Thread: Heavy steering

Steve,
One thing to check is the small uni joints on the offset steering shaft that connects to the box. They are known to seize up and it can be intermittent. I've had it happen and I thought it was something more serious until I was advised to check them. You'll have to remove the shaft so you can 'wiggle' the uni's, but it's not too difficult.
It's something easy to check before delving deeper anyway.

Cheers, Murray

Thanks Murray - good suggestion.

The uni's seemed fine when I had the shaft out during the conversion but I'll check them again just in case.

Steve

Since the pump has an internal pressure relief valve, is it as simple as hooking up a pressure gauge to the output port to check the pressure its putting out?

Steve

I have had two classic rangies go heavy in the steering. Both required a rebuild of the power steering pump. The mid 80s V8 pump which I think was also used on the county is just a roller vein pump. Both of mine had badly scored end plates and just required these to be faced. I did both myself with a plate of glass and some sand paper and oil. Both came up good with about $3 dollars spent for a few o-rings...

They did airate the oil before rebuild though and the pump was noisey. Something u dont seem to have and should be easy to pick up.

The other place ive seen the countys can bind up is in the swivel bushes. I think the county runs a bush in the bottom and a bearing in the top? Usually by the time binding is creating any issues you can feel that things are worn by the slop when you grab the top of a front wheel and rock it for camber load and hear a knock in the hub, a bit like wheel bearing slop.

Guess its just a matter of checking each pivot and joint etc starting at one end a going to the other.

I often isolate things quickly by disconecting the front cross steering link from the steering box at the steering box pitman arm. Then pull the steering box through its full cycle by hand from what would be one lock to the other at the drop arm. This is without the enginge or power steering running. It should be heavy to move but a bit like a rotary damper. It is speed resistant not so much load. And should be smooth throughout travel.... all but brand new steering boxes have a little notch over feel and a tiny bit of slop on the dead ahead....You will feel issues in the unis as regular pulses at this arm and issues in the box are usually metal breakdown internally and you feel grinding binding and grabbing with random patterns.


Good luck with sorting it.

you say intermittent?

check the oil lines out side of the steering box for dents.

check the oil filter in side the tank, take the top off and look down.

apart from that, ball joints, steering unis ( thats surprisingly common)

juts jack it up and start at one end and move to the other

Its been a few months since I started this thread, and generally the steering has been OK. Occasional heavy steering, but only for a few seconds then comes right.....until a couple of days ago when it went heavy, and has stayed that way.
Its not "engine off" heavy, but definitely hard work parking.

Even with the front wheels off the ground, the steering wheel doesn't get particularly light with the engine running. Certainly not spin the wheel and it will go to full lock.

Have removed the steering shaft, universals are good, and no binding in the steering column bearings. Disconnected the steering damper - also made no difference.

With the front wheels off the ground, steering shaft removed, and the pitman arm still connected to the hubs, I can move the wheels from lock to lock by pushing/pulling on the tyre, and it feels pretty normal. A bit of drag from the steering box, no tight spots etc.

I guess that leaves the pump, and the steering box itself.

The steering box does have quite a bit of freeplay in the center position with engine running (guessing about 30deg), and with the engine off has a distinct knock if you turn it from side to side. Been like this since i bought it about 18 months ago. Its a 3-bolt, so probably the original.

The pump was one from a truck wrecker that i rebuilt when I did my Isuzu conversion, so been on the engine for about 9 months. I've never tested the pressure from it.

Should I take it to someone and get the pump pressure checked - or is this an easy check that I could do myself?
Is it worth trying to adjust the freeplay out of the box? My experience with doing this on old non-PAS boxes is that they are usually just worn in the middle, and if you tighten them up they bind at full lock. Haven't tried on this one though...

Steve

Steve. Although I can't be certain my money is on the pump. If it was mine I would get a new one and if it doesn't fix it you will have a spare that one day you will probably need anyway

Dave.

Free play on the box should not exceed about 5cm, usually about two. If you have 30 degrees, about 15 - 20cm, this does suggest that the box might be the first place to look. While free play is not directly related to the power assist, it does indicate a fair bit of wear in some parts of the box, and suggest that other parts may be equally worn.

The adjustment provided is only for end play on the pitman shaft, and this does not affect the power assist except you have to turn the wheel further before anything happens. You can try adjusting the free play, but it should not be related to your problem, and as you say, wear is likely to be in the straight ahead position and hence you can't take it out without binding off centre.

For what it is worth, my pump has done over 500,000km without being touched - but the box was replaced about two years ago. Power assist is perfectly normal today.

John