I currently own three Land Rovers but only have the 1996 Disco on the road at the moment.
Myself and three mates travelled down to Duxford the other day for the Flying Legends show.
After exiting the M11 I noticed the steering wheel was sitting around 30 degrees to the right. I was fairly sure it had been sitting straight ahead before. But you know how sometimes you suddenly 'notice' something that's been that way for a while...
Well driving the half a mile or so to the airfield entrance I decided the steering felt a bit odd.
We then turned left into the field, and then left again and drove 100m or so along the field then 90 right up towards the kiosks and then stopped. I opened the window and rocked the steering while looking at the front wheel. I could hear a loud clicking sound. We all baled out and I crawled under the car for a look.
What I saw was HORRIFYING!!!
The driver's side track rod was in the tube by about TWO THREADS!
The clamp was still fully tight and from the outside everything looked all fine and dandy, all except for the fact we were no more than two threads away from total loss of steering!!!
The track rod ends are two years old, fitted for the last but one MOT test.
We managed to borrow a couple of spanners from a plumber who was parked up a few yards away and loosened the clamp and pushed the track rod end back into the tube and then retightened the clamp.
I had some thick lawn mower pull chord in the back so I lashed between the track rod and the clamp from both sides and then around the tube to make it a bit more secure.
During the last MOT in November, my MOT man called me under the car to point out that he could hear a feint clicking sound when he checked for play in the track rod ends. They were both free of play but the tube itself clicked.
Not knowing what the cause was, and despite there being no sign of rust on the tube itself, I decided I'd get a new one. I'd been thinking about upgrading anyway. So, for a few months now I've had a pair of heavy duty track rod tube and the other steering box to wheel tube sat awaiting to be fitted to the car.
Two of my mates in the car are both Landy nutters and we reckoned that if it was going to pull out it would be within the first few turns of the wheel, so after the show, we drove around a bit and then checked it. It hadn't moved so we drove home. We checked it several times on the way and each time there was no sign of any movement. I reckon I spent more time staring at the steering wheel than I did out of the window!
I've since fitted the new tubes and it was SO nice to drive with unclenched buttocks again!
For those of you who own a Disco or Series Landy, and any other that uses the same track rod tube and drag link? set up as this, CHECK THE CONDITION OF YOUR TUBES!
Remove the track rod ends and look inside for any signs of rust.
It can look fine from the outside, but can clearly NOT BE on the inside!!!!!
Needless to say, when the other tow go back on the road they'll be doing so with new steering parts.....
Myself and three mates travelled down to Duxford the other day for the Flying Legends show.
After exiting the M11 I noticed the steering wheel was sitting around 30 degrees to the right. I was fairly sure it had been sitting straight ahead before. But you know how sometimes you suddenly 'notice' something that's been that way for a while...
Well driving the half a mile or so to the airfield entrance I decided the steering felt a bit odd.
We then turned left into the field, and then left again and drove 100m or so along the field then 90 right up towards the kiosks and then stopped. I opened the window and rocked the steering while looking at the front wheel. I could hear a loud clicking sound. We all baled out and I crawled under the car for a look.
What I saw was HORRIFYING!!!
The driver's side track rod was in the tube by about TWO THREADS!
The clamp was still fully tight and from the outside everything looked all fine and dandy, all except for the fact we were no more than two threads away from total loss of steering!!!
The track rod ends are two years old, fitted for the last but one MOT test.
We managed to borrow a couple of spanners from a plumber who was parked up a few yards away and loosened the clamp and pushed the track rod end back into the tube and then retightened the clamp.
I had some thick lawn mower pull chord in the back so I lashed between the track rod and the clamp from both sides and then around the tube to make it a bit more secure.
During the last MOT in November, my MOT man called me under the car to point out that he could hear a feint clicking sound when he checked for play in the track rod ends. They were both free of play but the tube itself clicked.
Not knowing what the cause was, and despite there being no sign of rust on the tube itself, I decided I'd get a new one. I'd been thinking about upgrading anyway. So, for a few months now I've had a pair of heavy duty track rod tube and the other steering box to wheel tube sat awaiting to be fitted to the car.
Two of my mates in the car are both Landy nutters and we reckoned that if it was going to pull out it would be within the first few turns of the wheel, so after the show, we drove around a bit and then checked it. It hadn't moved so we drove home. We checked it several times on the way and each time there was no sign of any movement. I reckon I spent more time staring at the steering wheel than I did out of the window!
I've since fitted the new tubes and it was SO nice to drive with unclenched buttocks again!
For those of you who own a Disco or Series Landy, and any other that uses the same track rod tube and drag link? set up as this, CHECK THE CONDITION OF YOUR TUBES!
Remove the track rod ends and look inside for any signs of rust.
It can look fine from the outside, but can clearly NOT BE on the inside!!!!!
Needless to say, when the other tow go back on the road they'll be doing so with new steering parts.....
