Steering wheel gone off centre

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Anaconda

Well-Known Member
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Thames Valley
Apparently the steering wheel has gone off centre during the course of the day. This was on road driving only so he hasn't hit anything and still drives fine.
Any usual suspects or shall I just start at one end and work round the complete steering?
1989 Ninety.
 
Anaconda said:
Apparently the steering wheel has gone off centre during the course of the day. This was on road driving only so he hasn't hit anything and still drives fine.
Any usual suspects or shall I just start at one end and work round the complete steering?
1989 Ninety.
Click to expand...
Could be anything. Bent steering/track bar would be a place to start. Also check the hub flange bolts are done up. Have seen them come loose before.

Steering arm track rod ends/adjusters could also be loose. And maybe check the pan hard rod. If a bush has failed the axle may have moved. Change in ride height could do this too if you have a broken spring.
 
After trying to get blood out of a stone the info I have been given is as follows:
Let go of the wheel and it pulls to the left, you need to hold wheel slightly right to go straight.
Previously you could let go of the wheel, on a motorway, and it would drive straight and wheel was centre.
Will check it all out when I have time, thanks for suggestions.
 
Anaconda said:
After trying to get blood out of a stone the info I have been given is as follows:
Let go of the wheel and it pulls to the left, you need to hold wheel slightly right to go straight.
Previously you could let go of the wheel, on a motorway, and it would drive straight and wheel was centre.
Will check it all out when I have time, thanks for suggestions.
Click to expand...
By straight I assume you mean the steering wheel is straight. As these have a steering arm on the box the steering is centred on the box not at the wheel and then the wheel is centred to the box by removing it and refitting it straight. If you centre the steering arm (there is a slot a pin goes into) is the wheel straight? If it is not and it was before then I would suggest the steering Column has slipped in either the wheel (less likely), or one of the uj's. I had this happen to me about a month ago, one of the UJ clamp bolts had worked its way loose and the joint slipped a couple of notches on the shaft.

Everything else that has been suggested is also worth looking at along with if the vehicle will drive straight when you let go of the wheel even if the wheel is not straight. If the vehicle continues to turn it is more likely to be bent rods, but if it happily drives straight (just not with the wheel straight) I come back to the column having slipped.
 
Anaconda said:
This was on road driving only so he hasn't hit anything and still drives fine.
<snip>
Click to expand...

If it still 'drives fine' in the original post ..

Anaconda said:
Let go of the wheel and it pulls to the left, you need to hold wheel slightly right to go straight.
Previously you could let go of the wheel, on a motorway, and it would drive straight and wheel was centre.
<snip>
Click to expand...

Followed by 'it pulls to the left' ... there is a bit of missinformation going on i'd say.

Sounds like the rear steering/ie rod has been bent or track rod ends have has come loose.
 
dag019 said:
By straight I assume you mean the steering wheel is straight. As these have a steering arm on the box the steering is centred on the box not at the wheel and then the wheel is centred to the box by removing it and refitting it straight. If you centre the steering arm (there is a slot a pin goes into) is the wheel straight? If it is not and it was before then I would suggest the steering Column has slipped in either the wheel (less likely), or one of the uj's. I had this happen to me about a month ago, one of the UJ clamp bolts had worked its way loose and the joint slipped a couple of notches on the shaft.

Everything else that has been suggested is also worth looking at along with if the vehicle will drive straight when you let go of the wheel even if the wheel is not straight. If the vehicle continues to turn it is more likely to be bent rods, but if it happily drives straight (just not with the wheel straight) I come back to the column having slipped.
Click to expand...
Thats an interesting idea about the ujs, these were change many years ago.
I know about the notch in the arm and box as I have had the box out a couple of times over the years.
I really should encourage him to do a bit more of his own maintenance 🤔
 
Anaconda said:
Thats an interesting idea about the ujs, these were change many years ago.
Click to expand...

It is not one I would have ever considered until it happened to me. If the ujs are old it is less likely to be the case, mine was a new uj that took about 12months to work loose. Bolt removed entirely and all the Loctite applied before tightening back up was the solution but we will see in about 10 months time if the same thing happens again.

Hicap phill said:
I always thought rules were… you bend it, you mend it?
Click to expand...
they were always my rules and if it was admitted that it was beyond their capabilities they were made to be the apprentice and learn for next time along with allowing access for a proper diagnosis rather than just a guessing game based on parts of misinformation!
 
Had a look and can't find anything untoward with the steering or associated parts.
Very slight movement where the hockey stick attaches to the axle on passenger side, needs a bit of effort with a lever bar to get any movement.
Will have to drive it sometime and see what happens.
 
Anaconda said:
Had a look and can't find anything untoward with the steering or associated parts.
Very slight movement where the hockey stick attaches to the axle on passenger side, needs a bit of effort with a lever bar to get any movement.
Will have to drive it sometime and see what happens.
Click to expand...

He could have been on a bad cambered road and got spooked ...
 
Dippypud said:
He could have been on a bad cambered road and got spooked ...
Click to expand...
Although true surely if it is his vehicle he should be used to a defender and how it handles and reacts to different road surfaces. I hadn’t even considered driver error or expecting it to handle like a modern hatchback.
 
dag019 said:
Although true surely if it is his vehicle he should be used to a defender and how it handles and reacts to different road surfaces. I hadn’t even considered driver error or expecting it to handle like a modern hatchback.
Click to expand...
Land Rovers are all he has had so is used to them and to be fair he is very good at noticing a difference in his vehicles. All the same a test drive is next on the list.
 
Check your tyre pressure, if you have low psi one side it can pull to that side, although I'm sure you would of noticed that tbf.
 
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