Hi folks,

My P38 drives really nicely but has developed a horrible shimmying through the steering when braking. There is a bit of play in, I suspect, the steering box (all rod ends are good, hub swivel ball joints replaced with good quality items 2 years ago, can't feel any slop in steering column linkages under the bonnet) but I feel no vagueness or wandering of the steering at all. The front discs are fairly recent and there is no pedale pulsing or dragging of the brakes. Take your foot off the brakes and it stops. The car drives straight and true so I don't believe any of the axle bushes are worn. Are these classic symptoms of anything? If it where an E34 5 series BMW I'd go straight for the upper track control arms but it isn't and so it doesn't have any.

Any help greatfully recieved.

Regards,

Smiler.

Sounds more like an issue with one of the brakes than anything in the steering box...

I have brand new calipers on my RR, and one of the rear ones I've found catches on the caliper carrier once it's all bolted up... looking at it more, it appears that the mounting holes are out of center - and it's causing it to not sit properly... not the most impressed...

If you're getting shimmying, then I'd first check the brake discs to make sure they aren't warped, or that one of them isn't... and that none of the calipers/slide pins are seized. Again on mine (the reason for new calipers/carriers/slide pins/pads all round) was that when I went to do the rear pads, I found a seized slide pin on both LHR/RHR carriers, and the LHR caliper was seized. I had random feelings of a brake dragging/pulling when the brake pedal was pressed - but it also wasn't all the time, or always one corner. When I changed the fronts over, again I found at least one seized slide pin.

The rubber boots on them never seem to last very long - I'm sure I've replaced mine a couple of times in the period I've owned the RR - but this time they'd obviously gone bad before I'd noticed and been able to service them again.

Hope this helps...
Marty

P.S. I have meant to send you a message... did you ever get time to look at that Diesel FIP?

Have you verified the condition of the big rubber bushes at the rear of the radius arms?

Also check the tightness of the nut.

Slack panhard rod bushes could contribute too.

When I re-did my front end there were certain issues with the nut and threads on the ones I fitted as recon units in place of my originals so things didn't get tightened down properly. Braking stability wasn't quite what it should have been which I put down to ageing panhard rod bushes not playing well with the new tight parts. When verifying that the new stainless steel exhaust had been fitted correctly I noticed that the radius arm rear bushes didn't seem properly compressed. After re-tightening to the correct torque braking stability was back to what it should have been.

Clive

Thanks for the replies. As friday afternoons are my 'car' time I shall forego the Scimitar and have a good look at the P38, checking all ofthe above.

Marty, I have to confess that I still haven't done anything with it other than clean it externally. I shall make an effort next oth or return it if you would like it back.

I'm in no rush for it back... I wouldn't know what to do with it in the current state anyway!

My mind was just jogged about it when I saw the diesel lump sitting at the workshop the other week when I was rummaging around for my old power steering pump!

Let us know what you find with your steering etc. Hopefully it's something simple :)

Sorted, the lower slide pin on the nearside front calliper was siezed. Well done Marty.
I also checked the axle bushes whilst I was under there and am happy to say that they all seem sound with no visible perished rubber and no discernable movement when levered with a pry-bar.