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Stuck!

Ok, tried to do the first one today.

Front is up wheels off the ground on axle stands.

Removed the adjuster nuts and bolts an removed c clip.

Went to the front. No rubber cap so cleaned up and marked splines.

Bar wouldn't move so applied judicial pressure with a hammer and chisel against the adjusting mechanism.

It fell off :doh I didn't realise that it would and I have not marked it's position:doh

The bar is still firmly attached at the front and I can see no leverage point for a hammer and chisel.

Would just moving the adjuster around so it is lower than originally was still have the same effect?. The bolt is more than long enough to that.

Help!!!!!
 
Ok, tried to do the first one today.

Front is up wheels off the ground on axle stands.

Removed the adjuster nuts and bolts an removed c clip.

Went to the front. No rubber cap so cleaned up and marked splines.

Bar wouldn't move so applied judicial pressure with a hammer and chisel against the adjusting mechanism.

It fell off :doh I didn't realise that it would and I have not marked it's position:doh

The bar is still firmly attached at the front and I can see no leverage point for a hammer and chisel.

Would just moving the adjuster around so it is lower than originally was still have the same effect?. The bolt is more than long enough to that.

Help!!!!!

Yes Dave. That's exactly how I done mine. I done both at the same time. Moved them round so the were looking the same and wound the bolts back in. :thumb2
It is trial and error but you'll get it. Plenty of copperslip or similar after a wire brushing and it'll come off easier if it needs to.
Well done.
 
no need to remove the shaft from the front, in essence all you need to do is position the adjusting trunion so the adjusting bolt is below the X member the same both sides, from memory it wants to start about 30mm below, Rick
 
Hooray!!!! Well half a hooray as only be side done but it's done. I adjusted it from the rear arm as you guys mentioned.

I'm umming and ahhing about doing the other side.

Right now I've got both sides level, with 50mm difference between front and back ( top of the wheel arches )

The attitude measure on the front wishbone is a difference of 32mm both sides and the gap between the bumpstop stops has increased from less than 10mm to about 25mm

The adjuster arm however is below the cross member. I have clearance of about 290mm so it is not the lowest point on the car. That remains the rear diff at about 240mm.

So I'm thinking about calling it quits. Does it matter that the adjustment arms are at different heights?

If not then that's the ride height sorted!

I need to get the tracking done but do I need to sort out the steering free play first?

Thanks for all the help and encouragement. It really makes a difference!
 
Make sure you take it for a run to settle it and recheck the height both sides. More adjustment may be needed.
Steering would be the next step.
This is Ricks field though. Have a re-read of his earlier post and get to it. You're doing great:thumbs:D
 
Does not matter if the arms are at different heights, as long as you are not planning on going over rocks then it matters little that it is lower than the X member.

Re steering, you need to drop the ball joint from the steering box drop arm and check the datum on the input shaft, the point is the worm drive in the box is not parallel, in the dead ahead position the input shaft should have no play, as you start to turn it away from ahead it will have play, once you have established true steering box dead ahead now you should check the steering wheel if it is off center then the splined joint onto the box needs removing and re setting, but be careful the wheel has a coil of springy wire for the horn etc, too many turns and it will brake, once you have done all this see if with the wheels dead ahead, does the ball joint drop straight in to the drop arm, if not both track rods will need adjusting equally till it does, then get the track checked as it will be out, Rick
 
Does not matter if the arms are at different heights, as long as you are not planning on going over rocks then it matters little that it is lower than the X member.

Re steering, you need to drop the ball joint from the steering box drop arm and check the datum on the input shaft, the point is the worm drive in the box is not parallel, in the dead ahead position the input shaft should have no play, as you start to turn it away from ahead it will have play, once you have established true steering box dead ahead now you should check the steering wheel if it is off center then the splined joint onto the box needs removing and re setting, but be careful the wheel has a coil of springy wire for the horn etc, too many turns and it will brake, once you have done all this see if with the wheels dead ahead, does the ball joint drop straight in to the drop arm, if not both track rods will need adjusting equally till it does, then get the track checked as it will be out, Rick

Sorry Rick. I'm being incredibly dense.

So wheels on floor and as dead ahead as possible.:thumb2
Remove ball joint from drop arm:thumb2
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah183/daveluckuk/IMG_20170530_1756351_zpsmubwgox9.jpg

This is an unclear photo of the box at the moment. This was taken with the wheels dead ahead and the steering wheel level. So the pointy bit is the datum and then there's that line on the dust cover just below the/ next to the bolt. It looks like I'm out of line ( assuming I've named the parts correctly )

This is where I'm a bit lost. Does that mean I need to undo the bolt, slide the knuckle off the shaft going into the box, turn the shaft so that they align ( doesn't this move the arm? ), Reconnect the steering to in input shaft ensuring the wheel is level

Then undo the locking nut on the adjuster and us a screwdriver to take up any free play? ( not sure how that is achieved )

Will I need to move the arm if I've had to adjust the input shaft to line up with the datum on the casing?

Then see if the arm will still drop onto the ball joint if it doesn't jack up the front and re jig the tie bars so that they are of equal length and adjust both until it does fit ensuring the wheels remain dead ahead.

Sorry if this is getting down into the detail too much.
 
It can be hard to understand, steering is complicated, it seems to me that your motor has been mucked about with by someone who did not have a clue, your previous posts about driving problems, plus what you are discovering now, the important thing is to do things in the correct sequence, in this case sort the box first, the reason you have to disconnect the steering from the box is because it is impossible to "feel" the tightness or play with linkages connected to it, another grey area is the plastic cover on the input shaft just pushes on the splines, there is no reason for it to be removed but if it has and been put back incorrectly then the datum mark will be irrelevant, that is why you need to find the "tight" point which should put the datum mark on the plastic cover at the top, my typing finger is getting tired now so will PM you my number, Rick
 
So, with Ricks help talking me through the steering box the car is now with the steering guy awaiting tracking.

The tracking is way out and the plan was to adjust it slightly and then get the professionals to do the final adjustment. Well that didn't happen as I couldn't get the tie rod locking nuts undone. Tried pretty much everything but they wouldn't shift so just gave it up as a bad job. I mentioned after all it has to be adjusted by the specialist anyway right?:augie

So ill do a final update and summary tomorrow when it comes back.

Thankyou very much for all your help!:clap:clap


Dave
 
Ok, got the van back so a final update.

When it went in I spend 10-15 minutes explaing the issues and what I had done. The old boy nodded his head at the right times and sucked his teeth at the right time too. Then told me " thanks very much but I'll have a look and I'll tell you what the problems are". Fair enough I thought.

Got the call today so went down to pick it up. Started to ask some questions but he just gave me the keys and said " drive first, questions later"

Took a quick spin around the block, steering wheel is nice and firm and stays in the straight ahead position but the car still pulls to the right.:doh

As I got out of the car the mechanic mimed pulling to to the right. Then gave me the continental shrug that means " there you go, it's just how it is. What can you do? Let's go have a beer and some tapas".

He then spent 30 minutes or so explaining the print out and what he had done and why.

Bottom line is the right wheel center is about 2cm further towards the rear than the left. So it has had a bang in the past.

This then coupled with incorrect ride height, poorly set steering box just made the car nearly undrivable. He was stunned we had been using it as he had to abandon his first test drive because of the lack of control!

The tie bars are now more or less equal where as before one was completely closed, the car feels a lot more controlled but it will always pull to the right. :nenau ( that's my version of the continental shrug )

Cheeky sod made a point of showing me how far off the adjustment Rick and I had done on the box was and that when I get the time it should be reset. A whole spline! Which he thought was highly amusing.

Also gave me some grief over the state of the tie bar locking nuts. "Next time just bring it to me. It's not a problem and I will show you how to undo them"

So all in all not a completely happy ending but I do have a better handling car. :nenau ( I've tried the shrug again, looks like I'm going to need more practice )

He only charged me 30€!:clap

So thanks for all your help and guidance chaps!
 
Sorry!! But I'm like a dog with a bone

I got underneath again today to see if I could see anything that would point towards the car having had an impact.

Didn't find anything conclusive but I did find this....

This is the wishbone on the side that has been moved back by 2cm. The arms does not sit central and is catching. I was wondering if maybe the impact pushed the arm and now the bush is knackered and needs replacing? If it sits central then it moves forwards by about 7mm.

I know I'm clutching at straws....

Are these easy(ish) to pull out and have a look at? I guess it would mean I would have to have the car retracked!
 

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As opposed to this

I can't get the hang of photonuclear!

This is the other arm which I think is ok
 

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So photos are taken from underneath yes?, the first one looks like it has dropped down, whatever it has done it is not in the right place. IF....it were mine I would buy a pair of bushes and at least one bolt as the one in the first pic is probably bent and knackered. But thats me and you said you have another car to spend on. Your mechanic sounds alright though:thumb2
 
So photos are taken from underneath yes?, the first one looks like it has dropped down, whatever it has done it is not in the right place. IF....it were mine I would buy a pair of bushes and at least one bolt as the one in the first pic is probably bent and knackered. But thats me and you said you have another car to spend on. Your mechanic sounds alright though:thumb2

Wish I'd spotted it earlier!:doh

What appears to be happening is where the arm rotates on the bush it isn't allowing free movement as it is fouling the cross member because it no longer sits centrally within the gap on the cross member.

The only reason I had a good look here was because he said the wheel had moved. My logic being that the wheel is suspended / attached to the arms.

The anti rollbar don't look right either...
 
it should not foul anything as it should move up and down centrally so either bush but i suspect the arm is bent as mine look the same both sides i have just checked mine and mine is a lhd model terrano:thumb2
 
Definitely something wrong there, I think makeitfit is your man on here to answer this, other than that a front end set up on an alignment jig, pretty much impossible to reason it out here from pics, I like the "one spline out on the box" he can only be talking steering wheel to box as the pitman arm has a master spline, so not a lot, Rick
 
The pic in your post 53 shows the NS (left side when in the drivers seat) bottom wishbone, but this is forward not back, the torsion bar is on the left which is the rear, Rick
 
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