Thread: Stiff Steering wheel!!!

1. Have a look at the front of the car and make sure it not an stage 1
2. If you have run it down low It could cause the pump to get air in it you should fill it and bleed the pump. The pump will make strange noises if air is in it.
3.Run the engine take off the cap and make sure that oil is moving throught the reservoir. If not oil is moving through you may need to look at the pump.
4.Have you ever changed the filter it may be restricting oil flow.

Failing the power steering not being the cause, look at the uni-join in the steering column. Known to cause the symptoms you outlined.

X2 Fluids reply. In fact I'd be checking it first as it's easy to check and also not overly expensive to fix. Mine was fine one minute then crap within 100k's
Had mine go whilst driving to Qld, the steering got heavier and heavier then became distinctly notchy. glad it didn't actually break

Thanks guys... the pump seems to work as the liquid is bubbling around when it on...
How do you get to the filter? visual?
What should i look for on the shaft?

Originally Posted by Fluids

Failing the power steering not being the cause, look at the uni-join in the steering column. Known to cause the symptoms you outlined.

Don't know why I didn't think of that.

Mine went of my disco a few years ago and on my county. Make a big difference and easy to check them. I reckon there would be a few cars out there with stiff steering joints. One of mine was that hard you could only move it with a two foot bar.
If you look closely you may see rust coloured powdery deposits, this would indercate that the internal have seized. You may have to pull back the rubber boot if it has one. They look really dry when they are stiff.

Unbolt there steering shaft off the box mark it with something and note where the steering wheel is so you put in back the same place. I still haven't got my County one in the right spot yet ( 2 yrs).
You may get away with spraying some lanotech lube when you have it up hooked one end ( don't use wd as it will wash grease away lano stay greasy) They should feel very free and to move with your fingers.
You will know straight away,if they are still at all change them. You could soak they in light oil for a few day one of mine free up like that. But the bad one must have mechanically failed rather that just no lube. I melted some grease to get it liquid then put the joints in and let it cool in the hot grease. This get grease into the internal parts rather than just oil.

If you look into the top of the steering reservoir you should see a steel flat bar maybe 15mm wide and a spring under it. That spring holds the filter down against the return hose. The oil flower up from underneath, up through the filter from the inside and into the reservoir.
Take a note of with way up the retainer goes, push the bar down against the spring and carefully move one end the retainer to the side and down toward the bottom you will be able to expose the other end from under the lip and carefully remove the retainer while releasing the spring pressure. The filter well now come up through the filler cap. try not the knock it around to much as it could dislodge any dirt back into to reservoir.
You might want some safety glasses on just in case you mess it up and get a spring in your face. Probably to dramatic but you don’t know.

Thanks your help.. il need to have a close look at all these tomorrow... lets ya know what happens

I think you just need to strengthen those "Mr Burns" arms buddy. Build those guns up a little!!