ejparrott Posted May 23, 2013 Author Share Posted May 23, 2013 I thought so. Brought it to work today, so I'll get underneath at dinnertime and have a good clean off and a furtle round....see what I can find, but I'm pretty sure the middle bolt is up tight and the shackles are tight to the middle spacer...can only assume if that's the case that the middle spacer is too long for some reason.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted May 23, 2013 Author Share Posted May 23, 2013 Had a look at it, both rear bushes on the front spring seem to be doing the same thing. I've checked the shackles again, an yes the o/s does seem to be too wide, thought its done up tight and there's no gap at the center bolt. The n/s seems to be tight against the bush, but the inner sleeve of the bush seems to be sliding the same as the o/s. Checked my TRE's and they're fine so I think I can rule that out. Just waiting now on the floflex bush set to turn up and then I can get on with it. If there's time this weekend I'll put it on axle stands and check the preload on the swivels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 The shackles should have a spacer, like a thick washer, welded on the inside of one half, at the bottom end only (chassis bush is longer than the spring bush). If that spacer is missing, then you'd have the problem you describe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted May 24, 2013 Author Share Posted May 24, 2013 Yup, spacer fitted as you describe, but there's still a mill or so gap between that spacer and the inner sleeve of the bush in the spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted May 25, 2013 Author Share Posted May 25, 2013 FloFlex bushes arrived yesterday....very helpfully not with individual part numbers, just a vague picture ...Grrrr.... Still, When I get five while fence posts are setting in concrete I'll try and get the front end up. She did it to me again this morning on the way back from fetching cement. Uphill and under power this time, so we covered all options now. Doesn't matter whether you're under power or not, uphill, downhill or level ground, she still does it. I try and avoid potholes anyway, but some bits of road in Rugby are so bad its very difficult. Every time you hit a bump you can feel the steering pulling and rocking back and forth. 90% of the time she settles down, but the other 10 you get this violant shaking from side to side set up, and it won't stop until you slow to about 10mph. Hopefully bushes will cure it, although it does make me wonder that the PO says she used to do it before, but he changed the springs after he changed the damper, so unless it is the shackles and they're making a habit of knackering bushes, I'm not at the minute too hopeful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Have you checked tracking? it sounds like a lot of toe out, as mentioned by some. I also think the steeringdamper could solve the problem. Daan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted May 25, 2013 Author Share Posted May 25, 2013 Not yet, fencing is priority, much as I hate it! Steering damper did cure it, PO fitted one donkeys years ago. I removed it to fit PAS and have yet to refit one. It doesn't cure the problem though, just masks the effects. I've never known another 109 that does it, and I'd rather fix the problem than just cure the effects by fitting a damper. Of course if everything checks out and she still does it then I'll have no choice but to fit the damper and live with it. I have a small problem with the damper fitment at the moment, in that if I fit the 90/110 damper, it doesn't fit to the chassis bracket, being about 4" forward of it. I'm thinking of trying to fit it to the drag link in the same way as the Series, and see if it pulls it forward to meet the chassis bracket. If not, I'll put a thick steel plate between the chassis mount and the front spring bush bolt, or the spare hole on the dumb iron, and then drill a hole in the middle to suit where the 90/110 damper sits. Oh yeah, and the puppy ate the ball of string so I can't check the tracking yet anyway....causing problems lining up fence posts too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tugboat Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 I've never known another 109 that does it, and I'd rather fix the problem than just cure the effects by fitting a damper. Of course if everything checks out and she still does it then I'll have no choice but to fit the damper and live with it. My 2a 109 suddenly started to do it many years ago - scared the living daylights out of me. As you say, slowing to 10 mph was just about the only way to kill it. I nursed it to the farm and wouldn't use it or let anyone else use it until I'd sorted it out. Very ropey swivels seemed to be the problem, including some loose/stripped studs fixing the lower bearings/steering arms - that's the only tuppence worth I can throw in. Note, I remember clearly that it had very recently passed an MOT test when this occurred (that sort of thing sticks). A few months later, I was following a nearly new S3 109 along a single track road in the Highlands and it was obvious he was having really bad death wobbles too. I flashed him down and told him what had happened to mine but he said the Rover dealer in Inverness (who must have had hundreds, probably thousands, of Series Land Rovers through their hands) had checked out all of that and more and still couldn't pinpoint it. I think you're right - you don't want to mask this with a damper, much better to fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Hancock Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Ed, i have a set of tracking measuring bars, proper comercial ones but old style. Check your swivel preload again and if nessesary set it to the max figure, tracking at max toe in might help as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antichrist Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 When you set the swivel preload was it without the seal fitted and the measurement after overcoming inertia? Very basic I lnow, but often overlooked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 Definitely after overcoming inertia, can't remember about seal but probably before fitting.... Things have conspired against me recently and I've not had time to work on it....its grounded for the time being...hopefully I'll get some time soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted July 26, 2013 Author Share Posted July 26, 2013 Finally I've got round to looking at it! Tyre pressure's don't appear to be the culprit, I drove it to work this morning, and although I didn't get a full on death wobble, I could feel the wheel twitching every time we hit a bump. Dropped the o/s down to 28 and brought the n/s up to 28psi, then after work went for a drive across town. Still the same, can really feel the twitching at every bump, but no full on death wobble again. Have just got it up on axle stands and am about to check the preload..but its a bit warm in the sun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted July 27, 2013 Author Share Posted July 27, 2013 So..minor disaster... O/S swivel had 8lbs turning from left to right and 25 from right to left....think that might well be due to my drive being sloping and the weight of the swivel. Pulled one shim out...then dropped the swivel assembly and the half shaft fell out of the diff end :blush: Finally managed to get it back in and the preload seems less now, so I'm going to have to start again and check the shims haven't got grit on them. Had to leave it last night..will get back on today hopefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted August 10, 2013 Author Share Posted August 10, 2013 So after taking it apart on the 27th...on the 29th I cracked two ribs at work....rather put a stop to it... But, I've managed to get it all back together today, the preload is set at about 15lbs, after overcoming initial sticktion and definatly without the seals fitted. It seems much better, the wheel doesn't twitch every time you hit a bump now, before it was terrible. Had it up to 40 and no wobble yet. Will need to do more miles to be sure though. Not sure how much of a difference it would make, but I've just realised I'd left the FWH locked aswell. Now the brakes are absolutly awful though, so thats another problem to deal with..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted June 2, 2014 Author Share Posted June 2, 2014 Starting to get a few miles on it now, even had it up to 50mph. No return of serious wobbling so things are looking up. Still a little bit of twitch, but I think now is the time to fit the steering damper and be happy that it's as good as it's going to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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