L

landroverfanatic

New Member
This may well be something obvious but I have shaken everything I can think of underneath and nothing seems excessively loose.
The steering on my discovery is currently awful. The steering wheel is currently 20 degrees off and the discovery fights me at every turn. If I let go of the steering wheel the landy does hold straight but what could be worn to make the steering such a battle. It had a new pas pump two years ago, I know these are weak points.
 
landroverfanatic said:
This may well be something obvious but I have shaken everything I can think of underneath and nothing seems excessively loose.
The steering on my discovery is currently awful. The steering wheel is currently 20 degrees off and the discovery fights me at every turn. If I let go of the steering wheel the landy does hold straight but what could be worn to make the steering such a battle. It had a new pas pump two years ago, I know these are weak points.
Click to expand...

Mine had vague steering when I first got it, cured by adjusting the steering box (there is an adjuster on top of the box, look down into the RHS of the engine bay, below the intercooler/inlet pipe).

But mine was just that - vague. Yours sounds a bit more complex than that, but it's maybe worth a try.
 
Have you done the two person test,one waggling steering one checking all track/steering rods joints,swivals on axle,steering arm to box,box to chassis, steering colume ujs,wheel brgs,just shaking things on your own often not enough to reveal problem.
 
First post so i said id try and contribute.

Have a look at this episode of wheeler dealers. Ed finds a problem with this disco's steering system.



From about 3 mins onwards.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7y1d5DXNp8"]YouTube - Wheeler Dealers Land Rover Discovery TDi - Part 2.avi[/nomedia]



Dublindisco
 
did the vagueness start after other work, when did wheel get moved from centre? Have you done: tracking , checked for lift on top and bottom ball jnts, checked jnts on arm between bulkhead and box and axel bushes?
 
My TD5 steering was vague and it turned out to be uneven wear on the front tyres. I swapped the fronts to the rears and all sorted.

Yours sounds like there is more going on but tyres could be a contributing factor.
 
i have slight play on my steering in my disco 2 (not as much as yours) but when the car is turned off i can move the steering wheel about 2" in each direction with out any resistance...

is yours the same??
 
I had similar problem after letting the professional grease monkies fit a new steering box to my disco 2,,,
went to pick it up,, and it was worse than b4 the new box went in,,,
steering was all over the place,,
looked around underneath,, and discovered that the nut on the panhardt rod on one side was only half tightened,,, no;17 spanner and a few grunts,, problem solved,,, hope it is as simple for u!
Worth a look,,,dont always expect the worst,, even if it is a Land Rover!! :)
 
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Sam_td5 said:
i have slight play on my steering in my disco 2 (not as much as yours) but when the car is turned off i can move the steering wheel about 2" in each direction with out any resistance...

is yours the same??
Click to expand...

Sounds about right,,,there is always more play in the steering wheel with ignition switched off,,, dont know wot the limit is,,, but mine is about 1 1/2" free play.
 
landroverfanatic said:
Thanks for the advice. I have tried both with no success. Anyone else got any advice?
Click to expand...


Which tyres does yours have? I have just bought a '99 td5 with Goodyear Wranglers - the steering on this is more vague than that on others I tried with Grabbers or Pirelli Scorpions. This has been confirmed in other threads I have seen - Wranglers are not the best tyres in this respect.
 
I managed to go into the back of someone on Sunday and the insurance have written it off. I am considering buying it back off salvage as they will only give me 4100 for it I can fix the damage for 1000 using second hand parts. But I want to make sure all the other quirks can be fixed too as it will have to pass an mot to get back on the road.
Steeringwise, I have check all the nuts are correctly torqued and tried the adjuster on the steering box. I am now considering replacing the ball joints. I have tried hanging off everything underneath but so anything with excessive movement but the ball joints do all seem to have split gaiters and look quite rusty.
I can move the wheel a fair bit in either direction when switched off before the wheels move. It is currently on the repair shop forecourt so I can't go and see. I planning to fit polybushes throughout underneath anyway. I will see have it is then, might even get all the wheel alignment checked.
Tyres are currently Goodyear wranglers (100% road tread). These will probs pass another mot but only one. They didn't however lock up when braking from 60 before my collision. I want to replace the tyres with general grabber all terrains when I have the money as I am fed up of getting stuck on forest rides.
 
It looks like ball joints then,having one fooked is bad but more than one would give your symptoms,like I say its a two person check.
 
Im having this problem. Steering was spot on before MOT, failed its MOT on balljoint N/S So i replaced it with an aftermarket part. Got the steering wheel centered when the cars going straight but the toe is now off and there is now approx 30 degrees play in the steering before any resistance.

took someones wing mirror off coming off a speed bump the other day because of the play in the steering.

My wing mirror is cabbaged.
 
yeah ive got some play noticed it when engine off thought it was vague but when driving it seems a bit wandery especially if it finds a seam along the tarmac ,but at least i have managed to avoid other items on the road thus far .Did i read somewhere there is a uj in the steering columb which gets worn ??????
 
landroverfanatic said:
They didn't however lock up when braking from 60 before my collision.
Click to expand...

At least the ABS system, fitted as standard to all D2s, is working then!

Tyre pressures well out, brake pads dragging? I know you're looking at all the joints in the steering system, but just checking for the small stuff!

Hmm. polybushes... the jury is out on this one. IMHO once they wear, and they will,then they will REALLY wear and be worse than normal rubber ones..
 
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steering boxes do have play either side of center point , before anything you should center box (pin up drop arm rear into box )then reset steering wheel then drive car and note steering wheel offset and use drag link adjuster to put steering wheel straight again,
 
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