Thread: 92 Classic Steering box

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

Wouldn't there be lots of slop in the steeing if the column had flogged out universal joints? This one has absolutely no slop in the steering at all

They don't flog out, they seize up.
As Phillip said, soaking them in oil can give them a new lease of life.


**Just checking on the part itself & they seem to be rather cheap these days. I seem to recall they were rather expensive a few years ago which is why I resuscitated mine instead of replacing it.

Well that's just bizarre.... It definitely isn't in the column from what I can see. I can't see anything wrong anywhere. Everything is tight as a drum. I got my wife to wind it from lock to lock and it often jams at center turning left. It appears it's the front left that releases with a crack. I guess next is to pop the ball joints at the steering rod ends and try and isolate where the issue is. It rolls from lock to lock nice, tight and smooth until it locks.... hmmm...

By steering column uni's, you don't mean up under the dash do you ? The ones under the bonnet look fine (the rubber coupling certainly looks past its use by date .... but isn't sloppy).

seeya,
shane L.

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

By steering column uni's, you don't mean up under the dash do you ? The ones under the bonnet look fine (the rubber coupling certainly looks past its use by date .... but isn't sloppy).

seeya,
shane L.

It's the one closest to the steering box:

Originally Posted by Scouse

It's the one closest to the steering box:

I'll check it... Can it seize and release with a loud crack from the left front though ?? It's dead smooth until it locks around centre. The steering isn't tight at all.... It just locks and you need to rock it until you get a loud crack and it releases. I'm thinking a seized balljoint possibly. I'll pop them all off and check. You know it is going to be that uni-joint after I've wasted hours looking elsewhere...... Just like everyone is telling me

In my experience I've never heard a loud crack but it's certainly very unnerving when it binds/releases, usually at 90deg intervals IIRC.

Have a look that you haven't dented your steering damper on something.

I doubt whether a tie rod end would make a noise. Usually to check them you have someone turn the wheel while you grab the tie rod end in your hand/fist and you can feel any slackness by the top of the joint rising in your hand ie expanding .

Other possibility could be a CV joint self destructing, or finally the pivot bearings breaking up, and you should be able to test by jacking up the wheel and feeling for up and down play.


Regards Philip A
Look the first thing you should do is eliminate the UJs by taking out the column. Its only a matter of undoing 2 pinch bolts and then sliding the top UJ up and the bottom one will come off the spline. then you can feel whether the joints are binding.

And the winner is ................................. THE BLOODY STEERING DAMPENER .... I'd never have guessed that one. It's still working but can lock around dead centre. Bizzare or what

I popped the balljoint from the front left wheel so the steering assembly was disconnected from the wheels.... and when I moved the wheels by hand they still bound up around center. The dampener was still nice and tight, but when I disconnected it everything floated around freely without any binding or locking around center. I'm guessing it's developed a heavy wear mark around center as that's where it mostly sits for the 290,000km the car has now done.

I'll just remove the dampener until I can source another.

seeya,
Shane L.

Shane,

Your Rangie will not be very nice without a steering damper.. Just a warning!

Jools.