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Emergency steering help please


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Having just had two not-so-fun days under the 110 replacing:

track rod ends

drop arm and balljoint

crossrod track rod end

steering damper

panhard rod bushes

adjusting the swivel preload

i've got everything back together and it's kind of working, but i have a problem, the steering wheel isn't where it was, or the wheels aren't central when the steering wheel is, the steering wheel is out about quarter of a turn.

it's turning fine, and is one and a half turns to lock on each side, but when i lock it over to the right, it seems to go a touch further and is making the suspension/steering twist/move a bit, whereas the left hand lock doesn't seem to go as far.

i've checked the steering stops and they're both bang on 20mm, it seems like the drop arm needs to turn one spline over, but it'll only go on at certain points.

i measured the track rod ends with a vernier calliper and got them as close as possible to original too.

What else can i do? i'd really like to get it back working tonight.... :angry:

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adjust the drag link in front of axle to centre the steering wheel, this will not affect the tracking or set the roadwheels straight & remove the steering wheel & refit so it sits in the right place, don't forget to move the indicator cancel ring as well.

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whilst on the subject on indicator cancel rings, I recently removed my whole assembly and stripped down the indicator stalk ( mistake but it all went back together) but on the blue ring there is an arrow! which way is this supposed to point, up or down, left or right, only my indicators now cancel as I start to turn :huh:

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Cheers Ralph, I've had a play about with the crossrod, it was originally wound all the way in on the balljoint side, so i put it back the same way, and lengthening it seems to make the right hand lock twist the suspension more, it seems to need shortning another inch but i can't see how if it's already screwed in.

will it shorten on the other end?

and out of curiosity, why has it moved? new unworn parts perhaps?

Edited by hobson
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whilst on the subject on indicator cancel rings, I recently removed my whole assembly and stripped down the indicator stalk ( mistake but it all went back together) but on the blue ring there is an arrow! which way is this supposed to point, up or down, left or right, only my indicators now cancel as I start to turn :huh:

Should point left I believe.

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Just had a last look underneath whilst tidying for the night and it does adjust on the other (steering damper) end but thats all the way in too. it's like the rod is too long?

think it'd be a bad idea to cut an inch off the end? it seems strange it has no room for adjustment?

Oh, and the steering rod is an aftermarket heavy duty job, already fitted when i got the vehicle...

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I'll check that measurement tomorrow, but what if there's no adjustment left on the steering rod? is it possible to adjust the steering box?

it looks like the drop arm needs to turn further to the passenger side, but both ends of the rod are screwed in as far as they go...

Ignore that, this is annoying me now! just been outside and adjusted the rod to 924mm, one and a half turns from centre to each lock, but on the right hand lock (clockwise) the steering stop is hitting the stop and then pushing the onto the axle and moving the suspension, only an inch or so, but should it be doing that?

Edited by hobson
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you can't reposition the drop arm on the steering box shaft, there are 4 wider splines, so the drop arm will only fit in 4 locations, 3 of which will be incorrect for a Defender,

maybe your steering box needs to be re-centred, this was discused a few weeks ago, in this very forum.

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Do you by any chance have a link to it? tried the search and no luck, also gone back page by page (for the last ten anyway!) but nothing came up for steering box centralisation or similar...

is it under another title?

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I found the topic on steering box centralisation, it was on the discovery forum, very useful, i did wonder what the forks on the back of the drop arm were for....

seems to be going well now, should be driveable after lunch! :)

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there should be a corresponding hole on the steering box directly above the forks of the drop arm when the drop arm is in the correct position, you can use a suitable bar to align, BUT make sure you remove the bar before moving the steering.

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Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.

It is done, and the steering is (compared to how it was) like that of a Bentley! no shake, no wobble, nothing. just nice smooth effortless steering from lock to lock.

So a huge thanks to everyone who helped. :D

And for anyone else, here's the topic i found to centre the steering:

http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=65181&st=0&p=566586&hl=+steering%20+box%20+centre&fromsearch=1entry566586

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whilst on the subject on indicator cancel rings, I recently removed my whole assembly and stripped down the indicator stalk ( mistake but it all went back together) but on the blue ring there is an arrow! which way is this supposed to point, up or down, left or right, only my indicators now cancel as I start to turn :huh:

hi mate.

arrow on blue cancel ring points to the left ie towards indicator stalk

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