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[Marks DTM Calib]

Shake above 70mph will almost definitely be poorly balanced tyres....

The tweak involves taking out the vertical play in the steering box output shaft.

If you look at the top of the box you will see a bolt and locking nut type setup....you need the engine running and somebody wiggling the steering (they should be able to feel the play as lost motion), slacken the locking nut and slowly wind the bolt in a very small amount until the lost motion is reduced....it shouldn't be much, quarter turn max...lock it off and see how you get on it.....do not be tempted to over-do this adjustment.....

I have to say, it did apparently make a difference to The Boys car....

[bestseany]

I thought it would be tyre balance causing my problems, but I had two new tyres fitted a month ago, and it helped a bit but the shake is still there. Could tracking be causing it?

How do you get access to the steering box adjustment? Just not sure what I'm looking for.

[Marks DTM Calib]

I thought it would be tyre balance causing my problems, but I had two new tyres fitted a month ago, and it helped a bit but the shake is still there. Could tracking be causing it?

But, did they do a good job, most only run the machine at one speed and fit a single weight to the inside or outside to balance them....this is not good enough for wide wheels.

How do you get access to the steering box adjustment? Just not sure what I'm looking for.

Incredibly easy....its the back left of the engine bay below the brake fluid res....you cant miss it  

[sophos9]

Cheers Mark :beer:

[bestseany]

But, did they do a good job, most only run the machine at one speed and fit a single weight to the inside or outside to balance them....this is not good enough for wide wheels.

Incredibly easy....its the back left of the engine bay below the brake fluid res....you cant miss it  

Pass. I've never been there before, so not sure how good they are. I'll get the balance checked when I get the tracking done, as I'm sure this needs doing after replacing the steering idle arm.

I'll be happy if the dodgy steering is fixed by a turn of a bolt  

[bestseany]

Just a thought. I'm off work all next week so want to get everything sorted then.

Are the wishbones and drop links a likely cause of my wobbly handling and vague steering too? Should I get some new ones and replace them? The mileage is on 128k so I'm assuming they must be knackered anyway by now.

I don't mind having a go at doing them myself, but I'm far from an expert when it comes to mechanics. Are they easy enough to replace and would buying a ball-joint splitter be useful?

Sorry about all the questions, but I want to make sure I cover everything.  

[old cruiser]

Another thing worth checking is the strut top nuts, in particular the one that sits under the large domed washer; if you mope the bonnet you will see the nut that secures the large domed washer, remove this nut along with the washer and you will then see another nut which holds the spring/bearing assembly etc. together , make sure this nut is tight, if it is loose this can cause wobble as I have found on a previous Carlton I had; I had tried allsorts i.e balancing, tracking etc, even changed the strut bearings and problem disappeared, but  after  a couple of weeks it returned and this is when I found that these nuts had worked loose again, tightened back down and secured with loctite and hey presto no more wobble!
Worth a try
Cheers Pete

[bestseany]

That's another thing to check then mate  

Although I would've thought that a loose bolt up there would cause knocking wouldn't it?

[old cruiser]

They weren't loose enough to cause any knocking as it happens, but worth checking anyway
cheers Pete