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Steering wobble


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Guys,

So it all started with a slight dragging of my front brakes- but only when steering slightly to the left. The high pitched squeal was driving me nuts on the motorway. :angry: Nothing was getting hot, and this coupled with the fact that turning right made it go away led me to think perhaps the wheel bearings were a bit loose. I (perhaps incorrectly) surmised that the bearings being slack would allow the disc to move slightly in relation to the caliper and cause the dragging. :huh:

So last night i set to correcting this- checked the drivers side first and all appeared fine so left it alone. The passenger side had quite a bit of play, and so i tightened this one up- just until it began to bind and then backed it off a smidgen... Outer bearing was a nice Timken one with no pitting or signs of wear.

All good. Drove from my parents back to mine no problem :D - Travelling at 60... (I like to save fuel :lol:)

This morning on the way to work i got a vibration through the steering, but only when i hit 65mph plus (i was late B)) . Further testing shows that it happens everytime i reach this speed or above and gets progresssively worse the faster i go.

I have checked for lost wheel weights and all seem there, i have also swapped the passenger side tires over and am about to give that a spin and see if anything changes. I also rechecked for play to see if anything had come loose again. No play in the wheel.

Assuming swapping the tyres doesn't fix this, my questions are:

-What have i done?????!!?? :D kidding, real questions below:

-Could the loose bearing have been masking a slight vibration before that is now only evident as the wheel can't move about?

-Could overtightening the bearing have caused this? I checked after the 33 mile run to work and nothing was warm/hot.

-Whats the best method to check the condition of my steering damper (if that may be at fault)

-Could it be anything else?

Thanks

Jamie

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Well tests confirm that swapping the wheels front to back has reduced the issue- it now seems i can cruise at 70mph until i hit a bump and then the vibration occurs.

It is quite controllable with a firm grip of the wheel and subsides soon enough. Still, i had no vibration at all before the bearing adjustment so want to get it sorted.

Confused as to how tightening up the wheel bearing may have caused this? :blink:

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i can cruise at 70mph until i hit a bump and then the vibration occurs.

This is classis symptom of incorrect swivel preload.

I suspect that that bearing was masking the vibration, or your steering damper is past its best.

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Seems that the vibration may have been a coincidental failure of the front bearing on my mainbox. :blink: I have been getting a leak for a couple of weeks from the front of the box, exiting through the hole for the wading plug. I had planned to either:

a) rebuild the spare LT77 i have in the garage with a rebuild kit from Ashcrofts

B) save my pennies and get an exchange unit from Ashcrofts.

c) if i could find the time to drop the gearbox potentially for nothing i was going to change the bearing and the seal.

However time has run out it seems and this morning after momentarily reaching 70 on the M25 the vibration appeared and stayed at all speeds. When i pulled up at work and looked underneath i now have a nice stream of red ATF coming from the bellhousing drain. Not just the odd drip i was getting before. :wacko:

So having not saved nearly enough for a recon unit, what do the panel think are my best options? Do i refurb the box i have spare, or try changing the bearing and seal on the box installed right now?

Thanks

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Seems that the vibration may have been a coincidental failure of the front bearing on my mainbox. :blink: I have been getting a leak for a couple of weeks from the front of the box, exiting through the hole for the wading plug. I had planned to either:

a) rebuild the spare LT77 i have in the garage with a rebuild kit from Ashcrofts

B) save my pennies and get an exchange unit from Ashcrofts.

c) if i could find the time to drop the gearbox potentially for nothing i was going to change the bearing and the seal.

However time has run out it seems and this morning after momentarily reaching 70 on the M25 the vibration appeared and stayed at all speeds. When i pulled up at work and looked underneath i now have a nice stream of red ATF coming from the bellhousing drain. Not just the odd drip i was getting before. :wacko:

So having not saved nearly enough for a recon unit, what do the panel think are my best options? Do i refurb the box i have spare, or try changing the bearing and seal on the box installed right now?

Thanks

Change the bearing and seal for now B)

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Unless the box is shot, you've no need to rebuilt it, do you?

Given the effort in dropping the box, you'd be best to also change the clutch , fork and bearing and probably the crank oil seal behind the flywheel.

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Unless the box is shot, you've no need to rebuilt it, do you?

Given the effort in dropping the box, you'd be best to also change the clutch , fork and bearing and probably the crank oil seal behind the flywheel.

Good point- and the clutch, fork, rear crank seal should be good- the conversion from 2.25 to 3.5 was only 9 months ago and the engine was rebuilt before it went in.

I am now back running around in my series2 again- had forgotten what fun it can be :D

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Good point- and the clutch, fork, rear crank seal should be good- the conversion from 2.25 to 3.5 was only 9 months ago and the engine was rebuilt before it went in.

I am now back running around in my series2 again- had forgotten what fun it can be :D

So you just going to fit the other box for the moment? and sort something out later?

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So you just going to fit the other box for the moment? and sort something out later?

Am going to fit the spare box (take thursday and friday off) after changing the seal on it to make sure i don't just end up with another leaky thing!

Can then think about reconning mine myself, or save for a nice Ashcroft one. :P

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