Thread: Steering Problems....

Originally Posted by isuzurover

If the firewall can move by any appreciable amount then some of the attachment bolts must be loose.

I've checked every bolt around the area and nothing loose , I have noticed too that the drivers floor panel / firewall area moves too
I tightened the floor panel as tight as I could get it and it still moved.

There is also slight movement in the outer wing, I'll certainly be pleased to find out what is causing the problem, looks like a job for the professionals.

Originally Posted by jerryd

I wonder if that ball joint attached to the drop arm is worn or seized too.

I have noticed a bit of play in the steering column too, ie you can hold the wheel and lift it up and down maybe 5mm either way. Is this normal or is something amiss there too ??

The ball joints are easy enough to check - I presume that you have already checked them for movement when loaded - disconnect the steering arms and see how easy, or not, it is to wriggle the tapered shaft by hand. If the joint is stiff or rough it will be easy to detect. Bear in mind, however, that a new joint is smooth but still rather difficult to move by hand. Ball joints are cheap and now that you have gone this far, it may be worth replacing all six.

I recommend that you unscrew the ball joints from the rods and check that they are the correct ones for the types of rods installed. If the thread goes all the way to the end of the tube then the ball joint must have thread all the way to the end; similarly; if the tube is plain on its internal end then shouldered ball joints must be fitted. These latter ones I found difficult to source in Australia so I bought them from Brookwells. Land Rover Series Parts From Brookwells Land Rover Parts
It is most important to have the correct ball joints with the correct rods/tubes, or else the steering connection can fail

Not too sure about the steering column but it doesn't sound right. End-float in the inner column is controlled by shims on the bottom of the box; unless someone has removed these, the end-float must be from worn bearings on the worm. You mentioned earlier that the box oil was low, so perhaps the worm, or balls have been damaged.

This leads me to speculate about the flexing of the bulkhead. If the box is binding internally, or the worm-nut is coming to the end of its travel prematurely, it will transmit that force to the bulkhead. This might also be caused by the drop arm not being installed correctly in the mid-range of the steering travel.

Inspect your box closely; if it looks as if someone has been working on it suspect that it has been reassembled incorrectly. In any case it seems worthwhile stripping it to find out why it has so much end-float. You will find the Land Rover workshop manual invaluable,

Cheers Charlie