• Welcome to the Land Rover UK Forums

    You are currently viewing the site as a guest and some content may not be available to you.

    Registration is quick and easy and will give you full access to the site and allow you to ask questions or make comments and join in on the conversation. If you would like to register then please Register Now

Weird steering

Neil

Neil

Posting Guru
Site Donor
Having spent hours with the green manual my steering is what I can only describe as weird.
All TREs are new, steering box and relay stripped and overhauled, tyres are all new and at correct pressures.
Symptoms: turn steering wheel and the vehicle doesn't respond immediately, takes about 10 yards to react then turns far more than intended and needs correcting the other way which leads to the same thing happening again, won't hold a straight line at all, even taking hands off the wheel it wanders all over the place and I don't mean by inches, it wanders all over the road, literally the full width of the road and OK its not a very wide road but this is ridiculous
I have driven thousands of miles on series and whilst typically the steering may be a bit vague, this is plain wrong and honestly, downright scary.
Any thoughts on where to start looking?
 
If it's not a tracking issue (easy to check, get a tape measure and make sure the back of the wheels are a little wider apart than the front, or at the very least, the same) then something sounds too stiff, yeah.
I may be repeating myself here, but you'll have to go down the steering link by link to isolate what the cause is.
Start by taking the track rod off the un-steered wheel. If that turns ok by hand, then move on to removing the lower relay rod. Try the other wheel by hand. Reconnect the track rod, try either wheel.
With the relay still isolated from the wheels, turn the steering wheel. It should be easy and have a trained monkey watch the linkages and bulkhead/mounting points for you. Any binding, any movement out the ordinary, needs a look in.
If turning the box/relay is a problem, isolate the relay and see what changes.

This was the exact behavior mine did when I first got my vehicle and my relay was solid and the box mounts had all loosened/ovaled as a result.
 
As said, best to work through systematically.
If I was a betting man I would think the issue is within the steering box or relay.
Take care in the meantime, make sure steering box itself is actually secure and relay not moving in the chassis.
Whilst not quite as wild as you describe, over shimmed tight swivels had me swinging on the wheel like an episode of Dukes of Hazzard!
 
With the front wheels off the ground I can turn the steering wheel from lock to pick with one finger.
The steering relay is within the spec detailed in the manual for resistance to turning as are the swivels.
 
Neil said:
With the front wheels off the ground I can turn the steering wheel from lock to pick with one finger.
The steering relay is within the spec detailed in the manual for resistance to turning as are the swivels.
Click to expand...
Although you’ve overhauled the steering, I would cast an eye on other things - axel u-bolts / integrity of springs / shocks.
 
Neil said:
With the front wheels off the ground I can turn the steering wheel from lock to pick with one finger.
The steering relay is within the spec detailed in the manual for resistance to turning as are the swivels.
Click to expand...
When you have the front axle up is a good time to grab hold of each wheel and man-handle it around in all directions, looking/feeling for play. If something isn't tight then maybe something is loose?
 
Right. Having spent about 4 hours and starting from scratch, green book in one hand and various tools in the other, all steering arms, rods and links removed. It is a lot better, still a bit vague and still wanders a bit but at least it is predictable in how it responds.
It is booked for tracking and MoT on Thursday and at least it feels safe enough to drive it there.
Thanks to all for helpful suggestions and thoughts.
 
No obvious cause found but I went through it exactly as per the green book. Even unto tapping the TREs to the full extent of their movement.
 
Neil said:
Right. Having spent about 4 hours and starting from scratch, green book in one hand and various tools in the other, all steering arms, rods and links removed. It is a lot better, still a bit vague and still wanders a bit but at least it is predictable in how it responds.
It is booked for tracking and MoT on Thursday and at least it feels safe enough to drive it there.
Thanks to all for helpful suggestions and thoughts.
Click to expand...
Good to hear you have it steering better. Terms like "vague" and "wanders a bit" are often associated with tracking so I'd imagine you'll be in good shape once it's back from the shop.
 
Neil said:
Right. Having spent about 4 hours and starting from scratch, green book in one hand and various tools in the other, all steering arms, rods and links removed. It is a lot better, still a bit vague and still wanders a bit but at least it is predictable in how it responds.
It is booked for tracking and MoT on Thursday and at least it feels safe enough to drive it there.
Thanks to all for helpful suggestions and thoughts.
Click to expand...
When you take it for tracking .. make sure you take the green book with you .. so they can see what it should be set at ... because other wise they might set it to the only data they have .. which might not be for a series land rover ..
 
Seem to remember there are toe out for 4x4 and toe in setting for 2x4 , I set mine toe in 1mm to 1.5mm on a Gunsones tracking plate
 
madmechanic 954 said:
When you take it for tracking .. make sure you take the green book with you .. so they can see what it should be set at ... because other wise they might set it to the only data they have .. which might not be for a series land rover ..
Click to expand...

Yes, definitely a little bit (about 1.5mm I think) of toe-in. Most tracking places only have data for Defenders which require toe-out because of the full time 4WD. David
 
Back
Top Bottom