[OMalley]

(I did search.. just 'steering' brings up everything)

So, my steering in my sierra is really sloppy and i'm wondering what to do about it…?

I did a bit of a ring around to local wreckers and found a bloke with eveything, pwr steering wise, out of a jimny. But he wanted $1500 for it

Soo thats out of the question... now I'm wondering what can be done to reduce the slack in my sloppy steering?

Cheers

[Scrawny]

The box is quite easily adjusted by winding the adjuster on the top. Check out the mAnual in the download section

[OMalley]

ScrawnC wrote:

The box is quite easily adjusted by winding the adjuster on the top. Check out the mAnual in the download section

Yer ive done that, tightened almost fully (full turn off being tight) and the steering is still horrible. Heaps of slack...

[want33s]

OMalley wrote:

ScrawnC wrote:

The box is quite easily adjusted by winding the adjuster on the top. Check out the mAnual in the download section

Yer ive done that, tightened almost fully (full turn off being tight) and the steering is still horrible. Heaps of slack...

Check the little ball joints on the tie rod and the drag link for play.
Get someone to wobble the wheel while you look for slop.

[steak_knife]

Buggered spring shackles can make for sloppiness to.

[MacDaddy]

The steering on my 89 Vit has just started doing the same, ( it has power steering ) the steering feels loose and wanders on the road a bit, my steering wheel can go from being straight/horizontal, to leaning to the left, or about 15 to 20 degrees of horizontal while driving along, and when i turn it feels like the wheels are digging in more then usual... its odd

Anyway its booked into the Zook Machanic on tuesday, just hope they find the problem...

[want33s]

MacBear wrote:

The steering on my 89 Vit has just started doing the same, ( it has power steering ) the steering feels loose and wanders on the road a bit, my steering wheel can go from being straight/horizontal, to leaning to the left, or about 15 to 20 degrees of horizontal while driving along, and when i turn it feels like the wheels are digging in more then usual... its odd

Anyway its booked into the Zook Machanic on tuesday, just hope they find the problem...

Tie rod ends, rack ends, lower ball joints, control arm bushes can all cause that.
Sounds like your Vit is overdue for maintenance.

[steak_knife]

want33s wrote:

MacBear wrote:

The steering on my 89 Vit has just started doing the same, ( it has power steering ) the steering feels loose and wanders on the road a bit, my steering wheel can go from being straight/horizontal, to leaning to the left, or about 15 to 20 degrees of horizontal while driving along, and when i turn it feels like the wheels are digging in more then usual... its odd

Anyway its booked into the Zook Machanic on tuesday, just hope they find the problem...

Tie rod ends, rack ends, lower ball joints, control arm bushes can all cause that.
Sounds like your Vit is overdue for maintenance.

Or stop putting stand's under the control arm's.

[OMalley]

Thanks guys for the replies,

steknig wrote:

Buggered spring shackles can make for sloppiness to.

My front drivers side shackle is bent (leaf spring sits left of the mount - half an inch or so) Worth worrying about?

[steak_knife]

OMalley wrote:

Thanks guys for the replies,

steknig wrote:

Buggered spring shackles can make for sloppiness to.

My front drivers side shackle is bent (leaf spring sits left of the mount - half an inch or so) Worth worrying about?

Um, yes.

[MacDaddy]

want33s wrote:

MacBear wrote:

The steering on my 89 Vit has just started doing the same, ( it has power steering ) the steering feels loose and wanders on the road a bit, my steering wheel can go from being straight/horizontal, to leaning to the left, or about 15 to 20 degrees of horizontal while driving along, and when i turn it feels like the wheels are digging in more then usual... its odd

Anyway its booked into the Zook Machanic on tuesday, just hope they find the problem...

Tie rod ends, rack ends, lower ball joints, control arm bushes can all cause that.
Sounds like your Vit is overdue for maintenance.

Ok thanks for that, will mention it to them... Yes it is a bit, lol, when i got it at the end of 08, it had had very little maintenance done on it, the engine oil was so bad it was like thick black syrup !
I have had a few small things done, but i have saved enough to get alot done now !

[MacDaddy]

steknig wrote:

want33s wrote:

MacBear wrote:

The steering on my 89 Vit has just started doing the same, ( it has power steering ) the steering feels loose and wanders on the road a bit, my steering wheel can go from being straight/horizontal, to leaning to the left, or about 15 to 20 degrees of horizontal while driving along, and when i turn it feels like the wheels are digging in more then usual... its odd

Anyway its booked into the Zook Machanic on tuesday, just hope they find the problem...

Tie rod ends, rack ends, lower ball joints, control arm bushes can all cause that.
Sounds like your Vit is overdue for maintenance.

Or stop putting stand's under the control arm's.

They werent under the control arms, they were under the wishbones, in the divot for the bottom of the strut...

[Built4thrashing]

i had similar scary steering in my WT sierra. Considering the thing is 20years old and still has its original steering arms it was overdue for new arms. Brand new ones from suziworld were $250. thats both the drag link and tie rods. took a bit of fiddling about to fit them but the difference was amazing. did a quick wheel alignment myself and it STEERS BETER THAN IT EVER HAS. gonna replace the steering biscuit and maybe the steering box too as mine is a bit stiff and feels like it full of sand.

but just swapping the steering arms has stopped the half turn on the steering wheel needed when cruising just to keep it going straight.


B4T

[OMalley]

steknig wrote:

OMalley wrote:

Thanks guys for the replies,

steknig wrote:

Buggered spring shackles can make for sloppiness to.

My front drivers side shackle is bent (leaf spring sits left of the mount - half an inch or so) Worth worrying about?

Um, yes.

Haha Right.

Seems it Depends who you ask down this way

[OMalley]

Built4thrashing wrote:

i had similar scary steering in my WT sierra. Considering the thing is 20years old and still has its original steering arms it was overdue for new arms. Brand new ones from suziworld were $250. thats both the drag link and tie rods. took a bit of fiddling about to fit them but the difference was amazing. did a quick wheel alignment myself and it STEERS BETER THAN IT EVER HAS. gonna replace the steering biscuit and maybe the steering box too as mine is a bit stiff and feels like it full of sand.

but just swapping the steering arms has stopped the half turn on the steering wheel needed when cruising just to keep it going straight.


B4T

Ill look into that, got a bit of a checklist goin here lol

Its that "half turn" that makes even 70km/h on country roads terrifying

[Built4thrashing]

steering box and biscuit is done. and wow its a completely different car to drive. i shuld have done this ages ago but im just lazy sometimes.


B4T