Steering box adjustment?
#1
03-01-2011, 10:27 AM
Steering box adjustment?
I just came across this in the RAVE manual when looking up some stuff about the damper (which it doesn't really mention much about).
I'm replacing the damper today, but there is excessive play in my steering which has gotten worse lately. The procedure in the RAVE manual is rather vague.
1. Raise front of vehicle.
2. Remove nut securing drag link to drop arm.
3. Using LRT-57-036, break taper joint and
release drag link.
4. Ensure steering is centralised.
5. With the drop arm held, check for rotational
movement at the intermediate shaft universal
joint. If any movement exists, the steering box
requires adjusting.
1. Loosen lock nut on steering box adjuster and
tighten adjuster until movement is removed at
universal joint.
CAUTION: Ensure that steering box is
centralised before adjustment. Never over
adjust, free play should just be eliminated.
2. When adjustment is correct, hold the adjuster
and tighten adjuster locknut.
3. Turn steering wheel from lock to lock and check
no tightness exists.
4. Fit drag link to drop arm, and tighten nut to 80
Nm (59 lbf.ft).
5. Remove stands and lower vehicle.
Do I need to remove the nut securing the drag link, or is this only to check for play in the first place? Where is the adjuster on the steering box anyways? I didn't even know there was such a thing.. weird (doesn't seem to be talked about much on the forums, I did a search).
edit: and how exactly are they telling me to check for movement anyways? Like where am I looking? I know where the u joint is, but that's all supposed to move.. so I'm confused.
I'm replacing the damper today, but there is excessive play in my steering which has gotten worse lately. The procedure in the RAVE manual is rather vague.
1. Raise front of vehicle.
2. Remove nut securing drag link to drop arm.
3. Using LRT-57-036, break taper joint and
release drag link.
4. Ensure steering is centralised.
5. With the drop arm held, check for rotational
movement at the intermediate shaft universal
joint. If any movement exists, the steering box
requires adjusting.
1. Loosen lock nut on steering box adjuster and
tighten adjuster until movement is removed at
universal joint.
CAUTION: Ensure that steering box is
centralised before adjustment. Never over
adjust, free play should just be eliminated.
2. When adjustment is correct, hold the adjuster
and tighten adjuster locknut.
3. Turn steering wheel from lock to lock and check
no tightness exists.
4. Fit drag link to drop arm, and tighten nut to 80
Nm (59 lbf.ft).
5. Remove stands and lower vehicle.
Do I need to remove the nut securing the drag link, or is this only to check for play in the first place? Where is the adjuster on the steering box anyways? I didn't even know there was such a thing.. weird (doesn't seem to be talked about much on the forums, I did a search).
edit: and how exactly are they telling me to check for movement anyways? Like where am I looking? I know where the u joint is, but that's all supposed to move.. so I'm confused.
Last edited by EstorilM; 03-01-2011 at 10:30 AM.
#2
03-01-2011, 04:20 PM
Hey I have been looking for a similar issue... google "discovery steering box adjustment" and you will find plenty of intel. One of the more in depth treatises on the subject comes via "http://forum.landrovernet.com/showthread.php/6509-Steering-box-adjustment"
"Steering System Trouble Shooting
At the outset, it will be well to note that there is no single service procedure to which one can turn to effect immediate or predictable gross improvement to the steering. Stated otherwise, typical remedies consist of numerous micro-adjustments or sub-total remedies.
Proceeding down through the system, a possible source of looseness which should be investigated is at the point where the steering box meets the support bracket which rises from the main chassis rail. Four bolts secure the box to the bracket at this point, three of which are fastened with nuts, and the fourth is threaded into a special nut-sert seated in the steering box casting. All bolt heads are secured by locking plates, but nevertheless the associated hardware manages somehow to loosen up over the years. Looseness at this point assures that the rotation which is applied to the steering wheel causes the box to flex in its mountings rather than transmit the required force to the rocker shaft and drop arm (and subsequently to the front wheels), where it was designed to go. The best way to detect looseness here is to have an assistant turn the steering wheel while you look at the juncture mentioned above. If looseness is present, the steering box itself will flex and squirm noticeably in its mounts, even though the movement may seem to be subtle to the eye. Minuscule amounts of play necessarily translate into vast amounts of latitude in what could otherwise be precise steering. Well, RELATIVELY precise........for a glorified piece of farm machinery!
Tightening all the affected bits of hardware mentioned above is a bit of a fussy job, but the results are rewarding, both in terms of confidence as well as safety. Bend down the appropriate lock tabs on the four bolts and proceed to tighten all bolts and nuts as tight as they can possibly be made......the tighter the better........there's probably no such thing as too tight here! Carefully bend up the locking tabs when finished, or replace the locking plates if necessary.
Additionally, there are numerous smaller (1/4-inch and 5/16-inch) bolts securing the support bracket to the stiffener bracket, and the stiffener bracket to the dash [firewall]. While I am tempted to exclaim that these bolts play an important part in steering precision, indeed there are NO fasteners associated with the steering equipment which are inconsequential to our concern to achieve the very best possible steering quality. Indeed, even loose floors can detract significantly from good steering, by virtue of the fact that they help to stiffen the bulkhead on which various steering equipment brackets are mounted. Indeed, I have seen the floor plates shift significantly when force was applied to the steering equipment, either by the action of uneven roads on the road wheels or by the steering wheel being turned! Consequently, be certain to inspect the five 1/4-inch bolts and/or nuts which pass through the dash into the area of the toe box. Also check and tighten the three bolts which secure the lower end of the (vertical) steering box bracket to the chassis.
While it should never be an issue with a Land-Rover un-tampered with since factory days, the control arm which drops down from the steering box might possibly have been re-tightened insufficiently upon re-assembly, consequently it would be wise to check this point, also, for possible looseness, and correct as required.
Having assured yourself that all the hardware mentioned thus far is well secured and tight, it might be well at this point to check the steering box adjustment screw to ascertain its adjustment. As with many operations associated with Land-Rover service, if one wishes to achieve the required service operation in a more elegant way, it is frequently a good idea to determine first how loose an adjustment may have been, and then to proceed with the necessary remedy. In this case, this would consist of counting the number of "flats" of the adjusting screw which are rotated when tightening the screw. One or two flats, for example, might mean that the steering box was out of adjustment but a small amount, but five, or six, or seven "flats" of the adjusting screw should be considered excessive. The adjusting screw should not be tightened down hard, but rather moderately snug. Over-tightening the screw would most certainly lead to premature and unnecessary wear of the steering box.
This brings next to the track rod, drag link, and longitudinal steering tube, with their all-important "tie rod ends", or "ball joints", as they are sometimes called. Several points should be noted. The possible points for wear are as follows: the tie rod end clamps could be loose, the tie rod end threads could be loose in the their respective rod, or arm, or the tie rod's inner threads could be dangerously worn, or the ball joints themselves could be worn out. It cannot be stated emphatically enough how very subtle wear in the tie rod ends which can detract massively from the steering quality. Detecting looseness in this area is possibly one of the most difficult to measure of any wear point in the entire Land-Rover. One can stare directly at a loose ball joint and feel absolutely confident that no play is present. The very best way to measure wear within the steering system would be to utilize a dial indicator, or clock gauge, but this tool is found in the workshop of few home mechanics. Indeed a special mounting bracket would be required if such a tool were to be utilised, so if ANY WEAR is suspected it would be very much the best part of wisdom to change all (six) of the tie rod ends to give the greatest assurance of maximum steering accuracy. It should go without saying that the very best possible steering is none too good at the end of the day, and that regardless how diligent the attempts to correct steering fault, that one surely cannot out-do oneself in this most challenging and elusive of service operations.
That said........what of tie rod end replacement? It should be emphasized here that the only good ball joints are Genuine Land-Rover! Period. "Original Equipment" just won't do the job ever, EVER, as well as Genuine Land-Rover. Oh, but they have grease fittings, you say! All well and good, but I have seen new "Original Equipment" tie rod ends which were every bit as good as the worn units which they replaced, so what good is all the grease in the world if the new product begins life loose?? A brief word should be inserted here as regards the track rod tubes themselves, which is to say that they should all be checked for straightness. This is best achieved by sighting along the length of the tube from either end, or by placing a known straightedge along the full length of the tube. (Remember to do this at 90 degree quadrants to one another, as the rod may well be entirely straight in one plane whilst badly bent in another)
The boots, or gaiters, of the tie rod ends may be rotted (which admits water and debris and causes rust), but replacing the gaiters takes almost as long as replacing the tie rod end itself, so why not do the job right at the outset, and avoid the remake later on? In rare instances replacing the gaiters might prove time well spent; that would be typically on a vehicle which had many years in a hot climate (drying and rotting the rubber) with very low miles done.
Another point where looseness might be present is the joint between the ball joint and the internal threads of the track rod. This condition can be very subtle to those new to steering problem diagnosis, but look for a tie rod which moves when the tie rod end does not. Sometimes placing the fingers at the juncture at the point where wear is suspected will reveal play which they eye cannot detect. If this fault is detected, it is the best policy to remove the tie rod completely and expose the threads, both male and female, to determine if advanced thread wear is present. If so, the affected tie rod must be replaced, along with the ball joint, if its threads are worn also. If moderate thread wear is detected, it may be possible to install two ball joint clamps at the affected end of the tie rod, but for reasons of safety this should be considered only in dire circumstances, with the express permission of the owner/operator, and then only for limited use and time!!
It is perhaps a fair rule of thumb that if one tie rod end is faulty that that should be cause to change all six; after all, they have probably traveled the same number of miles, and the only way to assure the greatest degree of steering accuracy is to change all. This eliminates all cause for speculation, doubt, and uncertainty. If the budget is absolutely stretched to the limit, then perhaps economy might reasonably be factored into the overall scheme of things, but it should be borne in mind that our very lives rides on the quality and condition of our Land-Rover, and, given the vicissitudes of road travel with which we are continually faced, powerful argument must be waged for keeping our steed in absolutely first-class condition at all times!!"
"Steering System Trouble Shooting
At the outset, it will be well to note that there is no single service procedure to which one can turn to effect immediate or predictable gross improvement to the steering. Stated otherwise, typical remedies consist of numerous micro-adjustments or sub-total remedies.
Proceeding down through the system, a possible source of looseness which should be investigated is at the point where the steering box meets the support bracket which rises from the main chassis rail. Four bolts secure the box to the bracket at this point, three of which are fastened with nuts, and the fourth is threaded into a special nut-sert seated in the steering box casting. All bolt heads are secured by locking plates, but nevertheless the associated hardware manages somehow to loosen up over the years. Looseness at this point assures that the rotation which is applied to the steering wheel causes the box to flex in its mountings rather than transmit the required force to the rocker shaft and drop arm (and subsequently to the front wheels), where it was designed to go. The best way to detect looseness here is to have an assistant turn the steering wheel while you look at the juncture mentioned above. If looseness is present, the steering box itself will flex and squirm noticeably in its mounts, even though the movement may seem to be subtle to the eye. Minuscule amounts of play necessarily translate into vast amounts of latitude in what could otherwise be precise steering. Well, RELATIVELY precise........for a glorified piece of farm machinery!
Tightening all the affected bits of hardware mentioned above is a bit of a fussy job, but the results are rewarding, both in terms of confidence as well as safety. Bend down the appropriate lock tabs on the four bolts and proceed to tighten all bolts and nuts as tight as they can possibly be made......the tighter the better........there's probably no such thing as too tight here! Carefully bend up the locking tabs when finished, or replace the locking plates if necessary.
Additionally, there are numerous smaller (1/4-inch and 5/16-inch) bolts securing the support bracket to the stiffener bracket, and the stiffener bracket to the dash [firewall]. While I am tempted to exclaim that these bolts play an important part in steering precision, indeed there are NO fasteners associated with the steering equipment which are inconsequential to our concern to achieve the very best possible steering quality. Indeed, even loose floors can detract significantly from good steering, by virtue of the fact that they help to stiffen the bulkhead on which various steering equipment brackets are mounted. Indeed, I have seen the floor plates shift significantly when force was applied to the steering equipment, either by the action of uneven roads on the road wheels or by the steering wheel being turned! Consequently, be certain to inspect the five 1/4-inch bolts and/or nuts which pass through the dash into the area of the toe box. Also check and tighten the three bolts which secure the lower end of the (vertical) steering box bracket to the chassis.
While it should never be an issue with a Land-Rover un-tampered with since factory days, the control arm which drops down from the steering box might possibly have been re-tightened insufficiently upon re-assembly, consequently it would be wise to check this point, also, for possible looseness, and correct as required.
Having assured yourself that all the hardware mentioned thus far is well secured and tight, it might be well at this point to check the steering box adjustment screw to ascertain its adjustment. As with many operations associated with Land-Rover service, if one wishes to achieve the required service operation in a more elegant way, it is frequently a good idea to determine first how loose an adjustment may have been, and then to proceed with the necessary remedy. In this case, this would consist of counting the number of "flats" of the adjusting screw which are rotated when tightening the screw. One or two flats, for example, might mean that the steering box was out of adjustment but a small amount, but five, or six, or seven "flats" of the adjusting screw should be considered excessive. The adjusting screw should not be tightened down hard, but rather moderately snug. Over-tightening the screw would most certainly lead to premature and unnecessary wear of the steering box.
This brings next to the track rod, drag link, and longitudinal steering tube, with their all-important "tie rod ends", or "ball joints", as they are sometimes called. Several points should be noted. The possible points for wear are as follows: the tie rod end clamps could be loose, the tie rod end threads could be loose in the their respective rod, or arm, or the tie rod's inner threads could be dangerously worn, or the ball joints themselves could be worn out. It cannot be stated emphatically enough how very subtle wear in the tie rod ends which can detract massively from the steering quality. Detecting looseness in this area is possibly one of the most difficult to measure of any wear point in the entire Land-Rover. One can stare directly at a loose ball joint and feel absolutely confident that no play is present. The very best way to measure wear within the steering system would be to utilize a dial indicator, or clock gauge, but this tool is found in the workshop of few home mechanics. Indeed a special mounting bracket would be required if such a tool were to be utilised, so if ANY WEAR is suspected it would be very much the best part of wisdom to change all (six) of the tie rod ends to give the greatest assurance of maximum steering accuracy. It should go without saying that the very best possible steering is none too good at the end of the day, and that regardless how diligent the attempts to correct steering fault, that one surely cannot out-do oneself in this most challenging and elusive of service operations.
That said........what of tie rod end replacement? It should be emphasized here that the only good ball joints are Genuine Land-Rover! Period. "Original Equipment" just won't do the job ever, EVER, as well as Genuine Land-Rover. Oh, but they have grease fittings, you say! All well and good, but I have seen new "Original Equipment" tie rod ends which were every bit as good as the worn units which they replaced, so what good is all the grease in the world if the new product begins life loose?? A brief word should be inserted here as regards the track rod tubes themselves, which is to say that they should all be checked for straightness. This is best achieved by sighting along the length of the tube from either end, or by placing a known straightedge along the full length of the tube. (Remember to do this at 90 degree quadrants to one another, as the rod may well be entirely straight in one plane whilst badly bent in another)
The boots, or gaiters, of the tie rod ends may be rotted (which admits water and debris and causes rust), but replacing the gaiters takes almost as long as replacing the tie rod end itself, so why not do the job right at the outset, and avoid the remake later on? In rare instances replacing the gaiters might prove time well spent; that would be typically on a vehicle which had many years in a hot climate (drying and rotting the rubber) with very low miles done.
Another point where looseness might be present is the joint between the ball joint and the internal threads of the track rod. This condition can be very subtle to those new to steering problem diagnosis, but look for a tie rod which moves when the tie rod end does not. Sometimes placing the fingers at the juncture at the point where wear is suspected will reveal play which they eye cannot detect. If this fault is detected, it is the best policy to remove the tie rod completely and expose the threads, both male and female, to determine if advanced thread wear is present. If so, the affected tie rod must be replaced, along with the ball joint, if its threads are worn also. If moderate thread wear is detected, it may be possible to install two ball joint clamps at the affected end of the tie rod, but for reasons of safety this should be considered only in dire circumstances, with the express permission of the owner/operator, and then only for limited use and time!!
It is perhaps a fair rule of thumb that if one tie rod end is faulty that that should be cause to change all six; after all, they have probably traveled the same number of miles, and the only way to assure the greatest degree of steering accuracy is to change all. This eliminates all cause for speculation, doubt, and uncertainty. If the budget is absolutely stretched to the limit, then perhaps economy might reasonably be factored into the overall scheme of things, but it should be borne in mind that our very lives rides on the quality and condition of our Land-Rover, and, given the vicissitudes of road travel with which we are continually faced, powerful argument must be waged for keeping our steed in absolutely first-class condition at all times!!"
#3
03-02-2011, 10:33 AM
Wow great read, although it sounds like the odds of me actually determining the cause of my steering play and fixing it in a semi timely and cheap manner is almost ridiculous at this point.
I guess I'll give the adjustment screw a shot.
Most of the tie-rod points he mentioned are way over my head, and I'm not sure which ones / where he's talking about. I looked t some stuff yesterday when I replaced the damper, but really I'm not sure what's supposed to have a certain amount of play and what isn't.
I guess I'll give the adjustment screw a shot.
Most of the tie-rod points he mentioned are way over my head, and I'm not sure which ones / where he's talking about. I looked t some stuff yesterday when I replaced the damper, but really I'm not sure what's supposed to have a certain amount of play and what isn't.
#4
03-02-2011, 04:48 PM
Dang I can NOT loosen that adjuster not, just got both arms down in there but my wrist pressed against the radiator bleed hose (hard line) and of course.. it cracked and sprayed me with coolant. 
I'm not really that mad, because I have new coolant, new upper radiator hose, and new thermostat sitting in the car, oh and a replacement throttle body hard line hose that I cracked a few months ago (same result) and had to repair with 1/4" rubber hose. Of course I didn't order a replacement radiator bleed hose but I'll just replace the rubber hose portion with a slightly longer one and stick the end where it broke off back in there.
I'm not really that mad, because I have new coolant, new upper radiator hose, and new thermostat sitting in the car, oh and a replacement throttle body hard line hose that I cracked a few months ago (same result) and had to repair with 1/4" rubber hose. Of course I didn't order a replacement radiator bleed hose but I'll just replace the rubber hose portion with a slightly longer one and stick the end where it broke off back in there.
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