Steering play

[dillyman]

Dilly, my 44 estate, has what I consider to be excessive play in the steering dept. It has not got a lot worse in the last year but I am concerned that she may not get through her annual test which is soon due. There is about three inches free play at the steering wheel rim. I don't think this is acceptable with rack and pinion steering. I have tried de-wiring and loosening the two nuts at the steering box followed by tongue tapping and re-tightening as rcommended in the manual to see if adjustment of the mesh would help - but it doesn't. Is there anything else I could check before resorting to what looks like the awkward and possibly expensive business of a new/renovated rack & pinion? Someone has mentioned wear in a certain bush I seem to remember, How does one check this and is it easy to replace? Why can the rack and pinion only be libricated before assembly and not, apparently, in service? Have I asked all this before - I can't find previous record to correspondence in the matter?!

Marcus H.

[spunkymonkey]

First thing to do is to find out where the play is. Possibilities are:

Coupling at the base of the column - rubber on yours I believe. Could be split / perished / bolts loose.

Column bushes worn - top will usually give sideways or up/down play at the wheel, bottom may make the bottom of the shaft "kick" sideways / up / down as the wheel is turned.

Track rod ball joints (either end) - worn or nuts loose

Suspension lower ball-joints worn or nuts loose (unlikely - would also affect stability noticeably)

Rack mounting bolts loose

Rack worn - fairly unlikely if the play is the same from one full lock to the other (racks generally wear near the "straight ahead" position

A combination of some / all the above


This is a pretty standard list for any car (not just Daf) and you really need a helper to check. Get them to move the steering wheel gently from one end of the play to the other while you watch the movement at each of those points.

3 inches at the rim should be enough to see quite clearly at the point it's happening, unless it's "all the above" in which case you may need to find a way to put pressure on the "downstream" side of each joint as you test it.

[spunkymonkey]

Oh, and last possibility - the steering wheel itself loose, but guessing you would have noticed that

[daf44]

hi marcus.

i have got the same sort of play on my mk1 44.
i have narrowed it down to possibly the steering column bushes,
or more likely the nylon bushes on the pinion inside the steering rack. I have bought these from danny and got 2 nylon rings for £20.(not fitted yet) If i had bought my lathe last month instead of today i would have made them in about 5 minutes flat and saved myself the money. I can send dimensions if you like.

They do not look difficult to change in the book and i will get round to it in a week or two when i have a bit of time. I will let you know how they go.

[Bob Scrivens]

Hi Marcus.
Sounds like the nylon bushes on the input shaft to the steering rack worn, had the same problem on the 33.
Move the steering wheel and watch the shaft going though the floor, you will possibly see the play there.
Adjusting the rack will make no difference.
If you have the engine out the job of taking the rack off is a lot easier, but with the engine in means taking the rack out with the track rods, a bit more of a fiddle.
Hope the above helps.

Bob.