Phizinza Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 EDIT: manual steering, as in non-power steering, if you didn't understand. Alright.. This has me puzzled! In between test driving my new EJ conversion (in a period of about 5 hours) the steering went from it's normal self, to really hard. And I mean, all the time. Driving slow, driving fast, it's just really hard. Now I just went to check it out then and nothing is cought in the steering stuff. And the boots are clean and have not leaked. Heres my theories: 1: the 2mm of rain we had got somewhere it would normally not. I'm saying this because I don't have a bonnet at the moment, my current pod filter doesn't fit under it. 2: It's leaked out and I just can't see where. 3: I replaced a strut tower top hat in the middle of the conversion because the rubber was ripped right off, and maybe this new one is not liking to turn. 4: The left wheel bearing is making noises (this is a almost brand new bearing) which I think is the same reason my brother 83 wagon was doing the same thing, we had a little too much fun in the creeks a while ago and his wheel bearings were full of watery grease and mud. So I'll clean them out this morning. Note: I have just done another wheel alignment with my new camber adjusters. But I wouldn't think this would affect it because it was fine the first drive out, and then I done nothing to it and now this :-\ Any help within the next 24hrs would be AWESOME. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[HTi]Johnson Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 I'm leaning towards the new-ish strut top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted March 15, 2007 Author Share Posted March 15, 2007 What would you suggest to fix that? It's the only one left I have and I live no where near a wrecker. Grease it up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Johnson']I'm leaning towards the new-ish strut top. yes. the first time I replaced a strut top, I forgot the bearing on top... originals are just a flat thrust bearing, but I've had replacement strut tops that came with 2 thin washers with teeny tinyroller bearings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted March 15, 2007 Author Share Posted March 15, 2007 yes. the first time I replaced a strut top, I forgot the bearing on top... originals are just a flat thrust bearing, but I've had replacement strut tops that came with 2 thin washers with teeny tinyroller bearings When I put the EA82 rear springs on my front struts I never remember seeing any bearings in there, and I know I didn't put any bearings back in.. Steering has been for for a year, but now... crapola Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted March 16, 2007 Author Share Posted March 16, 2007 Just took the car for another test drive... All is ok now, back to normal.. What the?? One interesting thing though... Yesterday the steering wheel pointed to the left to go straight, now it points to the right. Only by a few degrees, but enough to annoy me. It has been like this for ages though, each day it points a different way. My steering ball joints are fine, but I think maybe the joints in the rack are stuffed. The rack has no dead zone so there doesn't seem to be any play in it. I'm just confused now. I'll just do the bearings and go from there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 you probably just have thethrust bearing which is just a pair of hardened smooth washers.... I recently had the steering rackrubber bushing/boot (opposite of pinion box) pull out, leaving the rack to "float" on one side. really weird stuff happens then..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted March 16, 2007 Author Share Posted March 16, 2007 Thanks for the help, but I think it's fixed itself... I took it out a couple of times yesterday and it was fine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share Posted March 26, 2007 So, it's back.. well sort of. In the mornings it's a little stiff in patches and slowly comes good. As in, just now I took it for a drive and it didn't want to steer, got half way down the road and it was happy to go a turn to the right, but then stiff, and didn't want to go to the left. but after it got over the "lump" to the left which was about 90degrees of a turn it got freer. Still think it may be the strut top? I'm thinking the gears on the rack are worn, or haven't got enough grease/oil (?) in patches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Phiz, It does go without saying that you have inspected the welds on your front end work VERY carefully?? Im mostly concerned for your safety, and I cant help but think about that every time I see this thread... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted March 27, 2007 Author Share Posted March 27, 2007 It does go without saying that you have inspected the welds on your front end work VERY carefully?? Yeah, they look fine. And the camber adjusters are still set in the same place so they haven't moved and screwed up my alignment either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Kosher... In 1997, the first time I saw a race at Sebring, I watched John Paul Jr. driving a BMW M3 GT2 car.. fifteen minutes after I got to the track, my dad took me to the hairpin. After a few laps, we saw him on the approach.. and suddenly half his steering gear was bouncing down the track in front of him on it's way into the hairpin.. He hit the tire wall, rolled the car over the tire wall along its long axis over onto its roof, and got out.. walked away... Ever since that day, I have had a healthy distrust of front end components.. meaning I triple check torques, and am paranoid about any potential weak points. Good to know that everythings holding up well.... when you finish you need to do a really nice photo album, because I know you;ve got a TON of pictures from what you've done.. you could become the brat professor if you do enough writing to go with it. I'd be willing to help if you need it.. your work is impressive to say the least. We need a thumbs up smiley..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted April 14, 2007 Author Share Posted April 14, 2007 I can't believe no one, INCLUDING ME, didn't think of this.... The uni joint on the steering collum was screwed. ahah... All fixed now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 I can't believe no one, INCLUDING ME, didn't think of this.... The uni joint on the steering collum was screwed. ahah... All fixed now The only steering problem I had ever had (until I thwacked my tie rod ends hitting a curb last year) was that some part going out on my Z car... took forever to diagnose, too. i should have thought of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 What about the steering U-joint? Or do these have the ragjoints? I'd see if that was jammed or torn. *edit* Sonafabish, I feel like a fool. Didn't notice the second page. Oh well, it was the right part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAS83Brumby Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 Don't forget about the rain that you said you had, besides my two brats and legacy I also have a Datsun and when it rains or I go through a deep puddle water gets up in the boots on the manual steering and it becomes hard to steer until it dries out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted April 19, 2007 Author Share Posted April 19, 2007 Well, back from my holiday. 4days of car eating driving.. And it all seems fine. I am yet to wash and get under the car to have a look but the only rattles and clonks are coming from my new 2 piece prop and the mud in the wheels.. The steering is feeling nice and sturdy still.. Pictures of the trip and some video later... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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