right, steering done!! ...almost.
Drag link, track rod, balljoints and steering damper replaced in 3 hours (timed from when I got up off the sofa to when I finished packing away). Very simple job... it took that long because of me trying to find various tools and doing it at a relaxing pace!
When i was done, using the measurements from the Haynes (and Rave, which was the same) everything was pretty much perfect except the steering wheel was way off centre. The wheels looked good though.
I then took it to the local 4 wheel geometry place to have it aligned properly, and I specified that when they had done the "steer left, steer right, then centred" test, I asked if "centred" could be in terms of the steering box, *NOT* the steering wheel or any other measurements.
So... he turned left, turned right, and then centred it slowly while I was under the ramp with an 8mm hex key... as soon as I could insert the hex key through the groove in the drop arm into the hole in the steering box, I said "STOP!". We then locked the steering wheel in that position and considered that "centred".
As it happens, when the steering box was centred with the hex key, the computer considered that the wheels had been put back to perfect centre as well, which was good.
The rest of the wheel alignment adjustments were made with the steering box centred and locked in that position.
Was that the right thing to do?
If it was the right thing to do, everything is now spot on, except that when the drop arm/steering box alignment groove looks like this (i.e. centred)......
......the steering wheel looks like this......
So... have I done this perfectly and the steering wheel just needs repositioning on the steering column? ......or not?
)
