Vehicle & Technical > Defender
Serious steering issues...Tries to kill me over 40mph!
Disco-Ron:
--- Quote from: tomo-tdi on October 07, 2010, 18:41:38 ---im just thinking out loud but with a 200 tdi engine in a 90 does the steering match up because when i bought my 200 tdi 90 the guy was a mechanic and i briefly remember him saying something about different splines so there would be play in the steering
--- End quote ---
EH..........? never heard that one before..........
As far as i'm concerned, the engine is an engine, and the steering is the steering, the only way they are at-all connected is through the PAS pump........... and nothing anywhere has any connection with splines..........
Disco Matt:
Don't think I'd be going back to that garage in a hurry - there shouldn't be any play in the steering column at all!
I also can't see why you'd alter the steering with an engine swap, doesn't make any sense to me. The steering on mine is well clear of the engine area (LR offered a V8 in there after all).
The swivels used to use oil in older LRs, they swapped to the "one shot" grease more recently although IIRC you can put either oil or grease in.
Check the front propshaft for play too, on the basis that you've tried everything else.
ChrisW70:
I had something similar when I changed the steering damper - hadn't tightened up the nuts enough, hit a cats eye on the motorway at about 60 and the steering wheel started shaking like mad, tightened the nuts up as tight as I could and didn't have an issue after that.
One other thought - have you used new nuts and bolts when you did the bushes? If they were not new it could be that they have stretched the threads and not as tight as you think they should be.
Range Rover Blues:
The problem is called steering kickback and LR were quite aware of it. I heard form one mechanicl mate that LR ended up swapping Disaco steels for alloys free of charge because with 235/70 tyres on the rotating mass lead to the problem.
It's a harmonic vibration in a multiple degree of freedom system, that is to say there are several compliant (springy) parts contributing to the problem.
The panhard rod bush(s)
The radius arm bushes
the steering system, balljoints etc
all of which allow some give, in a harmonic systme these part give thus storing energy, this energy then hets releases at the syetm swing the other way, like a pendullum.
This energy gets absorbed by dampers, these include the steering damper, the swivel preload, the weight of the drag linkm track rod and harmonic dampers bolted to the bottom of the swivels, oh and the tyres!
I've had a similar problem on one of mine.
Adjusting the tracking to toe-out helps lower the frequency of the oscilation and absorb more energy at the expense of "feeling" in the steering.
Lowering the rotating mas of the wheels will make a differnece, smaller tyres or alloy wheels.
Wheel spacers should make the probelm worse but could (I stress could) change the frequency significantly.
Then there are things that can mask the problem.
Heavy duty dampers, I'm not a fan of the cellular ones now, try a ProComp or DeCarbon.
Add a RRC track rod as it has a bracket for a steering damper, you'll also need the bracket on the diff but then you can add a second steering damper. Even an OEM one will make a huge difference.
It may sound odd but stiffening the bushes can make things worse, if you find this don't think you are going mad, I found polybushes made it worse.
I had 3 sets of tyres that did it and one that didn't, sad day when they wore out.
Can't think of any more right now.
Ja1983:
RRB, very interesting thoughts there.... and of course this leads to harmonics vs sinesodial (sp?) action... (and the videos of those two girls demonstrating the difference!)
...could this be why discos have the big donut thing on the axle??
tomo-tdi - you have a mustard bus too! Beige wasnt my first colour choice, but i love it now!
>>>>>>>>>>>UPDATE>>>
Right, i went up to my mates tonight, as i'd borrowed a set of wheels from him, which were known to be fine... that is, apart from an air leek! while i was there, we dug out a set of steering damper bushes (standard) as i was convinced the ones supplied by sh...Britpart were too soft.
While the damper was off, i though i'd just check the action of it......
...it pulled out firm but juddery, and went in with no resistance whatsoever!
This is a brand new "heavy duty" cellular steering damper (thick orange type) which was bought from Paddocks within the last 4 months.
guess who i'm ringing in the morning!
fitted a good second hand damper, and drove home with no drama whatsoever.
Will keep this thread updated, as i'm sure others may have similar problems.
Cant believe all the trouble i've been to just beccause of one crappy "upgrade"
Grrrr... but also really pleased now i seem to have found the problem!
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