Steering

[PIT-STOP]

Hi All,
my steering is playing up. Scrapped through MOT, but they weren't happy with it. They suggested it was a problem with the steering rack, or a tight ball joint.

It has got progressively heavier over the last few years, and now not doesn't centre properly. You have to pull it back to centre properly yourself. I had it checked at a Lotus specialist this week who said that the rack and ball joints were fine, but that the steering was "rather heavy and somewhat dead on feedback. Not as it should be but certainly not a problem they could see with the steering rack".

Clearly not a dangerous fault, but fast becoming a pain and ruining the fun of driving the car!

Any suggestions on faults would be appreciated, especially if anyone has suffered the same at some time.
My only thought is that perhaps the PAS pump isn't working fully as it should (it is working to some extent as the steering is better with the engine running)?

Help.......

[bobbrown]

It could be the bottom UJ/UJ's on the column and they have to be oriented a particular way there is some instructions in the manual about the angles they need to be at

Bob

[Specky]

I'd pressure test the pump.

it'll give you your answer either way.

Brand new racks are available from Lotus for just over a £120 and have a chat with them about Pumps as well. They were selling them for about a ton earlier in the year.

in addition they are selling the power steering pulley for a fiver.

Now where's Dave with that link...

[PIT-STOP]

Thanks Guys.
As luck would have it I have a new steering rack and a PAS pump 'in stock' so both parts are readily available to me.I will also be seeing my nearest Lotus specialist early next week for a chat about another issue, so i will pass on both suggestions to see what he thinks.
I like the UJ idea as that sounds easy (read cheap) to fix.....
Is there an easy way to check the pressure of the pump in the mean time or do i need some special kit?

[Specky]

Any garage worth there salt would have a test kit,

but to tell the truth most garages won't, they'll just change components on spec.... (An educated guess)

to test the pump....... disconect the pump hydraulically and coulpe to a guage, start car, take reading,turn off car....Speed is the name of the game as you have no cooling.

a kit simular to this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/kENT-MOORE-POWER- ... 286.c0.m14

TTFN

[Jackonicko]

I've been having similar symptoms recently. In particular, the steering is heavy over some of the travel, and doesn't self centre.

Kevin at Steve Williams and Steve diagnosed UJs.

This seems to be an almost inevitable problem at high mileages (mine's on 130,000).

The bottom UJ is no longer available from Lotus. I bought a LandRover one (NRC7704) from eBay (same part) for £15, posted.

I also bought one of the six remaining Inner Shaft-Stg Columns (A100H6037S) on aftersales, for £25.53, down from about £165.00.

[Jackonicko]

These were fitted yesterday and solved the problem, transforming the car.

In the event it was the lower UJ that had 'failed', stiffening sufficiently as to be immovable in one axis.

This is the part that can be replaced by a LAND ROVER DEFENDER LOWER STEERING UJ NRC7704 - available from eBay for a paltry £14.51 or £15.15.

[Dave Eds]

Jon, do you have a link to or details of the seller?

[Songbird]

This one me thinks...


http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Autopost- ... mit=Search

[Jackonicko]

You'll get three options if you type: LAND ROVER DEFENDER LOWER STEERING UJ NRC7704 into the eBay search engine.

I used the seller Qualitypart (Steve at Shop4autoparts.net).

[Dave Eds]

Not when work system randomly blocks stuff though

Thanks chaps - £45 each from Landrover stockists and parts factors!