free play on steering wheel

[tanky]

I'm still having trouble with shimming on my GU. I found out that I have a pretty big free play on steering wheel, could the shimming be caused by that? How much of free play should be on steering wheel? I have played around with the adjusting screw on the top of the steering box and if I tighten it up the shimming is decresing, but it is hard to steer so I can not leave it like that.

[chimpboy]

I'm still having trouble with shimming on my GU. I found out that I have a pretty big free play on steering wheel, could the shimming be caused by that? How much of free play should be on steering wheel? I have played around with the adjusting screw on the top of the steering box and if I tighten it up the shimming is decresing, but it is hard to steer so I can not leave it like that.

Free play could be somewhere else in the steering system; dunno what the GU set-up is like but are you sure you don't have any sloppy joints anywhere between the box and the steering wheel? Damaged/defective bushes etc?

Jason

[bazzle]

The steering box MUST be centred before checking adjustment as the box goes loose off centre.
Do not adjust steering wheel to middle if alignment off. Fit an adjustable steering arm (1st one from box)

Bazzle

[tanky]

Ok, I just got the car back from Mannell motors. The shimming is there since the 5" lift was installed. I could feel it but it always stopped straight away and there was no problem to drive in speeds like 110km. Because I was not happy with it I decided to spent some money and bought RTC steering dumper, took for a test drive and got shocked after it started to shimm so much that I had to slow down to about 40km to stop the shimming. I put back the old steering dumper but since than the shimming is pretty bad and I can not go over 80 and not be scared. I took the car to Nick Mannell and he found out a few thinks which need to be done to find the problem. First replace the wheel bearings, then replace the bushes in panhard rod and today I got new rock rod arm with new tie rods. The steering box was adjusted and wheel alignment and balanced checked. The shimming is still there and still worse than it was before I first tried the RTC dumper. Next suggestion form Nick was to try to fit those new dropped arms instead of caster plates.

[bazzle]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ mounting up.
Wish I owned a 4by shop.

Bazzle

[tanky]

Same here, up till now it cost me $1500 plus $300 for the dumper and still have the problem

[bazzle]

Return parts and ask for a refund on work performed to fix prob thats still there??

Bazzle

[ozy1]

Return parts and ask for a refund on work performed to fix prob thats still there??

Bazzle

would defineatly to this, had a similar problem on my GQ and my fathers GU, we got rid of the stock steering dampners and replaced with $way RTC items, this reduced it alot, not long after we have pissed off the Caster plates, and fitted Drop boxes, this had fixed it nearly to the point of being 100%

[tanky]

Thx ozy1, that is what I needed to hear. If the drop boxes has fixed the problem that means the dropped down arms should do the same.
Cannot return the parts and ask for refund. I was told that to find the problem I have to fix first the bearings and steering arms because they were in bad condition and they need to eliminate the weak points. But what about putting different set caster plates? Is there difference between sets ?