Hey all i have a little question about steering.
Lil has this thing were the steering gets rediculusly stiff every now and again. Ie: i pull out of a carpark and turn to the right on a main road, All good end up in the right lane, Then go to change to the left lane but it is almost impossible to move the wheel to the left. If i give a quick flick to the right, Its all good and free moving again.
I have changed the steering rack and Tie-rod ends, had all the ball-joints re shimed and a couple replaced, subframes measured and suspension sorted.......
But i havent had a propper wheel alighnment done yet. I have done a pretty good job of it myself but havent had it all propper alighned and stuff on a doo-hickie thing. I sort of feel that i still might have to pull things apart to sort this out and am strugling for cash. so dont want to pay for an alighnment only to pull it apart the next day and stuff it again.
Any ideas?
Or could this be a symptom of wheel alighnment?

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One Lill-Red 1100
A project morris van
One rusty assed delux shell
and a clubby van

sounds more like the clamp bolt at the bottom of the steering column might have the bolt way too long & hitting the floor maybe ---Just a wild guess tho, easy fixed if i`m right

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Maybe a buggered steering column lock assy???

i`ll keep thinking for more easy solution possibilities

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

negotive on the clamp bolt thanks miniman.
what axactly do you mean by the column lock assy? sorry just not sure what you mean.
Thanks for ideas though

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One Lill-Red 1100
A project morris van
One rusty assed delux shell
and a clubby van

er...um...maybe you have an early mini like in your avitar thingy (Doh!!!) which don`t normally have steering column locks, so cancel that one out

I`ve known some CV joints that, when they`ve got a crack in the bell, tend to expand & grab up on some steering lock, happened to me actually, but still, i`ll keep thinking of more reasons.

where did you get the rack from & was it new/reco/what???

hard to diagnose properly without the car here tho , but good fun trying to guess

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

twas a reco rack from mini king. Oh and yea tis the very same one as in my avitar.
63, 850, well was once. Other than some parts of the shell i don't recon you can call it an 850 any more..... i'm just going to go lay under it for a while now and see if anything drops off and hits me in the face.
Tends to feel like its resistance in the steering, not actualy something stopping it.... hmm ok grease time..

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One Lill-Red 1100
A project morris van
One rusty assed delux shell
and a clubby van

How often do you grease it? Should be every 3000 miles (5000km)
Crook allignment and big tyres can add up to funny steering as well.

i havent greased it since i put it in but i recon i would be luckie to have done 500 k's on it since then....
In getting under it just now i realised that the left boot on the end of the steering rack is fouling on the passenger footwell.....
and i think that the bit in the end that slides back and forward inside that boot is also fouling..
i'm goung to try giving the inside of the u-clamp a few good belts with BFH and see if a cant get some cleerance

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One Lill-Red 1100
A project morris van
One rusty assed delux shell
and a clubby van

wow.... sorry bout the spelling there

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One Lill-Red 1100
A project morris van
One rusty assed delux shell
and a clubby van

Ummmmmm.....before you go whacking things....why not take a picture or two and get some more advice....or take it to a mechanic that knows Minis....steering is just toooooo damn important to go whacking things just for the hell of it

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"Show me the Mini!"

I would love to take it to a mechanic....
but i already did that came back super for about 7 days. then went to s*$t again. spent $1000 on front end susp and steering set up and sorting a missfire. Has already been back to sort the remissfire and is still stuffed. I've had it for 2 weeks out of the last month and a half and the steering has gon to poo again.
I'm pretty certain that the steering rack is not meant to foul on the passanger floor and i recon i can see that the floor is boed inward a little where the u-bolt comes thropugh the floor. I dont have anymore money to spend on mechanics and or parts and i need it as it is my only mode of transport......
Sorry if that seems a little grumpy but i've had it with mechanics and i'm about ready to torch the car

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One Lill-Red 1100
A project morris van
One rusty assed delux shell
and a clubby van

If you have spent that much dosh with the one mechanic and you are not satisfied.....well....you seem to have a genuine beef. Contact your Motoring Association, the Motor Traders group and or the Dept of Fair Trading and get some satisfaction

In the meantime, ask one of the nice Mini people on Ausmini who live close by to come and give you an opinion on whats wrong and what needs to be done

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"Show me the Mini!"

I have a funny feeling that the prob is that the mini i bought, While looking great on paper..... is actualy a pice of BLANK. I have done nothing but throw bucket loads of money at it since i bought it and i would say that it is genuinly worse than when i did buy it.
I dont know really...
i'm just starting to think i should have never bought it...
Anyone want to pay to much for a nice looking crap running mini?
$7000 to cover the initial purchase and i'll wear the 3 or 4 i have spent since....
hmmm.
If i had only spent that on the van shell in the shed... i would have a really nice mini by now.

P.s. I dont recon its the mechanics fault.... I think the car just dont like me

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One Lill-Red 1100
A project morris van
One rusty assed delux shell
and a clubby van

Mate....just about any Mini problem can be fixed for peanuts (relatively speaking)....its usual only when you go to non-Mini savvy mechs that problems compound themselves and the repair bills mount up....

Come on Aderaid.....you guys have plenty to say at any other time :

....how about organising a tech session visit for Ben

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"Show me the Mini!"