I have never liked the "Loosy Goosy" steering on my '96 Disco since the day I got it.

So far I have replaced sway bar bushings (not the ends), springs (TerraFirma HD), Shocks (OME HD) and the steering box. Each project has made an incremental improvment but it's not there yet.

The tires are fairly new and in decent shape. Some of the steering ends have been replaced by the previous owner and the rest seem pretty tight.

My biggest complaint is high speed driving... 50mph or more. I just feel the the steering is super loose and I kind of wander around in my lane. I dont feel like I an "steering" it as much as I am "guiding" it down the highway.

I was almost certain that the sterring box would settle it once and for all; but I still feel that I can tighten things up a bit. If vauge steering is just the nature of these beasts, please let me know.

I dont have the death wobble, but I thought of replacing the steering damper just because I think the other one is origional and probably past it.. But I can't see how that will help. I guess my next step is to start replacing all the suspension bushings.

 

Jack up one of the front wheels and rock it vertically and horizontally. I'm just sayin' don't forget about the wheel bearings and swivel pins.

 

Star with inspecting/replacing the radius arm bushings, all the other bushings, inspect and replace all tie rod ends as needed, check the preload on the swivels, clean inspect and replace the wheel bearings for all 4 wheels and then see how it does.

 

Front wheel bearings are new and to spec. Did you try the adjustment on top of the new box? It can make the steering wheel feel tighter.

 

Done and done. Solid as a rock.

 

I have not tried that yet. I might give that a tweak...

 

I had considerd just doing all the bushings. Tie rod ends all look good. Some look as if they have been recently replaced. I guess I can try the pre-load... Have never done that before. As Fisheh said, all new bearings due to a recent brake job.

 

For sure that makes a difference. IMO damper will not.

I hope it's as easy as that. Mine feels pretty tight although it is a new leaky steering box.

 

BTW, I did all new bushings/steering box/springs/shocks last summer. The lift stuff was done at a separate time so I have a pretty good feel for what new bushings will do. It's just night and day and gives you that new truck suspension feel back.

I like the stock steering and a new box made a lot of difference.

Before these changes it was all death wobble. I'm now going through the same repairs on the D2.

 

Did you do stick rubber bushings? Or poly?