Okay, so when I first got this thing, it had slightly wandery steering, reminiscent of my old Series 2. However, with a little bit of judicial adjustment at the box, we eliminated that and it's been spot on ever since. Well, nearly...

The other day I was on a dead straight road doing around 40kph (a massive achievement here) when it felt like the road wheels had become disconnected from the one in front of me. Cranking the wheel to the left caught up with things, but now it has a distinctly, and I mean distinctly vague feel about it in the straight ahead position. The wheel has to be at around 45 degrees left to maintain level flight, whereas before, it was dead straight.

Got underneath, yanked and levered stuff around, but there was no untoward movement in any of the joints or bushes that I could detect. Moving things via the roadwheels is smooth and easy with no hangups or tight spots. Moving the steering wheel, even a tiny amount when stationary, results in a corresponding movement in the road wheels, and vice versa. It only seems to be an issue on the move, when sometimes you have to give a larger input than normal to keep things straight. Like there's a bit "missing" between me and the road, if you get me.

If I'd hit a bloody great pothole, my first stop would have been tracking, but I was on one of the roads that was re-done for the Pope's visit, so it's like a billiard table - for now anyway. It also doesn't account for the suddenness of the occurrence.

Not seeing anything obvious, I seem to remember a post on the "Other Place" about an issue with the slip joint for the steering wheel adjustment. Only problem is a) I'm damned if I can remember anything about it and b) I can't find the post anyway!

Can anyone remember it or have other ideas?

Ta ever so.

Before you go pulling the steering column about, swap your back wheels to the front and vice versa, if the tyres have decided to give up these cars wander all over the place. The pulling to one side does sound like tracking, but with a p38 nothing is surprising!

2 things I've done to mine that have improved handle greatly - but are a PITA to do...

Ball joints, and radius arm bushes. I did ball joints first, and have recently done the radius arm bushes - and both times, it's felt like I've regained some connection with the road.

Altogether I've done:
Ball joints (both upper and lower, both sides)
Track Rod
Drag Link
Steering Damper
Anti-sway bar bushes + drop links
Steering box
Lower steering shaft
Radius arm bushes

Whilst some of the other bit have helped (there was a bit of play in my steering box - but not a lot) the ball joints and radius arm bushes are the only things that have made me feel like it's less likely to throw me into a hedge than anything else...

Worth checking the front panhard rod bushes? If they're gone, it might look fine when poking about but axle will be flopping around underneath when moving...

George! There you are at last .... did the search party find you?

If the steering shaft joint has gone, you will hear a clicking sound when turning the steering wheel back and forth, and be able to see movement on the shaft. It seems to be the top joint that goes.

Has the steering box adjuster come loose? Certainly check the bushes .. .get a crowbar behind them and wiggle.

All I can think of at present.

Have a close look at the chassis around the steering box mounts. I seem to remember Chris finding a crack in his.

Orangebean wrote:

Have a close look at the chassis around the steering box mounts. I seem to remember Chris finding a crack in his.

Mine was indentifiable by a loud clunk, sorted now though, if there's a crack that's the sign,,

Thanks for the pointers guys. I'll be investigating in the morning.

Did new tyres and wheels (19" down to 16") which made a massive improvement. That, coupled with reinstating air, have been the two biggest improvements in ride and drive.

Crowbar-ed all the joints and can't find any play.

Did ARB bushes and drop links recently

Going back to investigate the steering box as there's really nothing else I can see that would change immediately like that apart from the adjuster coming loose. I'll check for cracks as well at the same time.

Will report back.

Hey Spiggy,

Still here but I've had a crappy connection for around two months, which is apparently perfectly acceptable according to my provider's customer service.

After eight weeks I finally got them to send a technician (after having to go through the CEO of their parent company that I happen to know) and in two minutes he'd replaced the modem and hey presto. His comment? "These modem shit. We always have to replace." Good to know.

Just in time for me to go to Thailand for four weeks!

Do you still write your stories on the other site?

I think the folks here would appreciate them ....

Again sounds like typical Bush wear but how old is your Steering Damper GeorgeB ?

SpiggyTopes wrote:

Do you still write your stories on the other site?

I think the folks here would appreciate them ....

You mean this?

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/163103/letter-manila-powered-miguel-brandy

or the new blog...

http://letterfrommanila.com/

Take ya pick!

Cain include in the appropriate section here, if folk would like?

davew wrote:

Again sounds like typical Bush wear but how old is your Steering Damper GeorgeB ?

Nope, damper's all good.

It's the suddenness with which the problem occurred that's got me stumped. Driving happily at 40kph on a completely flat, dead straight road.

Wound up the steering box a tad but a) it needs slacking off again and b) I still have this vague straight ahead steering.

My Thailand trip is on hold at the moment, so I've arranged to get it on a ramp on Thursday.

So a little update of no importance whatsoever.

Yesterday I whizzed it around the corner to the little place that does my oil changes (they won't let me do them in the "Pit of Hell") and whilst it was up in the air, I swung around on all sorts of things, got big leavers and heaved. The only thing with a tiny amount of play was the ARB bushes and, as I had some in stock, I threw them on when I got home. The old ones were a mite soft, but not what you'd call excessive. There was also no evidence that the bar had been shifting around in the bush. I also checked the tightness of the drop links I replaced a couple of months ago. The result? No difference whatsoever!

So back to square one. I still think the suddenness with which it happened is the clue. One minute all fine and dandy on a dead flat and straight rod, the next trying to tramline its way across four lanes. Just frustrating when there's nothing obvious to see.

GOTCHA!

By the power of technology and balancing my phone on top of a torch, I filmed every joint whilst moving the wheel back and forth and there, on video 4 is the lower panhard rod bush doing absolutely nothing!

I'm off up the road to a little "bush" place in the hopes it's a fairly standard size and we can do a quick swop. Let's see!

Aragorn wrote:

Worth checking the front panhard rod bushes? If they're gone, it might look fine when poking about but axle will be flopping around underneath when moving...

Good shout!

You've got to love the make do and mend mentality you get in this part of the world.

So I pulls in my chosen establishment, tell them I need new panhard rod bushes and straight away he say's, "Yes sir, Peso 350 each and 600 labour" without even looking. On enquiring if he's sure they've got the right size, he looks at me gone out and says, "We make them." Oh, okay then.

A guy dives underneath, rips the rod off and passes it to a young lad who disappears around the back. Twenty minutes later he reappears with a perfectly bushed rod. And what do they use? Truck tyre carcasses.

They inject new material into failed ball joints and remake engine/gearbox mounts as well. I'll remember them.

A tenner for two bushes plus a tenner for the job and so for twenty quid, I've got perfect steering again. Nice!

I think you've invalidated your warranty :-)
Good fix and a bargain cure for the wobbles...

Orangebean wrote:

I think you've invalidated your warranty :-)
Good fix and a bargain cure for the wobbles...

If these do another 21 years, I'll be happy!

Funny, there is actually a 3 month warranty on these, which is more than you get on most stuff here.

The owner insists I drop in next time I'm passing and have a brew but seems confident I won't be back with any problem. Let's see.