Thread: Is my steering damper stuffed?

Remove the steering damper & see if it's seized. If it's had a hit, it can bind in one spot or for the full travel.

Steering wobble might be related to the damper but it might also be warped brake discs.

The leak sounds like the steering box. It runs on automatic transmission fluid which is normally red in colour - does that sound like it?

Yes that is exactly right the fluid is red. What would you do to fix these problems.

I want to look at the damper to see if that is stuffed before i start looking at suspension and bearings etc

If the steering box is in good condition but just leaking, then a seal kit will fix it.
However, if there is movement in the bottom shaft, then you'll need a reco box as the movement will soon destroy the new seal.

Good article on PAS box seal removal and replacement here:

rangie.com

To check the damper undo one end and push / pull it. There should be no 'slop' before you feel the resistance of the damping fluid inside.

Got enough fluid in the PAS reservoir? Heavy steering could also be the uni joints between the steering column and the box. Try some Inox or WD 40 on them.

cheers, DL

I degreased about a month ago and now there is alot of black gunk around this part. What is this part even called and what does it do??
Steven

Steven,you should take your car to a reputable Land Rover specialist for diagnosis and repair. To do any work on steering you should have a good knowledge of the components and their role, which your post indicates you do not have.

The problems that you have a likely to be a combination of several things eg if your steering box is leaking it is likely that the Panhard rod bushes are stuffed by oil. It is not likely to be cheap.
Regards Philip A

The steering damper is there to minimise the impact of sudden "violent" changes of direction by the front wheels in rough conditions which when transmitted back through the steering wheel can lead to injury... like broken thumbs ...army drivers used be taught to hold the wheel with thumbs aligned on inside of steering wheel rim, not wrapped around it for that reason...

you shouldn't need a damper on normally paved roads. The heavy steering could be a mix of issues with the power assistance and /or wheel alignment ...I'd check esp. the castor settings.

As Scouse pointed out, wobble under brakes is most likely warped discs. A well organised local garage can check the run-out on the discs with a dial gauge.

Good luck

Very sensible advice from the erudite PhilipA. Getting the pitman arm off the box to change the seal can be 'interesting' even if you have the right gear.

Originally Posted by Hoges

I'd check esp. the castor settings.

Caster is pre-set at the factory and can't be changed unless you slot the swivel balls, etc.

cheers, DL

Originally Posted by Scouse

Remove the steering damper & see if it's seized. If it's had a hit, it can bind in one spot or for the full travel.

Steering wobble might be related to the damper

but it might also be warped brake discs.

The leak sounds like the steering box. It runs on automatic transmission fluid which is normally red in colour - does that sound like it?

I actually had a warped disc brake on my disco when I bought it...wasn't evident at high speed but you could feel it underbraking it was like a pulse to the pedal