Stop driving it and get it fixed
| ausmini https://www.ausmini.com/forums/ |
|
| Steering play https://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=37560 |
Page 1 of 2 |
| Author: | Fat Boy Dave [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 1:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Steering play |
I am starting to get a lot of play in my steering wheel. Not so much left to right but up and down. There is ~1/2 inch of movement. Does anyone know what is the likely cause as i am concerned about losing steering mid corner. As far as I can tell it is standard rover, but it hs had a woodgrain dash added so may have had the steering rack lowered at some point. |
|
| Author: | Hanra [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 3:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Id want to confirm that the rack U bolts were loosened b4 anyone lowered the colum. If not it can chew out the splines in the end of the colum... Thats bad.... otherwise it could be the upper colum bush is U/S. |
|
| Author: | sports850 [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 3:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
So which way is the play in the wheel , is it as though the column is moving side to side in the tube it sits in ? Or is it moving towards the dash and away from the dash in the tube ? Or is it moving up and down from the floor to the ceiling ? Or is it the wheeel itself on the column ? Just trying to figure out if it's a worn bush like Hanra suggests or something else . Edit> or is the whole steering column (tube included) moving towards the dash and back as if the bracket that mounts the column to the dash is loose . |
|
| Author: | minidrifter [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 3:40 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
i had a similar problem, altho i think yours is a bit more serious than mine, all mine was was the bolt that goes under the column which holds it up was almost completely worn through, like it was eating through the bolt if you know what i mean, it had gone through the thread of it, so just check your bolt is where i would say to start then check more serious things. other than that i have no idea |
|
| Author: | 9YaTaH [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 5:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Stop |
Stop driving it and get it fixed
|
|
| Author: | BALLISTIC [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
probably the bush (at the bottom) or bearing in the steering column......nothing unusual best get it rectified asap!!! |
|
| Author: | sgc [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Steering play |
Fat Boy Dave wrote: i am concerned about losing steering mid corner.
I had that happen to me, on the Calder freeway. The car ever-so-slightly changed direction over an expansion joint, and after pulling off the freeway the column completely stripped off the rack splines. Don't drive it, until you sort it out. Seriously. If you like, I can have a look 
|
|
| Author: | Fat Boy Dave [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:24 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
So Simon, are you free tomorrow? |
|
| Author: | Hanra [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
BALLISTIC wrote: probably the bush (at the bottom) or bearing in the steering column......
??? The lower bush, if you can call it that is a strip of felt soaked in oil... The top bush is nylon plastic sorta stuff. Cant find any bearings in my colum..... |
|
| Author: | Fat Boy Dave [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:31 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Sorry I should clarify, the plat is up and down the steering column, so the wheel moves up and down the shaft. Although if I look behind the wheel, it appears the the whole shaft is moving up and down the steering column. 
|
|
| Author: | sgc [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Fat Boy Dave wrote: So Simon, are you free tomorrow?
PM 
|
|
| Author: | Fat Boy Dave [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Sorry I should clarify, the play is up and down the steering column, so the wheel moves up and down the shaft. Although if I look behind the wheel, it appears that the whole shaft is moving up and down the steering column.
|
|
| Author: | drmini in aust [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:36 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
If it moves that far, either the 2 pinion bearings are shot, or more likely the spline is loose or worn out in base of column. Tighten the split clamp nut at bottom, but if no gap left where it's split, take it out and inspect. It's dangerous if spline is worn out, you can go straight ahead on corners. Eh, 9YaYaH... 
<edit> I've never seen pinion bearings give much shaft movement, even when shot. |
|
| Author: | Hanra [ Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Ok so its in and out the free play. Check the bolt at the spline end of the colum. Confirm its tight. If it is, then its the pinion itself moving up and down inside the rack..... If so, drop the front subframe out of the car about 3-4 inches and remove the entire steering rack and get it reco'd, and check the condition of the splines in the lower part of the colum. |
|
| Author: | 9YaTaH [ Sat Nov 10, 2007 12:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Hair - Yeah Yeah |
Hanra wrote: Ok so its in and out the free play. Check the bolt at the spline end of the colum. Confirm its tight. If it is, then its the pinion itself moving up and down inside the rack.....
If so, drop the front subframe out of the car about 3-4 inches and remove the entire steering rack and get it reco'd, and check the condition of the splines in the lower part of the colum. It's dangerous if spline is worn out, you can go straight ahead on corners. Eh, 9YaYaH...its 9YaTaH Doc  ...you make me sound like an old cricketer 
Yeah or worst of all...you might not go straight ahead where you might at least have had some chance of getting on the brakes. When a Mini steering becomes unnconnected you have a big chance of the wheels flopping to full lock depending on the camber of road, previous wheel angle etc. Hanra...no offence, but checking the tightness of the pinch bolt whilst good practice completely ignores the possibility that it is almost worn through and no longer clamping the pinion. If the splines on the pinion are damaged or missing then it is also a little academic to be checking the tightness of the pinchbolt.
If the pinion has major problems with the rack then it needs to be fixed ASAP because it can kill you. Rant nearly over 
To reiterate....the reason we need to be careful here is that there are plenty of youngsters and others out there in Mini land who have no idea just how important this area of a Mini is and how hard it can bite if not quckly attended to.... Both the Doc and myself have walked away (eventually!!) from big shunts caused by failures in this weak area of design in the Mini. In my case, I kept driving a car with about 1-2 inches of freeplay in the steering wheel whilst I waited for a replacement rack to be delivered. Not an excessive amount of freeplay in an old steering system...but it jumped up and bit me (and please, nobody rabbit on about how Mini racks were good enough to be used in Ferrari 308s after lengthening etc....) |
|
| Page 1 of 2 | All times are UTC + 10 hours |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/ |
|