Thread: Veering Disco

Check the uni's in the steering column. They will most likey be partily seized.
Start with some WD40 on them but ultimately I would replace.
Also should have a little bit of toe out for the alignment.

You didn't mention the dampener, they sit a bit low. Should be obvious if its been clobbered. But if its dented I would have thought the steering is notchy all the time.

Could be rear steering too. Check trailing arms bushes, A frame ball joint etc.

Regards
Max P

Originally Posted by Michael2

I caught up with a friend who I hadn't seen for years over the w'end and was pleased to see him also driving a Land Rover. '97 300Tdi Disco (auto).

He has a 'steering / suspension' issues that he's unable to sort. Any advise would be appreciated, he's not on line, so I'll pass the info on.

At times the vehicle's steering lurches to the side (R) or (L) and feels like someone is yanking the steering wheel.

He's replaced his steering relay box, front prop shaft, shocks, had the bearings checked and done the swivel bushes, as well as had the steering alignment checked. He's tried toe in and toe out - the car is on a neutral toe at the moment, but none of this has made any difference.

He says the problem is more pronounced offroad.

Any ideas? He's in Melbournes Western suburbs, if anyone wants to recommend a mechanic.

Thanks in advance.

Is the Panhard rod bolts tight and bushes OK, also take the steering damper off and check its action, if he has taller tyres, this will exaggerate the feeling of pulling to the low or high side of the road caused by having a solid front beam type axle, my bet is the panhard rod bushes and or bolts or the damper, Regards Frank.

bit of an off the wall suggestion, but check the rear radius arm bushes.

(edited . just noticed tusker has already suggested it)

Cheers
Pete

As Psimpson and Tusker have suggested - rear lower links or radius arms. Loose or worn bushes (most likely the ones onto the axle) will cause exactly this effect. The other suggestions are all possible, but since he has been concentrating on the front end, rear end problems are more likely to have gone unnoticed.

John

Thanks guys, I just got home from work and saw all your replies.

I'll give him a call and pass on the sage advice.

Any further suggestions would be welcome.

Okay, I passed on the info & got some more detail. Any other ideas?

He describes the feeling as "twitchy, and overreacts to road undulations - worse off road"

He has 31" tyres balanced - no vibrations - on steel rims, but had the same symptoms with alloy wheels.

The steering damper has been checked

The front shocks are new.
The sway bar bushes are new.

When driving off road, standing on the side rail and holding the steering wheel steady, he notices the wheels turn as the traverse undulating ground, but this movement is not felt at the wheel.

The swivel pins have been reco-d.

Rear bushes okay

Front diff housing replaced, after the last one cracked it off road - no difference.

A dynamic wheel alignment shows everything to be okay

He has a 2" lift with eccentric bushes fitted to retun castor to 3 degrees. Is this enough?

Rear A frame looks okay, tested with a metal bar for movement, but not replaced.

He clamped the pitman arm to chassis, kicked wheels - no movement with motor running (p/s on) and nothing budged, it all remained firm.

He's very grateful for your responses. Short of returning the Disco to standard springs & tyres and starting again, he's not sure what to do.

When he is driving at say 80 on a straight road. does altering the throttle position make the vehicle change direction? ie accelerate moves right, decellerate moves left?

edited to add I am pretty sure its the rear radius arm bushes..... they make a huge difference, and if they have been replaced, if they werent genuine they probably need replacing again... I had a set of non genuine ones fitted and they lasted 500 miles...

ones from LR are about $80 a pair

Everthing points to these.. especially the twitchy ness.

edit to addd. as some oen has said check teh panhard rod bushes. put a lever in.

Pete