steering wanders

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Davidmac

Member
Posts
96
Location
West Africa
Got an issue with my 1999 Disco Td5, its wandering. If I go above 60 it feels like I am driving a shopping trolley to be honest. Tyre pressures are good 35 on the front 38 on the back, I have mud and snows on just now, my road tyres are going back on at the weekend just to rule out any tyre problems . MOT picked up a bit of play on the steering (track rod end) so I changed both track rod ends and the steering damper while I was at it. There is no noticeable play on the steering linkage down to the box. The wheel bearings were both changed within the past couple of years and have done little mileage. The wife is afraid to drive it as it tried to kill her . Ideas anyone
 
Have you adjusted the steering box? You can adjust out some play this way, but if the box itself is worn internally the only option is to replace it. Its not that difficult, just awkward due to tight access and the fact that the box is chuffin heavy!

I did mine single handed on my old D2 a few years back so it is possible to do on your own on a driveway, but to be honest if you can get another pair of hands you'll really appreciate them.

But hopefully, either road tyres or box adjustment will cure it for you.
 
Thanks for the replies. I will do a search for box adjustment and reduce the front tyre pressures. As for selling her I can't as it's now the wife's full time driver and I have told her it's a speed issue and the best way to cure it is to keep driving it only faster ;-)
 
TBH my first suspect is always the ball joints - have you checked all of them incl the drag links? They don't last that long, esp if they're pattern parts.

To check the steering box, get the front end up on axle stands (easier than disconnecting the drop arm as some suggest) and grab the steering shaft end that goes to the steering box - rotate this while holding the drop arm and feel for any play. Adjust by slackening the locknut at the top of the box (19mm?) and tighten with allen key until you feel the play taken up. Rotate the steering lock to lock to ensure it doesn't bind at full lock, then tighten the adjuster lock nut making sure that you don't move the central adjuster :) Check there is no binding again before you remove the axle stands! Sods law says the adjuster will have moved when you lock it off and it'll bind towards full lock.

HTH
 
Articfox the Ball joints and wheel bearings were my first thought as well. They're all done. The box was my next thought, as it will be jacked up to change onto my road tyres at the weekend I will check, adjust and send the wife out for a high speed test drive ;-)
 
Did it suddenly get like this or get worse over time?
If suddenly, was something changed?
Is the vehicle lifted? If yes, by how much?
 
Its pretty much box standard. My son is in a band so it only gets used as a crew bus on the odd occasion so it doesn't get driven much and I was unaware there was an issue. I came home from Sierra Leone to a " that thing is a death trap and I wont be driving it " speech. On the day in question it had 6 band members plus amps and other band tat. Although it was full it wasn't overloaded.. I feel uneasy going round corners at any sort of speed as it feels like the front end is like a shopping trolley. I have checked the steering and it is all tight. I'm thinking of doing a full re-bush from front to back
 
Thanks for the advice Discool. The general opinion seems to be bushes. Panhard rod bushes and possibly the radius arm or it's equivalent. So it's going off the road for a full rebush. Going to go for original bushes all round not poly. A full set of shocks as I can't say when they were last changed, new springs on the front and another more professional look at any play in the steering box. I'm hoping to do it one step at a time though and see if I can pin point the problem. I am starting to think it's a series of worn out parts that's coming together here to cause this drift
 
An adjustment on the box went a long way to curing the wandering. I also had a lower ball joint needing replaced as well. The car still tracks a bit as I change lanes but I'm putting that down to tyres which will get changed in due course. Bit of closure on this one and thanks to all that contributed.
 
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