 | Home > Technical > Death wobble and steering box play |
 
|
|
|
| Arierep Member Since: 12 Apr 2013 Location: Portugal Posts: 258   
|
And so the story continues...
After adjusting the 4 wheel bearings, the steering was still somewhat vague. Checked everything again and found that the drop arm ball joint was busted. Replaced it (epic PIA). The steering is now quite precise and selfcenters OK. Two problems remain. I still have a slight steering vibration over 90km/h. The steering wheel is not wobbling or moving around, but it vibrated at those speeds, specially going downhill without throttle. The other is that when hitting holes and roots, as well as when going fast on bumpy/holed tracks I can feel distinctive "knocks" on the steering wheel, as if something loose hits the steering wheel. Any ideas? Steering box play? When cheking with the vehicle stoped and the engine running, there seems to be almost no play in the box |
||
19th Aug 2013 12:39pm |
|
| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3347  
|
The Vibrating while coasting or at low throttle is most likely to be backlash in the driveline.
Mine does it occasionally as you say when at low or no throttle when going downhill. Best way to avoid it is to apply enough throttle to effectively keep the pressure on the driveline or to ease off so the engine breaking is putting pressure on the driveline. As for the knocks have you checked your swivel pins because when those bearings start going they sound like a “click” or “clack” from the front which can be felt through the steering. |
||
|
19th Aug 2013 6:26pm |
|
| Arierep Member Since: 12 Apr 2013 Location: Portugal Posts: 258
|
What's the best way to check the swivel bearings?
I lifted the wheels and checked for play, by hand (hands at 12 and 6h), like you check hub bearings, and found no play at the swivels. |
||
|
19th Aug 2013 6:31pm |
|
| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3347
|
That’s good, that’s how I would have checked.
Only other thing I can suggest is check your hockystick bushes, check your hockstick mounts for cracks, check your dampers aren’t loose, and check your steering damper isn’t loose (or just plain life expired). |
||
|
19th Aug 2013 7:20pm |
|
| theorangebandit Member Since: 03 Jun 2013 Location: Stowmarket Posts: 862 |
I always start with the panhard Rod when I get given the Death wobble daily. Tighten the bolts if the fault persists them replace the bushes. Our get a sonnet nee Rod with Bushes already fitted lol
|
||
|
19th Aug 2013 8:14pm |
|
| theorangebandit Member Since: 03 Jun 2013 Location: Stowmarket Posts: 862 |
Ignore my post then all four brains loose! I'm impressed
|
||
|
19th Aug 2013 8:15pm |
|
| Arierep Member Since: 12 Apr 2013 Location: Portugal Posts: 258
|
I think this might be worth mention, but when changing the drop arm ball joint (the fear...) I checked the steering damper and found it perfectly ok (it's still the original one). However the steering box side bushing (NTC1775) has lots of play in it. How do I check the radius arms bushings for wear? Thanks for all the help |
||
|
19th Aug 2013 10:04pm |
|
| theorangebandit Member Since: 03 Jun 2013 Location: Stowmarket Posts: 862 |
Raids arm Bush's are hard to judge add they are in tight and quite stiff. Put your weight on it and bounce around if you feel is loose then get a pretty bar wedge under the Bush and gentle try to move it. If it only lifts a little then it's fine
|
||
|
20th Aug 2013 6:15am |
|
| Arierep Member Since: 12 Apr 2013 Location: Portugal Posts: 258
|
Today I went and inspected everything again.
I'm positive my steering box has no play. With the engine on, every mm of steering wheel movement is transfered to the wheels. The radius arms are hard to judge. I can move them by hand, but only with very big effort. They seem to be in place, and I found no damage. When moving the wheels, hands at 6h and 12h, I can get a knock on them. It's only with some effort, but it's there. I had someone shacking the wheels that way for me, and I can tell the knocking is comming from the hub/swivel area. I can't feel any movement on the swivel balls. Might it be that the front wheel bearings came loose again? |
||
|
20th Aug 2013 7:21pm |
|
| theorangebandit Member Since: 03 Jun 2013 Location: Stowmarket Posts: 862 |
I'll say it again panhard Rod
|
||
|
20th Aug 2013 7:31pm |
|
| tatra805 Member Since: 16 Aug 2011 Location: Dolany Posts: 436  
|
might be worth checking your wheel bearings
had same vibration and no play on wheels when lifted and all other things ok. but with wheels on ground rocking the car revealed a slight "clonck" at the wheelhubs. Not really visible when when looking underneath as too little movement to notice. Tightening the bearings to spec and vibrations gone (of course if the bushing is gone that's the first thing to replace) just 2cents  |
||
|
21st Aug 2013 11:17am |
|
| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3347
|
Its not the swivel balls, the balls are there to contain the swivel and grease itself, they don't actually form a bearing surface as no weight is transferred to them.
The swivel bearings are 2 pins top and bottom that go through conical bearings. When the bearings wear you can take out shims to take up this wear as it effectively lowers the bearing into the wear. However, if there are no more shims to take up the play there is nothing for the play to be taken up in and so you get movement. This small amount of movement is most likely what the knock is. When I get home with a camera I can take a picture of my newly replaced one and show you in comparison to my old one to show the difference in shims so you can see what to look for? as for the hockey sticks, a little bit of play with a lot of effort to move them sounds about right  |
||
|
21st Aug 2013 12:14pm |
|
| Arierep Member Since: 12 Apr 2013 Location: Portugal Posts: 258
|
Tatra805, I've adjusted the bearings like 3 or 4 weeks ago, but I'm groing suspicious of them. Maybe them got loose again.
"had same vibration and no play on wheels when lifted and all other things ok. but with wheels on ground rocking the car revealed a slight "clonck" at the wheelhubs. Not really visible when when looking underneath as too little movement to notice. " This is exactly what I feel. I've reused the nut retaining washers the first time, so I guess that could be a cause for them to come loose again. Shaggydog, when talking about the swivel balls, I was meaning movement between the ball and the swivel housing body. If there is any play in the swivel bearings, I guess there should be movement between the two surfaces (ball - swivel housing), since the bearings are what connect the two components. |
||
|
21st Aug 2013 12:30pm |
|
| tatra805 Member Since: 16 Aug 2011 Location: Dolany Posts: 436
|
 i now see i should learn to refresh my browser before posting a reply... had only the first 5 posts of the thread on my screen from last evening when replying... 
Anyway, the reason for saying is that I overhauled my front axle after having a CV blown and noticed that the wheel bearings, although set according the book, got play over time (say 2000km on-road) this caused the vibration and was solved by tightening them a bit. I guess things have to settle in causing more tolerance after a while. (rather doing this than over tightening and having a bearing seizing) I do not like the new style hub-nut and noticed you really have to knock down the whole possible surface to secure them, being sloppy with this will leave them room to partly rotate. Throwing in another thing that can cause wobble; did you check that the heads of the bolts of the drive flanges are flat with the sides of the flanges, if they stick out they can cause burrs on the disc surface. this will case the wheels not to be in full contact with the hubs but you'll be able to tighten all up as should be so won't notice. (simply said, is the wheel in full contact with the hub?) |
||
|
21st Aug 2013 1:01pm |
|
|
|
| All times are GMT |
< Previous Topic | Next Topic > |
Posting Rules
|
Site Copyright © 2006-2024 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis
