other thing I did find was that the old Dunlop Xtragrips I had fitted at the time were quite sensitive to being at the correct pressure. Even 2-3 psi too low would result in slightly more wandering about.
BikerB
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I am looking through my parts book and the track rods are not listed properly in it, none of the numbers make sense and Craddocks list even more numbers.
I am assuming I need three LH and three RH but does anybody know if there is a difference between the six pot versions, fitted with a steering damper, or if there is any difference.
The V8 seems to have slightly different ones than standard and generally the six pot is fitted with V8 parts in a lot of places in the suspension and steering and brakes.
Anybody any idea? The parts book is of little help
I am assuming I need three LH and three RH but does anybody know if there is a difference between the six pot versions, fitted with a steering damper, or if there is any difference.
The V8 seems to have slightly different ones than standard and generally the six pot is fitted with V8 parts in a lot of places in the suspension and steering and brakes.
Anybody any idea? The parts book is of little help
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