|
|
Thread: Wonder Steer
|
brad
Rotorhead
Posts: 1672
|
posted January 30, 2004 09:56 AM |
|
Wonder Steer
Well I drove my truck to work today. Last time I drove her more than 5 miles was November 2002. She's had a frame up restoration in my driveway since then.
Today, 75mph on the freeway the steering was vague. She seemed to wander and required extra steering input to keep it in the lane. Steering wheel had mabye 1/2" of movement where the wheels don't turn. Normal play?
Is there a way to tighten up or rebuild the steering box?
Should I start off with replacing all ball joints, bushings, and tie rods? I have already greased everything on the front suspension including wheel bearings.
____________
-brad-
74 REPU Lawn Green
81 Rx-7 racecar. 12a J-
Bridge
|
|
Klaus43
Rotorhead
Posts: 1259
|
posted January 30, 2004 11:18 AM |
|
Your resto
didn't include an entirely new frontend? Unless your REPU was very low miles, and extremely well looked after, that could be the source of your vagueness...
Just don't be surprised if, after replacing everything, it still feels a bit vague compared to your racecar--or anything newer/with a rack...
Then there's always a rethink of choice of alignment/camber options, relative to your rubber of choice...
The steering box does tend to be a source of slop, but 1/2" at the steering wheel sure sounds nice!
Are you happy with the results otherwise?
|
|
Rotary_Pickup
Hauling
Posts: 117
|
posted January 30, 2004 02:17 PM |
|
|
I also have a problem with the steering in my '77. I can hold the steering wheel and move it up and down about 1/2 inch or more. I haven't removed the steering wheel to see what the cause is. It appears to be at the top of the steering shaft. Someone has put an RX-7 steering wheel on it. Any ideas?
|
|
rotarydave
Hauling
Posts: 108
|
|
posted January 31, 2004 09:54 AM |
|
there is a bushing at the top of the shaft if it is worn out or was removed that is the source of your shaft slop, i think the bushing is still available if not there is a rubber one for the first gen rx7s that should work, don't worry about the rx7 steering wheel it works just fine
|
|
Rotary_Pickup
Hauling
Posts: 117
|
|
posted January 31, 2004 12:19 PM |
|
|
Thanks for the info. I'm glad it's not the steering box.
|
|
brad
Rotorhead
Posts: 1672
|
|
posted February 01, 2004 10:19 PM |
|
i guess it's time to do a frontend job. I hear it's $300 for all the parts. OUCH!@!
My Odometer says 96,000 as we all know it's a 5 character odometer. A 1 probablly belongs in front of that 9.
____________
-brad-
74 REPU Lawn Green
81 Rx-7 racecar. 12a J-
Bridge
|
|
Jeff20B
Moderator
Posts: 661
|
|
posted February 02, 2004 02:05 PM |
|
Mine's like 97,xxx. My steering is sloppy enough to suggest that there could have been a 1 in front of it, if it had an extra digit available.
____________
'74 REPU
'76 Cosmo
'77 MG Midget 13B
'81 RX-7
|
|
Tom93R1
Redlining
Posts: 458
|
|
posted February 02, 2004 02:17 PM |
|
quote:
i guess it's time to do a frontend job. I hear it's $300 for all the parts. OUCH!@!
My Odometer says 96,000 as we all know it's a 5 character odometer. A 1 probablly belongs in front of that 9.
I paid over $400 when I replaced the whole front end a coupld months ago. The center link is not available anywhere. I bought a Courier center link and had it extended by friend at a local off-road shop. Everything else is the same as Courier/b-series.
____________
'74 lawn-green
4-port 13b
Weber 48DCO
Racing Beat Header
Magnaflow
resonator/amplifier
really loud!
|
|
nwaco
Redlining
Posts: 407
|
|
posted February 02, 2004 07:49 PM |
|
About that Center Link.....
My personal aftermarket parts manual says an Autoparts International center link part #67912 is a replacement part. Finding one is another matter.
|
|
roaddancer
Hauling
Posts: 127
|
|
posted May 18, 2004 08:09 PM |
|
Has anyone checked into switching out the steering gearbox with one that uses a faster ratio? Over 4 turns lock to lock is quit slow..for a sport truck. That, or a longer arm to move the bars more for the same input. Any one know?
My 75 has been messed with so I don't know if it is wonder steer or bad alignment. Everything has been replaced, but the linkages are clearly off center, so I will have to fix it before aligning it. I can turn the wheel (and the front end) half a turn farther left than right, and the steering wheel has been remounted to center it up. Hammerhead mechanics! The PO was eager to show me how centered the wheel was, but couldn't say why the turning diameter was so different left to right. Gee, I wonder who screwed it up?
____________
formerly
rx2/3/4/cosmo,repu,94 rx7,
|
|
|
|
