Play at steering wheel

[grifter]

Last Month or so I've noticed a slight play in steering wheel, sure I heard a clunk noise from it as well one day while turning, and could almost feel it through my hands.

I done a check of the steering box yesterday with car up on ramps and assistant rocking steering side to side (Engine on). Couldn't see any issues with any of the links or anything around the box, no rot near the box, but I could feel a slight clunk through the steering arms, which appeared to be coming from behind the bulkhead area.

I put my hand up under the brake pedal and could feel the UJ thingy and again I could feel this slight clunk but it did seem up more towards the steering wheel. So I'm guessing it's a new bearing at the steering shaft. Has any one done this before is it just a case of steering wheel off, or do I need to change the whole adjuster unit with bearing incorporated in it?

Thanks

Andrew

[Webby the Bear]

Got identical issue. Watching with interest.

I've had airbag off, lower trim etc, checked steering wheel nut tightness and all good.

[Enceladus]

First thing to check is the steering idler arm, on the nearside at the bulkhead, for play in the bush. Also the centre tie-rod ball-joints.

[grifter]

First thing to check is the steering idler arm, on the nearside at the bulkhead, for play in the bush. Also the centre tie-rod ball-joints.

Would you "see" play in that just rocking the steering, does it need to be checked another way? I didn't see any movement looked tight.

[Entwood]

You can also get excessive play in the steering box, - beyond the "design" play - my old one had an MOT advisory for it some while back .. fix is simple loosen locknut, tighten screw, tighten locknut .. HOWEVER,  DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN as this can cause the steering to lock I was told .. its matter of very small adjustments - 1/16 of a turn - until the play is back in limits. The MOT bible gives the allowed play .. its all to do with marking the steering wheel and inches of movement before the wheels actually move, unfortunately I no longer have a copy ......

[cam.in.head]

you will always have a small amount of play in a steering box compared to a rack but this should be minimal and not something that has "suddenly" appeared and especially with the noise as well.
should be easy enough to find but start at the begginning. make sure the steering wheel movement is all being transferred down to the uj by the pedals.if not we could be talking loose steering wheel,top bearing ,adjuster/tilt mechanism uj .
the visible uj by the pedals should have no play and be tight on its shafts.
with a bit of care and patience you should be able to find where the lost movement is .nice if its an external joint or the idler ,less so if its the box itself or inside the column.

[Enceladus]

First thing to check is the steering idler arm, on the nearside at the bulkhead, for play in the bush. Also the centre tie-rod ball-joints.

Would you "see" play in that just rocking the steering, does it need to be checked another way? I didn't see any movement looked tight.

Jack up the nearside. Make sure the car is securely supported. Firmly grasp the wheel at 9 and 3 o'clock. Rock the wheel back and forth and watch for movement in the idler arm where it meets the bulk head. Even better if you get somebody else to rock the wheel while you you grab hold of the arm, if it's failed you can maybe feel the play and any knock.

I strongly suggest you leave the backlash adjuster screw and locknut alone unless you have positive confirmation that it's out of whack and is the cause of your problems. And have evidence as to why it went out of whack. And you fully understand how to adjust the backlash back into tolerance.

[Webby the Bear]

Has anyone had an entire column off before. Looks fairly straight forward apart from the crap with the shear bolt. I've had airbag off and everything looks accessible

[Enceladus]

Easy enough as I recall from the dim and distant pass, albeit a slightly contortionist process. The shear bolt is easily removed with an extractor. I can't remember how it's done but the used bolt can also be successfully re-instated, if you don't have a new one to hand. However the column bearings and the rubber joint at the base are probably not the cause of your issue. One or more of the ball joints or bushes somewhere in the steering linkage are a much more likely culprit..

[Nick W]

How you remove shear bolts depends on your tools, and the access for them: turning it by careful punching with a chisel, hammering a socket over it, cutting a slot and using an impact driver, welding on a normal bolt, mole grips etc.


I wouldn't reuse the shear bolts, but replace them with ordinary ones or capheads. Shear bolts are used as anti-theft devices, not for engineering reasons

[Kevin Wood]

Also important to remember is that the steering boxes feel a lot more "slack" when the engine isn't running, so run the engine during any tests for play.

[Webby the Bear]

Thanks boys. 👍👍👍

[grifter]

It certainly feels like the play is up nearer the steering wheel, and can feel it if I rock wheel up and down, or side to side, like you would on your road wheel. I'll certainly check the box idler arm again, as I know how these things can play tricks on you. Funnily enough I just replaced the whole passenger side steering arm from the idler to the hub as outer track rod was getting a bit loose, and inner asn't far behind, strangley enough I had it like this for more than a Year (don't do much miles) and couldn't remember any obvious feeling of play at steering wheel.

[Doctor Gollum]

Why on earth didn't you change both COMPLETE track rods

They are cheaper as complete units vs individual parts and each time you change one of the four joints, that's another geo set up

[grifter]

Why on earth didn't you change both COMPLETE track rods

They are cheaper as complete units vs individual parts and each time you change one of the four joints, that's another geo set up

I did change both track rods on one side, if that's what you mean? I plan to change the O/S one as soon as funds allow, and get tracking done.