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[terry paget]

I note all steering boxes on e-bay have drop links attached. It seems sensible to ignore Haynes and disconnect drop arm from central track rod, then on reassembly alignment should be easy - pop drop arm hole on central track rod pin, set wheels straight ahead, set steering wheel central.

Any comments?

[Andy H]

Good luck with getting the steering arm off the shaft of the steering box.

Separating the ball joint from the steering arm should be easy in comparison.

[terry paget]

Good luck with getting the steering arm off the shaft of the steering box.

Separating the ball joint from the steering arm should be easy in comparison.

Indeed. And I would have to do it on both old, and replacement, steering boxes.

[Nick W]

Good luck with getting the steering arm off the shaft of the steering box.

Separating the ball joint from the steering arm should be easy in comparison.

Indeed. And I would have to do it on both old, and replacement, steering boxes.

That is a job that is best done with a puller. A big one. Especially if the box isn't on the car.
But steering boxes don't wear out until they've done more miles than most(pretty much all) of our cars are likely to manage.


And I would expect the steering drop arm to have a master spline so it only fits in one place on the box.

[terry paget]

Good luck with getting the steering arm off the shaft of the steering box.

Separating the ball joint from the steering arm should be easy in comparison.

Indeed. And I would have to do it on both old, and replacement, steering boxes.

That is a job that is best done with a puller. A big one. Especially if the box isn't on the car.
But steering boxes don't wear out until they've done more miles than most(pretty much all) of our cars are likely to manage.


And I would expect the steering drop arm to have a master spline so it only fits in one place on the box.

The replacement box, ordered Friday morning, arrived Saturday midday. There is indeed a master spline, so that settles the alignment problem. It may still be simpler to remove the old box with drop arm attached, and replace new box with arm attached. Any thoughts?

[Andy H]

Did the replacement box arrive with an arm attached?

If it did then you are good to go. If not then you are going to need a hoofing great hydraulic puller to get the arm off your old box.

[Webby the Bear]

Hi Terry, I can’t help on the topic as I’ve never done one.

However looking up at its location it looks like a sod to do 

How come you’re changing it out of interest?

Hijack over, please continue.... 😁😁😁

[terry paget]

Did the replacement box arrive with an arm attached?

If it did then you are good to go. If not then you are going to need a hoofing great hydraulic puller to get the arm off your old box.

Yes, there are a dozen on e-bay, all with drop arms attached. So they come off all right with drop arms attached, and I presume they will go back on with drop arms attached. Haynes describes how to change a steering box.

[terry paget]

Hi Terry, I can’t help on the topic as I’ve never done one.

However looking up at its location it looks like a sod to do 

How come you’re changing it out of interest?

Hijack over, please continue.... 😁😁😁

Because the steering doesn't feel right, wanders, unlike any other Omega I have ever owned. The car ( a 2001 2.5 manual estate) is otherwise in excellent condition, with very little rust. I have changed wishbones, track rods and drop links, and achieved nothing. Now I suspect the steering box.

Reading the Haynes guide, job sounds tricky, and there is no forum guide. It will have to serve a bit longer, though, because son Dan rang today and wants to borrow a car until Christmas.

[Lazydocker]

Hi Terry, I can’t help on the topic as I’ve never done one.

However looking up at its location it looks like a sod to do 

How come you’re changing it out of interest?

Hijack over, please continue.... 😁😁😁

Because the steering doesn't feel right, wanders, unlike any other Omega I have ever owned. The car ( a 2001 2.5 manual estate) is otherwise in excellent condition, with very little rust. I have changed wishbones, track rods and drop links, and achieved nothing. Now I suspect the steering box.

Reading the Haynes guide, job sounds tricky, and there is no forum guide. It will have to serve a bit longer, though, because son Dan rang today and wants to borrow a car until Christmas.

You have adjusted the slack out of the box I assume?

[terry paget]

Hi Terry, I can’t help on the topic as I’ve never done one.

However looking up at its location it looks like a sod to do 

How come you’re changing it out of interest?

Hijack over, please continue.... 😁😁😁

Because the steering doesn't feel right, wanders, unlike any other Omega I have ever owned. The car ( a 2001 2.5 manual estate) is otherwise in excellent condition, with very little rust. I have changed wishbones, track rods and drop links, and achieved nothing. Now I suspect the steering box.

Reading the Haynes guide, job sounds tricky, and there is no forum guide. It will have to serve a bit longer, though, because son Dan rang today and wants to borrow a car until Christmas.

You have adjusted the slack out of the box I assume?

No. This was discussed in a recent thread http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=140482.0 and as free movement was only 70mm I was discouraged from adjusting it lest I make the car undriveable.

[ajsphead]

Hi Terry, I can’t help on the topic as I’ve never done one.

However looking up at its location it looks like a sod to do 

How come you’re changing it out of interest?

Hijack over, please continue.... 😁😁😁

Because the steering doesn't feel right, wanders, unlike any other Omega I have ever owned. The car ( a 2001 2.5 manual estate) is otherwise in excellent condition, with very little rust. I have changed wishbones, track rods and drop links, and achieved nothing. Now I suspect the steering box.

Reading the Haynes guide, job sounds tricky, and there is no forum guide. It will have to serve a bit longer, though, because son Dan rang today and wants to borrow a car until Christmas.

XJAT wandered all over the road when I first bought it, to the point where it was genuinely worrying. It was what led me to this forum, and to the first full geometric alignment I had done, which as I recall basically showed all 4 wheels pointing in different directions. Before embarking on a nasty job I'd be inclined to have the settings checked again. I remember the front springs were getting pretty tired 40K miles ago so unless you've replaced them I wonder if they are now no longer serviceable and are too soft to control the front end of the car properly.

Current Omega tended to wander a bit too. Again full geomtric alignment helped then full Eibach -30s and it is rock steady.

[Webby the Bear]

Hi Terry, I can’t help on the topic as I’ve never done one.

However looking up at its location it looks like a sod to do 

How come you’re changing it out of interest?

Hijack over, please continue.... 😁😁😁

Because the steering doesn't feel right, wanders, unlike any other Omega I have ever owned. The car ( a 2001 2.5 manual estate) is otherwise in excellent condition, with very little rust. I have changed wishbones, track rods and drop links, and achieved nothing. Now I suspect the steering box.

Reading the Haynes guide, job sounds tricky, and there is no forum guide. It will have to serve a bit longer, though, because son Dan rang today and wants to borrow a car until Christmas.

XJAT wandered all over the road when I first bought it, to the point where it was genuinely worrying. It was what led me to this forum, and to the first full geometric alignment I had done, which as I recall basically showed all 4 wheels pointing in different directions. Before embarking on a nasty job I'd be inclined to have the settings checked again. I remember the front springs were getting pretty tired 40K miles ago so unless you've replaced them I wonder if they are now no longer serviceable and are too soft to control the front end of the car properly.

Current Omega tended to wander a bit too. Again full geomtric alignment helped then full Eibach -30s and it is rock steady.

Exactly what I was thinking tbh.

[terry paget]

Hi Terry, I can’t help on the topic as I’ve never done one.

However looking up at its location it looks like a sod to do 

How come you’re changing it out of interest?

Hijack over, please continue.... 😁😁😁

Because the steering doesn't feel right, wanders, unlike any other Omega I have ever owned. The car ( a 2001 2.5 manual estate) is otherwise in excellent condition, with very little rust. I have changed wishbones, track rods and drop links, and achieved nothing. Now I suspect the steering box.

Reading the Haynes guide, job sounds tricky, and there is no forum guide. It will have to serve a bit longer, though, because son Dan rang today and wants to borrow a car until Christmas.

XJAT wandered all over the road when I first bought it, to the point where it was genuinely worrying. It was what led me to this forum, and to the first full geometric alignment I had done, which as I recall basically showed all 4 wheels pointing in different directions. Before embarking on a nasty job I'd be inclined to have the settings checked again. I remember the front springs were getting pretty tired 40K miles ago so unless you've replaced them I wonder if they are now no longer serviceable and are too soft to control the front end of the car properly.

Current Omega tended to wander a bit too. Again full geomtric alignment helped then full Eibach -30s and it is rock steady.

Thanks for that information ajsphead. I did not know the car had a history of wandering. I have your 8/7/2012 Fcm Wheel Alignment report in front of me. They reset front camber a bit, front toe in not at all, and rear camber and toe not at all. Since then I have changed wishbones, track rods and drop links twice, resetting toe in by setting front rears parallel to rear wheels and camber with a camber gauge, wheels supported under wishbones. Not ideal I admit, but it works fine on all my other Omegas. It always romps throught MOT tests. I can find no signs of broken chassis, loose back end, etc. I have not changed the front springs, but they ain't broken. The tyres are 'budget', as on all my Omegas, but no other cars wander.

The car is not the joy to drive that my other Omegas are, so I want to correct the wandery steering. I could have a full alignment set up; I could fit new tyres; I could fit new springs; I could change the steering box. I have taken advice from this forum. As said before, I thought new wishbones and track rods would cure things - they did not. I changed the central track rod, that did not cure it either.

To be more specific, cornering steering wheel effort is more than on other Omegas, and on braking to a standstill steering pulls to the left.

[Nick W]

The steering box is the last place I would be looking.
Has it had new struts, strut tops and bearings yet? That's NEW, not used-up bits from your stash.
Then a proper alignment, as it does make a big difference.