'71 SC steering play - can you advise please?

S

sandyjohnty

New Member
My 71 SC drives well, particularly on the straight but when I go though a long left or right hand bend it becomes a bit of a handful and have to reduce speed(from 50/60 mph) Using the manual I have just jacked it up with front wheels clear of the ground. Some(minimal) play when the steering is centred but a lot of play at the end of each lock! I have shaken the road wheel but does not seem to be a great deal. At first I expected a track rod end but I now doubt that because of little steering play on the straight road wheels, little play in box in that position. Can any one suggest what is happening on left or right locks please?
 
That's how it should be . More free play on lock to allow for adjusting out the play in the straight ahead position where it wears most

Have you checked the tracking, wheel bearing adjustment and are you using decent front tyres ?
 
You really need an assistant to do these checks.

1st with the car straight forward rock the steering wheel while keeping an eye on the road wheel. A 1 inch movement on the steering wheel should show a slight movement on the tyre - any more and you can adjust the steering box - but don't over do it / get some one to assist who knows what they are doing

1st with the car straight forward get the assistant to rock the steering wheel - put the palm of your hand around each ball joint on the steering rods on both sides of the car and at the back of the engine bay.

It should be quite easy to spot a clunk in a loose ball joint.

Now get your assistant to pull/push ( with a lot of effort) the top of each front wheel and feel for play in the top and bottom joints - You may also be able to feel wheel bearing play as well

While still swinging on the front wheel put your hand on the ball joint that attaches to the lower suspension arm from a stay rod at 45 degrees - it was this that caused the wandering feeling on my car last year.

Hopefully one of those checks should reveal the problem
 
Check all the steering joints, then the box adjustment and for play in the idler, if it's all OK check/set the FWA.
Another thing to look at are the rear suspension toplinks, if the bushes wear or worse still pull out of the boot sides that can make the steering feel terrible.
 
Thanks for your reply Dave. The tyres are good, wheel bearing seems ok- not tight though. Tracking may need checking though but no evidence of any scrubbing. The car feels a little like it is tram lining
 
Hi John

What do you mean by "a bit of a handful"? In comparison to modern (rack and pinion steering) cars the P6 is famously vague about the straight ahead. I always find it a bit of a shock when coming back to it after a break, but quickly get used to not expecting to be able to correct to the millimeter. You just need to be a bit more relaxed about holding the wheel. Once on lock, though, the steering should load up nicely and become reasonably alive and informative. Even the power steered cars are quite good in this respect.

Something sufficiently alarming to cause you to slow down sounds more like a suspension malady of some sort. It can be difficult at first to unentangle suspension response from steering response. As a broad hint I'd suggest that steering issues are around delivering input to the car, suspension issues about how it responds to that input. There are a host of possible suspension problems which might make you want to slow down in a corner. If the problem was at low speed (eg turning into a roundabout) then I might suggest weak front dampers leading to sudden lurch into roll. From what you say it's more at cruising speed so perhaps bad back dampers causing the back end to feel skittish?

Give us a few more clues!

Regards

Chris
 
Hi Chris
I live in Runcorn Cheshire which has 'express ways' - a mini motorway system. Straight is OK - no vaguenes or wander. Roundabouts are not a problem- the car centres nicely without squeaks or bangs. Long bends though is my problem and that is the handful issue. Then it does seem vague. A small correction seems to need a larger opposite action. I think 'yawing' might be the best word to describe. As you mention suspension it is only a rule of thumb but the springing does not appear loose and squashy and each corner comes back within 3 bounces
 
Hi John, thanks for that, that's much clearer!

The "yawing" sounds a bit like an Austin Cambridge under full sail! But seriously, three bounces before settling at each corner would cause me to want to change all four dampers. Plus your description is pretty well how I would expect the car to behave with expired dampers.

There's a set of Munroe blue dampers on Ebay tonight. Erik the Viking (a freqent poster on here) bought a set of these recently for his V8 and they actually made matters worse. And the V8 (or was it Rich's right foot?) has enough power to get axle tramp with bad dampers into the bargain! The Munroe reds (gas filled) are OK but I'd be more inclined to give one of the specialists a shout - I'd start with Ian Wilson (Rover-Classics) cos he's a freind, but many others!

Best of luck

Chris
 
Thanks to keanej and harveyp6 for their contributions which I will follow up tomorrow. Although I have had the car for 2/3 years this issue is not new. But I have not done many miles in it either.It got a new MOT this month as well!
Do you all think the tester should have picked these issues up. Not that I am about to complain as I deliberately take it to a classic friendly MOT station
 
It reminds me of what my 2000 TC used to do last year when i bought it. It was standing for 3 or more years and probably due to this some suspension bushes were rusty and stiff. Probably this is why with exercise (regular driving) it improved from a terrifying experience to just nervous on anything than a smooth road.
However, i was aware that the front top link inner bushes were worn or non existent and the steering idler arm had a great deal of play. A couple of weeks ago managed to renew those items and now it is not a problem to keep the lines no matter how bad the road surface, even at high speeds :D
 
sandyjohnty said:
It got a new MOT this month as well!
Do you all think the tester should have picked these issues up. Not that I am about to complain as I deliberately take it to a classic friendly MOT station
Click to expand...
I used to find loads of totally knackered top and bottom ball joints straight after the cars had passed the MOT. Most testers haven't got a clue how to check them.
 
[Another thing to look at are the rear suspension toplinks, if the bushes wear or worse still pull out of the boot sides that can make the steering feel terrible. ]
I am still working through suggestions by yourselves. One thing I have just found out is the rear top link bushes as mentioned by harveyp6. There does not seem to be a lot of end float and the rubber has not obviously delaminated but I find that the top link rod can be turned, maybe a eighth of a turn or less. Should this be rock solid on the bushes and no movement?
 
Thanks Dave
I still have my Void Bush tool from my days with Mk3 & 5's. Must dig it out to see if it fits. Might need it again!
Cheers
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top