hit a log on side of local track

[UTEGQ]

So yea, as title says. I hit a log sticking out on the side of a local track, hit it hard dinted drivers side rim but that was easy fix with a hammer. All looks to be fine under the car around front diff area, it't all superiour gear and all is straight. But steering wheel has now spun anti clockwise bout 4inches which i can fix too. But even with that steering wheel crooked car still drives straight when takeing hands off the wheel. Now here is my problem I am now getting bad head shake up through steering wheel. Why? And how can steering wheel move that far to the left? tyres and every thing are still straight.

[lukethedork]

Check your Tie rod (behind diff) and Drag link (from knuckle to steering box).

Also check your Toe.

Luke.

[v8maverick]

A mate of mine did the same thing at cruiser park in his gq ute.
We worked thet it had jumped some teeth on the pitman arm on the steereing box.
sounds impossalble, but it did
If you compair it to another car the arm will be i a differant spot.
We couldn't get the arm of after that so we just left it and pulled the steering wheel of and straightend that.
3 years later it's still good.
The head shake id say will be the damaged rim out of ballance or the impact damaged the panhard bushes.
Cheers matt

[showtime393]

I have actually done very similar, comming out of a river crossing, I fed the throttle in to about 3/4 throttle 3rd low, just about to change to 4th then BBBBAAAAANNNNGG. Hit a large rock that had fallen from the ledge above the track. couldnt even see it, the bonnett completely covvered it from view as I came out of the river and over a small rise. even with 15inch rims and 35's it dinted the rim, it spun the whole car 90 degrees on the track. The rock was a little higher than my knee and about 5 foot long. when it hit, it hit that hard I hit my head on the steering wheel. I thort I would of had to of ripped my entire rim off. GOOD OLD NISSAN. bashed the dent out with a hammer, put a new steering arm on as it was bent pretty bad and she's still going. Since it has developed a slight wobble at over 100kmh and the steering wheel is nearly upside down when going strait. I'm putting the wobble down to a bent rim and the steering wheel, I would say has either bent the shaft in the steering box or slipped on the splines. I can now turn alot sharper on right turns then I can on left turns.
Thinking of replacing the steering box.

[v8maverick]

When u get a steering box get the arm with it. chances are you won't be able to get yours off.

[UTEGQ]

I'm thinking of putting a GU steering box in it if it fit's i heard they were stronger. So sounds like there may be a few people out there that have had a similar problem, is it gonna still be safe to drive as a dailky driver?

[SilverBulletBM]

I've seen a couple of twisted splines from hitting things, if this is the case you won't be able to just straighten the steering wheel cause the lock to lock won't be equal. As for the shake, check wheel balance, bearings and even the swivel hub bearings.

[PatrolDocta]

As others have posted, the usual thing is twisted output shaft on steering box. This is quite common. Check panhard bushes as well, often when the box hakes a hit large enough to twist the shaft, the panhard bushes are also damaged. This is often what causes "wobble"

[bally]

Could be as simple as knocking off a few wheel weights. Depends how hard you hit it I suppose.

[simcoe]

the wobble will be from the rim!
i "bumped" the edge of my front rim a few years back which deflated the tyre slowly and damaged the rim for about 100mm round the edge, i popped the tyre in bent rim back out with a shifter and re inflated tyre.

tyre stayed up but developed a filthy wobble, so put the spare on the front and replaced rim with a new one once i got home!

[cliff]

I'm thinking of putting a GU steering box in it if it fit's i heard they were stronger. So sounds like there may be a few people out there that have had a similar problem, is it gonna still be safe to drive as a dailky driver?

This mod will be fine, even as a daily driver. Once most people stuff thier GQ one a GU one finds its way in there. The only difference is the GU mounts on top of the pitman arm and the over all strength of the box. You can tell if its a GU one I will have "104" embossed on the outside. You may also have upgrade your pump to compensate for the GU box aswell. I'm in the middle of grafting an EL pump into my ol girl.

[AllTorqueGQ]

I put a GU box on my shorty after heavily damaging a late model GQ box. Only thing i did was turn one end of my superior drag link over to suit the pitman arm, and take the little clamp off that holds the two power steering lines together. It worked a treat even without a bigger pump and has had some decent hits without damaging it