Steering alignment problems after suspension install. FIXED!

[lilzook]

Hi everyone, fitted my OME lift kit and OME standard steering dampener to my leaf sierra this w/end. after driving it around the block i noticed my steering wheel was no longer straight while driving straight. no biggy, so i took the steering wheel off and re-alligned it. BUT, heres the problem:

As soon as i make a turn and drive straight again the wheel goes to the non straight position! it might stay to the left, abit to the right or sometimes straightens again to how it should be. after a full lock turn it seems to fix itself again until the next corner comes up .

When i turn the wheel it makes a dull "knock, knock, knock" sound.

Thinking i havnt fitted the dampener right maybe?

heres some pics of it:





Also other slight problem is this: where the springs meet the front shackles the bush/steel sleeve seems to slide from left to right between the bushes. heres the pics. see how there not sitting straight,





IS that a problem? Im new to leaf suspension and steering dampeners!

Any help appreciated

[Danzo]

Yep thats your problem right there...


the springs should be 50mm wide, If they aren't? maybe there wrong??
the problem is when you turn the spring are pushing the opposite dirrection thus sliding everywhere. thats why your stearing is out of whack.
Who or where did you get the springs from??
the springs should be 50mm wide

[VR Rodeo]

or bushes are too small

[Rotazuk]

The springs look teh right width at the u bolt mount so I would say they are a double wrap .

looks like the edge of the bushes has been taken off , the rim of the top hat so to speak . Did new bushes come with the springs ?

Chris

[DAV029]

should that bush be at the other end of the spring?????????????

[lilzook]

The springs are ARB. old man emu. I measured them just then, they are 50mm.

*the bushes were brought separate. the bush kit had 16 small bushes and 8 (halves) big ones with the crush tube. the big bushes go in the spring mounts on the chassis, yeah?

In this pic i outlined the metal sleeve that is in the springs. that is sliding around. they came pressed into the springs when i got them.

[Ash R33]

Hope someone comes up with the answer to this. Cause i have the same problem.

[VR Rodeo]

The bushes should have a lip on them that would prevent that from happening ??

http://www.4wdworld.com.au/products/for ... BUSHES.jpg

Having never had OME leaves, none of the springs I have used have had a metal sleeve in either ??

[ScrawnC]

Are the springs in backwards? How easy was it to find the back end to the chassis mounts? Just a thought...

[want33s]

Drop the front of the spring.
Remove the bushes.
Centre the steel sleeve.
Put a bead of weld on each side to lock it in place. (just on the sleeve.)
Reassemble.

[lilzook]

Drop the front of the spring.
Remove the bushes.
Centre the steel sleeve.
Put a bead of weld on each side to lock it in place. (just on the sleeve.)
Reassemble.

That's exactly what i was thinking ^. just seems weird that i'd have to do that.. has anyone else had to do this?

Thinking of driving to ARB and showing them first. see if they can help at all. if not, then i'll weld them in.

the bushes i brought do have a lip on them, maybe the lip should be bigger?

Are the springs in backwards? How easy was it to find the back end to the chassis mounts? Just a thought...

nah, i doubt it, they went in easy as.

[Blakestone]

Yesterday I helped install an OME 2" lift on my brothers WT sierra.

From you pictures it looks like you have wrong bushes on the shackle end of your spring.

As posted above, the bushes should have a lip on them which will centre the spring in the shackle. This should fix the problems you have with the steering.

Also in the OME kit there is only a steel sleeve for bushes on the rear/fixed end of the leaf.

Go to ARB and get yourself the proper OME bushes, no sense being cheap on the best bolt on mod you can do to improve the ride quality of a sierra.

[Dee]

Problem is with the bushes the outer "rim" section isnt big enough and there for only fits over the steel sleeve, and doesnt protrude futer outside the actual spring wrap. Hence the whole sleeve & bush can slide from side to side inside the spring eye.

my mate had the same problem and did the same thing as want33s just suggested (tack the sleeve in place). fixed it good.

[Blakestone]

ok, I misunderstood the problem. I would never even considered the outer sleeve coming loose. Welding it seems a good solution then.

Does this happen fairly often with OME suspension kits?

[MUD-PIGSIERRA]

Wouldn't taking the sleeve out and putting in the correct bush be a better option to welding...........?

[ScrawnC]

Wouldn't taking the sleeve out and putting in the correct bush be a better option to welding...........?

I would think so too, technically you shouldn't be welding spring steel at all. Plus it is illegal....

[Dee]

technically if your lifting a zuk 2" its illegal anyway. I doubt 50mm is only 1/3 of the original bumpstop height...

seriously though, all may mate did was 2 tack welds on either side of each spring/sleeve. Hardly something to get pulled over for...

[want33s]

Wouldn't taking the sleeve out and putting in the correct bush be a better option to welding...........?

I would think so too, technically you shouldn't be welding spring steel at all. Plus it is illegal....

You dont understand the problem..
The bushes appear to be fine.
The sleeve is moving sideways in the spring eye.
The sleeve is mild steel not spring steel.
I suggested a bead of weld on either side of the sleeve not the spring.

Ideally the springs should be returned as technically they (or at least one) is faulty in that the eye is too large and lets the sleeve move.
OR,
Machine up a new sleeve with same ID but 1 or 2mm larger OD.
But a weld will fix it just the same.

[MUD-PIGSIERRA]

I can see the problem but if you called a super-pro dealer or what not told them the dimensions you could most likely pull the sleeve out and fit a bush that fits.

[ScrawnC]

Wouldn't taking the sleeve out and putting in the correct bush be a better option to welding...........?

I would think so too, technically you shouldn't be welding spring steel at all. Plus it is illegal....

You dont understand the problem..
The bushes appear to be fine.
The sleeve is moving sideways in the spring eye.
The sleeve is mild steel not spring steel.
I suggested a bead of weld on either side of the sleeve not the spring.

Ideally the springs should be returned as technically they (or at least one) is faulty in that the eye is too large and lets the sleeve move.
OR,
Machine up a new sleeve with same ID but 1 or 2mm larger OD.
But a weld will fix it just the same.

Ok, my bad. Misunderstood I guess.

[lilzook]

The sleeves are getting tack welded in place and OME bush kit put through it because i dont want any future issues. Ive been told the OME bushes (compared to the bushes i fitted) have a higher/taller lip on the edge which helps to keep everything inplace.

will keep you posted.

thanks to all for the suggests and help! appreciate it

[MART]

More than likely the spring maker is making both spring eye's the same to save tooling time and allowing the spring to be assembled either way then pressing in the sleeve to make the eye smaller , also the second leaf would also be cheaper doing it that way , Cheers Paul.

[lilzook]

Its now fixed. after closer inspection, it turns out ALL the pressed in sleeves were sliding left to right! front,back and the spring mount ends too. They were tac welded in place and an OME bush kit fitted. Was fixed under warranty and my warranty is not affected now that they have been tac'd in place.