 | Home > Technical > Steering wheel drifting anti-clockwise. |
 
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| PCM Member Since: 25 Jan 2019 Location: North East Posts: 874  
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Strange one but my steering wheel seems to be drifting anti-clockwise. It used to be straight. But week after week the alignment now is about 70 degrees anti-clockwise.
Any ideas where to check or what may be going on. Puma 2.2 110 with really low mileage. Cheers PCM |
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8th Jan 2023 9:17pm |
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| Pacha Member Since: 23 Feb 2020 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 772 
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Check the nut on the steering arm box. Rgds.
Chris |
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8th Jan 2023 10:03pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17367 
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If what you appear to be saying is true, I'd suggest that you have a strange and extremely dangerous defect which needs to be addressed before you use the vehicle. You seem to be indicating that the vehicle travels in a straight line and doesn't "pull" left or right, the steering wheel appears to steer, but is gradually becoming more and more misaligned. 70° is a massive misalignment!
The only obvious thing I can think of which might have this effect is if one of the splined joints in the column or steering box has failed and is slipping. There are other defects which could cause wheel misalignment but the vehicle would pull (flat tyre, misaligned axle, etc). My concern is that you may find that the steering wheel suddenly becomes completely ineffective. |
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8th Jan 2023 10:12pm |
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| sako243 Member Since: 08 Jul 2014 Location: Wales Posts: 1218  
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I'd echo blackwolf and check all the nuts on the UJs on the column are tight. I had slop in the original UJs on my 300Tdi and replaced them. Couple of years later and they'd worked loose. Never happened on the original ones. Ed
82 Hotspur Sandringham 6x6 95 Defender 110 300Tdi |
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8th Jan 2023 10:26pm |
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| TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 1043  
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Also check if the car is tracking true. Maybe something has come loose at the back and skewing the rear axle and that is what you are compensating for.
Not uncommon in Texas to see cars crabbing down the freeway. No MOT to speak of. |
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9th Jan 2023 10:51am |
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| I Like Old Skool Member Since: 23 Feb 2015 Location: Manchester Posts: 808 
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As has already been said, STOP DRIVING IT NOW!
Could be ujs on steering column so rather than just tightening the bolts I suggest you drop the joints off and inspect the splines when completely disassembled. It could also be the steering drag link getting bent out of shape or the threads fretting and slipping for the TRE or swan neck so worth dropping off the drag link. Is the misalignment permanent or is there a lot more slop in the steering than usual? Could be bushes, and not necessarily at the front axle. A failed rear axle drag link to chassis bush can give spectacular rear axle steering, but you would notice this. It is nothing to do with the steering damper. |
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9th Jan 2023 10:56am |
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| nitram17 Member Since: 08 Jun 2014 Location: newcastle Posts: 2261 |
Is there much play in the steering? Have you had any work done recently to the steering? Im assuming here you have a removable steering wheel and boss?have you checked that? Jack up both front wheels ,support chassis and get someone to slowly turn the steering wheel full lock back and forth slowely while you look under the car at the steering apparatus for play,linkages,bushes TR ends ect feel the linkages for play and check for oil leaks on steering box,i wonder if bottom of steering column linkage is somehow loose? Im assuming you haven't got sumo bars? Anyway good luck Dont drive it until its sorted! |
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9th Jan 2023 11:37am |
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| I Like Old Skool Member Since: 23 Feb 2015 Location: Manchester Posts: 808
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Sorry to disagree with @Nitram above, but if you are going to test for play in the steering as suggested then I would do it with the wheels on the ground so you are working against some resistance. In fact, given the circumstances of this case I would be tempted to jam a front wheel tight against a kerb so you can put some force into the components and hopefully replicate the slippage that seems to be occuring.
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9th Jan 2023 12:08pm |
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| I Like Old Skool Member Since: 23 Feb 2015 Location: Manchester Posts: 808
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Jam the passenger/nearside wheel against kerb. You can be pretty sure this isn't a trackrod problem. Also check the panhard rod isn't moving while you do this test.
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9th Jan 2023 12:26pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17367
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If this is the case it is inevitable that the vehicle would appear to be pulling hard to one side or the other, and the OP has not indicated this. The lack of a tendency to pull either way tends to rule out any kind of suspension geometry problem. That and the fact that it is reportedly getting progressively worse really does indicate that something is loose between the steering wheel and the drag link, and that is an extremely dangerous fault. |
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9th Jan 2023 12:27pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17367
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Either use the kerb or put a block of wood between one of the front wheels and the chassis and try to turn the steering wheel to compress the block. Agreed it is very unlikely to be a track rod problem, but it could conceivably be a drag link problem (if the ball-joint clamps are loose and the drag link is rotating, or if a ball-joint is either pulling out of the drag link or being forced into the drag link). It is more likely, I feel, to be one of the splined joints loose, either the wheel on the column, the UJs in the column itself, the connection to the steering box, or the drop arm of the steering box. Edited to hide the evidence of appalling spelling! Not sure what went wrong with the brain/digit co-ordination with this one. Last edited by blackwolf on 9th Jan 2023 3:53pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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9th Jan 2023 12:32pm |
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| nitram17 Member Since: 08 Jun 2014 Location: newcastle Posts: 2261 |
old school approach! I prefer to get hands on approach to the linkages whilst they are moving as well.
quick google |
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9th Jan 2023 12:46pm |
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| Dinnu Member Since: 24 Dec 2019 Location: Lija Posts: 3414  
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PCM says 'Anti Clockwise', so if the drag link is unwinding itself (thus getting longer), the steering wheel would drift clockwise. But perhaps still worth checking the clamps that clamp the drag link's thread on the ball joint end and damper bracket. Check the track rod too just in case. 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing
2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black |
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9th Jan 2023 1:41pm |
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| I Like Old Skool Member Since: 23 Feb 2015 Location: Manchester Posts: 808
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@PCM, no comments or success reports since you first posted this problem.
Please come back and update us if/when you find out what's going on. Even if it turns out to be something embarrassing you've done yourself (we've all done it  ), your feedback might help someone else in the future  |
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11th Jan 2023 3:58pm |
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