Squeaky Steering

Post by **57traveller** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 4:37 pm

Bottom end growl has reduced somewhat since retarding the ignition timing from 15 deg. BTDC

to about 3 deg. BTDC. Still think there is a bit of noise there but I can live with that for a while.
I don't know how the heck I managed to achieve 15 deg., the crankshaft pulley mark was off the timing case scale. Really must get the eyes tested again. I wondered why the car's performance had improved, and no pinking either.

Post by **Cam** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 10:23 pm

I wondered why the car's performance had improved, and no pinking either.

Ha ha, nice one '57!! It's amazing how we manage to do these things from time to time!

Thanks for the advice Kevin, Willie and '57. I won't overfill the rack then and I'll visually check that the bellows are not pumped up on full lock before I drive it.

Post by **rayofleamington** » Fri Sep 05, 2003 5:41 pm

Hi Cam
I rebuilt my column with nice new felt bushes, then got a squeak!!
The steering felt stiffer when squeaking...
Subsequent wasted hours led me nowhere (exept I am now very good at stripping the collumn completely) and in desperation I sprayed the stub shaft of the steering rack with a lot of WD40.
That cured it

I'm not saying that's your problem, but maybe a searching oil on the stub shaft (where the column attaches) is worth a try.

Post by **Cam** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 1:38 am

Ray, the column is fine, but I have oiled the bushes anyway being as it was off.

I tried the rack in the vice and it was definately the rack that was causing the grief. Plus it has gone now that I have replaced the rack!

I have used 20W/50 on the felt bushes and they seem very smooth now with no hint of squeaking. Thanks for the thought though!

Post by **rayofleamington** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 12:39 pm

sorry, probably didn't explain well - was on about the stub shaft (that sticks out of the rack) that the column fits onto.
I had put some oil there but the squeak didn't go until I used plenty of WD40 on it

Post by **Cam** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 2:07 pm

Ah, right I see now! I think mine was a little bit beyond a touch of WD40! It actually developed the squeak on the way back from the London to Brighton run!

Maybe I should have investigated it sooner

never mind!

Post by **rayofleamington** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 2:56 pm

I know the feeling.
Passengers had started to enquire about the safety of the car!

Post by **Cam** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 9:54 pm

I had the tracking done back at the Formula 1 autocentre where I had it done previously (Newcastle-under-Lyme branch) and when it was up on the ramp a few fitters came and had a good look at it and were quite surprised when I explained what everything was underneath!

Unfortunately I got the spotty apprentice type chap that I had last time, but he set the tracking up OK, but to zero degrees. I told them about the 2.4mm toe in, but he just looked blank and said that he sets EVERYTHING to zero degrees. FWD, RWD, 4WD, the lot!

I suppose it makes HIS life easier and will probably increase the number of tyre sales through the place!

Previously I set the tracking roughly myself with a bit of garden cane and a ruler which got me to within a few mm, but I had trouble with the gaiters twisting upon adjustment, so I cut the cable tie off the outer part so it was easier to straighten - which it was.

When I was under the car at the garage I heard the boss say to the tracker "straighten that" and point to the gaiter, so I thought everything would be OK. WRONG!!

Today I went to put new cable ties on the ends of the gaiters and one of them was twisted so badly that it looked as if it had melted to the innards, and after I had straightened it, the gaiter had actually deformed slightly. Boy was I annoyed!!

If I had left it it would have been under a lot of strain and would probably have split after a short while of usage.

I know I am paranoid about garages, but do you see what I mean?

I am considering writing a letter of complaint to their head office and telling them about my melted shocker tops too. Garages should not be allowed to get away with such shoddy work practices, I don't use garages for ANYTHING else and you can see why!

Post by **rayofleamington** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 10:12 pm

well at least zero degrees is better than toe out on a minor

glad you are up and running with it, and i think we share your view of garages
'i set them all to zero' nuff said.

Post by **Kevin** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 9:49 am

'i set them all to zero'

Must have been talking about the inteligence level of the workforce

Post by **Kevin** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 4:37 pm

Cam spoke to a couple of places and they say as long as you are doing it annually 5 - 6 pumps is normally enough if you are doing around 10,000 miles per year, as when using a hand pump you can feel the increase in pressure which means it has enough in it.

Post by **Cam** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 5:21 pm

Thanks Kevin, I have given mine about 20 pumps (with the small grease gun) and the bellows still feel empty (even on full lock), so I don't know if that's OK but the grease gun has a diameter of 1" and it has pumped about 1 1/2" worth of EP90 into it.

I did not feel an increase in pressure, but I might not with the telecamet type gun, as it feels a bit vague anyway.

Post by **grainger** » Sun Sep 21, 2003 11:51 pm

thats funny

ive been away from things for a while but while i was i experienced this very same thing - in the end its just that i wasnt forcing the grease gun on tight enough, now its actually got some oil in there its great.

BUT while i was fiddling with the outer sleeve of the steering wheel (cos i was convinced the squeaking was coming from there) ive upset the horn mechanism, now the horn push doesnt work and it goes off randomly when i go round bends

i spose you have to take the steering wheel off to sort this out ?

cheers
grainger

Post by **ColinP** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 8:48 am

Grainger

I had this problem after I removed the indicator cover around the steering wheel (I was removing the driver's glove box liner to fir radio/speaker).

The problem was a small spring-loaded carbon brush which should rest on an copper ring (insulated from the column). This brush is live (pressing the horm button makes the earth contact from the horn), so it was earthin through the column wherever the paint wasn't intact - i.e. ar random as I drove... It also will slide up or down the column. Maybe the easiest way is to remove the steering wheel - the nut inside my steering wheel is badby mis-shapen (previous owner + cold chisel?), so I had to find a way of jigglin this (lots of naughty words) spring loaded bush back onto the horn ring while moving the cowl to the correct position.

I honsetly can't remember the optimim technique now (you forget horrible things"), but I suspect a long thin spatula would help.

Luck,

Colin

Cured by easing the

Post by **rayofleamington** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 1:03 pm

The only easy way is to take the steering wheel off (easy now I have the socket).
If you are desperate, and can't get the wheel off and need it desperately done for an MOT or something, then you can just break off the platic surround

Then tape the surround back on until you can get it replaced.
Personally I'd wait until Halfords was open and get a socket.

If the carbon brush on the end of the springy arm has slipped off the collar and sits against the shaft instead, it is quite possible it got broken/damaged in the process.
The arm will straighten out, and the brush can be replaced:
I repaired mine by pulling the brush out of a scrap alternator and cutting it down to size and fashining a spigot on the back of it which fits through the hole in the springy arm and keeps the brush in place.

As for pumping oil until you get pressure.. That would make me nervous, but 5 squirts a year sounds easy to handle. (Even if everyone's squirts are different..)

Post by **ColinP** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 3:14 pm

Ray,

I'll endorse that ! - but seriously, the steering wheel nut in my Moggie is damaged with a scar across it, making one of the sides have a "prong" of metal sticking out.

That means I can't get a standard socket on it (get a cheap box spanner & butcher one "flat"?). I can't file it flat 'cos it's buried under the horn push...
Any suggestions?

Colin

Post by **Cam** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 3:44 pm

Knock the 'prong' off with a chisel

Post by **rayofleamington** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 5:17 pm

Knock the 'prong' off with a chisel

Yup, though my heavy duty chisels didn't fit - You need to find a medium slender one to do the cleaning up.
Or just continue using the chisel to loosen the nut (goes against the grain but what do you have to loose) - as it was chiselled last time it is unlikely they got a good torque on it, so they can sometimes be easy to undo.
Either way, make sure you remove the plastic sleeve and spring for the horn push wire otherwise they'll end up in bits.. (I forgot once, but only once..)
The socket I got from Halfuds was an impact type for that very reason. It was about £1 or £2 more but can be hit very hard until it does fit the nut.

If your nut is very chiselled, fit a new one next time. Mine was not too bad, so cleaned up with a file when it was off.

Post by **Cam** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 6:27 pm

I got 2 small thin chisels from Machine mart for a few quid a piece and they are perfect for the job, as well as hacking sills off!

Post by **rayofleamington** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 7:15 pm

I have found that an 8" pair of molegrips is also fantastic for removing rotten sills - they just roll off and the spotwelds just go 'pop'
(useful when not wanting to hammer in the later part of the evenings.. a technique required if the day job gets in the way of the important stuff ;-) )