Stiff steering on my Series 3

[Julian]

I've only had the car a day now, but straight away noticed that the steering seemed excessively stiff - when you turn it to go around a bend you have steer the other way afterwards or it keeps on turning.

So today I started disconnecting ball joints to see if I could isolate a problem. I deffo have one, maybe two.

1. OSF swivel seems rather stiff, I'm hoping that a shim may need adding if it's been set up with too much preload but I may need to strip it down as the chrome is pretty badly pitted. I've BDTD years ago with a Disco 1 I had so I know the score regarding prices for new chrome balls

Would anyone know what the measurement needs to be when testing it with the fishing scales and is the pull measured from the track rod end hole?

2. The idler shaft is as stiff as buggery - I can just move it by pulling hard with a gloved hand, I guess that's not correct? This steering idler looks pretty good visually, can they be greased or oiled, or stripped and rebuilt or should I just get a new one? Again, are these things built with some pre-load in them or should they just turn by pushing with your little finger?

Any help here much appreciated!

Julian.

[series3100]

I've only had the car a day now, but straight away noticed that the steering seemed excessively stiff - when you turn it to go around a bend you have steer the other way afterwards or it keeps on turning.

So today I started disconnecting ball joints to see if I could isolate a problem. I deffo have one, maybe two.

1. OSF swivel seems rather stiff, I'm hoping that a shim may need adding if it's been set up with too much preload but I may need to strip it down as the chrome is pretty badly pitted. I've BDTD years ago with a Disco 1 I had so I know the score regarding prices for new chrome balls

Would anyone know what the measurement needs to be when testing it with the fishing scales and is the pull measured from the track rod end hole?

2. The idler shaft is as stiff as buggery - I can just move it by pulling hard with a gloved hand, I guess that's not correct? This steering idler looks pretty good visually, can they be greased or oiled, or stripped and rebuilt or should I just get a new one? Again, are these things built with some pre-load in them or should they just turn by pushing with your little finger?

Any help here much appreciated!

Julian.

From memory I think the measurement your after for the swivel is 14 to 16lb.

The relay can be topped up with oil by removing 1 of the 4 bolts in the top of the relay and squirting/dribbling oil in, I think I might have taken 2 out so (in theory) it would fill better with oil going in one hole and air coming out of the other. It has a big spring in so and is meant to have a resistance.

Brian

[Phil Hancock]

Relay should require 15 to 27Lbs measured at the lever eye to turn.

Swivel should take 8 to 10Lbs to turn measured at the trackrod eye with no swivel seal.

[series3100]

Relay should require 15 to 27Lbs measured at the lever eye to turn.

Swivel should take 8 to 10Lbs to turn measured at the trackrod eye with no swivel seal.

In that case I did mine too high at 14lb... I think anyway. Might look into that.

Cheers, Brian

[Julian]

From memory I think the measurement your after for the swivel is 14 to 16lb.

The relay can be topped up with oil by removing 1 of the 4 bolts in the top of the relay and squirting/dribbling oil in, I think I might have taken 2 out so (in theory) it would fill better with oil going in one hole and air coming out of the other. It has a big spring in so and is meant to have a resistance.

Brian

Thanks, worked well, you must remove two bolts or (as I found) you'll need a week to fill it up! It took loads of oil so now I'm waiting to see if it works its way in and frees it up - I'm sure it has become a bit more free but I'll give it more time yet.

The OSF swivel top pin was as dry as a bone and the housing empty. Luckily the vehicle has done very few miles, mostly stood, so wear seems OK. I coated the pin in moly grease and filled the housing with some very thick gear oil (like treacle) that came out of an old Field Marshall tractor years ago. The seals seem to be holding it in. The pull required to move it is still a little high, but I have to guestimate for the seal friction as removing that is a job that looks like it will end in disaster. I've ordered some more shims and will try adding one or two - when I loosened the 4 bolts a little that hold the top pin in I discovered that the swivel freed right off.

Anyway, to sum up, I'm certain a shim or two will sort the OSF swivel and if the relay doesn't free up some more in the next day or two I'll buy a new one, they aren't as expensive as I thought.

Thanks Julian.