16 replies to this topic

[Orange SS]

I have a strange issue that as my car heats up and the components in the engine bay heat up with the engine, my steering becomes tights and is binding up.

I have recently installed new bearings in the top and bottom of the steering column, and a new steering uni joint and about 2000 kms / 8years ago i had a reconditioned steering rack installed.

Has anyone had anything similar to this happen before? It turns fine when cold every time and only ever has this issue after its reached around 85-90 deg. 

 

For finding out what may be the cause I was thinking of getting it to operating temp when its starts to bind, and then quickly unbolt the steering coupling or uni joint then turn the steering wheel - if it still binds its the column, if not the rack may be an issue with the steering rack. 

 

My column also has an issue that the wheel can pull right out of the column while still attached to the top half of the steering shaft - is there something that can fix this?  whatever is on the inside of the column making it a collapsible column may also be the cause of this binding issue - does anyone have a pic showing what on the inside of the column? 

[Shiney005]

I had an LJ once that had a binding issue, and it ended up that the car had been in a big prang and the column had collapsed. The fix back then was to head down to the local tip and unbolt another one. 

[ls2lxhatch]

My column also has an issue that the wheel can pull right out of the column while still attached to the top half of the steering shaft - is there something that can fix this?  whatever is on the inside of the column making it a collapsible column may also be the cause of this binding issue - does anyone have a pic showing what on the inside of the column? 

 

The top bearing in the coffee pot stops the wheel pulling out of the column. See this post for details.

 

http://www.gmh-toran...s-off/?p=356970

 

The most likely cause of the binding would be the lower steering column bearing heating up and seizing. You could try cooling the lower bearing to confirm.

 

There are some pictures of a dismantled column in this thread.

http://www.gmh-toran...e-2#entry602961

[Ando]

There's a groove in the steering shaft just under the base of the coffee pot. It should have a cir-clip.

 

That cir-clip under the pot is what stops the top shaft from pulling up. Check to see if it's missing.

[Orange SS]

thanks for the info guys.

I'll try putting some heat shield around the lower bearing and check out the top bearing and also for the clip under the coffee pot

[Trukir]

How’d you go here Orange? Mines doing the same thing, do you have the bottom roller bearing mod?

[Orange SS]

I’m about to check/replace if needed my front right ball joints. I have put the rare spares upper and lower column bearings in a while ago & I still had the issue.
I’ve got the sealed type ball joints which I installed roughly 13 years ago. They would have some plastic internally which may have become heat damaged or just a failed ball joint. I think a ball joint with grease nipple & metal internals could be my best option if a ball joint is what’s causing the issue.

[Trukir]

I’m about to check/replace if needed my front right ball joints. I have put the rare spares upper and lower column bearings in a while ago & I still had the issue.
I’ve got the sealed type ball joints which I installed roughly 13 years ago. They would have some plastic internally which may have become heat damaged or just a failed ball joint. I think a ball joint with grease nipple & metal internals could be my best option if a ball joint is what’s causing the issue.

[Trukir]

Be doing it all the time if it was a bj eh? Would enough heat get to it from headers?? Could a uni bind from the heat? Mines a chev and the unis are real close to the header tube.. i put the additional uni and shaft mod instead of the flex/nolathane joint, didn’t really make a difference, starting to think the roller bearing mod in the bottom of column is the problem.. but how many people have done that mod without issue..shedloads i reckon!!

[Orange SS]

So its not the ball joints so it has to be either the steering rack or column. 

So far I have replaced the bearings top and bottom in column, a new uni joint and NOS steering coupling, greased tie rods and ball joints and installed a heat shield on the steering shaft where the uni joint is. 

Having the steering run within 15mm of the extractors certainly doesn't help but I think it may be the lack of oil in the steering rack that may be causing it to bind up. I'll put some oil in today and then take it for a drive & hopefully this will prevent the steering binding up. I hope there is no damage to the internals of the steering rack 

 

Attached Files

•  steering heat shield.jpg   169.5K   5 downloads

[Orange SS]

I'll also add that with standard torana front brakes my wheels get so hot I cannot touch them and water boils off them just from driving around town so that heat transfers through everything in the front end. Add in the engine and extractors it gets rather hot pretty much everywhere from the firewall forward.

[Shiney005]

It will be interesting to see if it makes a big difference. Have you changed the steering geometry at all? Steering arms? How are your wheel bearings?

[Trukir]

Yeah, wasn’t thinking about brake heat.. I’m pulling the rack this week to rule it out.

[Orange SS]

The steering /suspension setup on my Torana is all standard LX besides being lowered 1.5 inches. 

 

I am getting my rack reconditioned / trying to find a UC rack which will hopefully help the issue. 

[mugginz]

Does your car have a UC K frame?

UC racks use different sized bolts to LH/LX. I presume the rack bolt holes in the K frame are slightly different as well.

Edited by mugginz, 13 January 2020 - 11:14 AM.

[Orange SS]

I have an LX k-frame but as far as I know the UC rack fits provided you use the UC bolts.

[Ando]

Matt,

 

A mate had pulled his motor out by lifting the body off the K frame & motor. The uni joint bottom cotter pin was stuck fast so the top one was removed for separation. 

When the body was lifted on the hoist, the uni & shaft didn't separate to easy as it should of if the btm pin was removed. 

 

Nobody thought too much about it but when the motor went back in & was ready to drive. He experienced the steering binding up when it got to operating temperature!

 

We pulled the steering shaft out & it was straight but when he looked down the tube, it was bent at the bottom part of the expanded mesh area.

We couldn't see any visible damage from the engine bay side.

 

That mishap was enough to put the bearings out of alignment & bind up the steering when the motor reached operating temperature!

Once the tube was straightened & reinstalled, all was back to normal. Maybe it's worth a look into..

 

BTW; Some assume that the top & bottom bearings need replacing because they're sloppy. This not the case!! 

Most times, all they need is a solvent clean & repacked with bearing grease. They're not a high speed bearing & being a little sloppy also aids with the prevention of road vibration reaching the steering wheel.

 

Cheers