Steering wheel off centre, something bent?

[nielsc]

I did an offroad trip yesterday and one time i got my wheels (35s) jammed in a deep rut wich gave my steering wheel a big jerk until it blocked, I immediatly hoped it did not bent something as it felt quite nasty. Getting out of that lane back on the paved road again I immediatly saw my steering is off 30 - 45 degrees to the LEFT.
I still did 50 km of roadbook and 60km to home and it drives and tracks straight as it did before.
At home i check the steering and track rod, all look straight... I’ve seen the sector shaft bend but when I look at the teeth of mine they also look straight, not as the one in Clive’s thread “Sumo and some-more”
Pitman arm also looks good... what else can be bent?
Also, I believe if something is bent, my steering wheel would off to the RIGHT?

Or just re-adjust the steering rod and be done with it ?

 

[frank rabbets]

Looks like something is in fact bent. If the tracking is defo OK looks like the problem is between the steering wheel and the rear drag link which controls the track. It's either straighten/replace what is bent or adjust the front tube to realign the steering wheel. No use taking off steering wheel and putting it back straight as your indicators won't cancel properly and you'll have unequal turns left/right from centre. If nothing looks bent I would think it's a link end ball joint or all of them bent slightly. A real pain but perhaps remove them and spin their centres up in a chuck whilst holding the body to see if it wobbles.

Feedback would be good as it would teach us the weakest link in event of hitting a wheel.

 

[Towpack]

If nothing is bent could the pitman arm have moved round on the steering box output shaft slightly or maybe the steering column has moved on the splines?

 

[frank rabbets]

That could be possible TP but if tight splines are normally stronger than the items they connect to. If loose they can wear and cause components to turn. Usually this leads to scrap parts as tightening worn splines doesn't work.

 

[nielsc]

Hm, if the pitman arm would have jumped one or more teeth I think I should definatly notice that, I don’t think that is the case

 

[Andy]

Bent Relay(?) rod, Chris bent his in Russia, same symptoms, we have straightened it with a bottle jack

 

[clivehorridge]

Hm, if the pitman arm would have jumped one or more teeth I think I should definatly notice that, I don’t think that is the case

The pitman arm won't have jumped teeth on the sector shaft, the shaft will have twisted. It happened to me because the adjustable stops on the hub weren't set right, meaning the rut could pull the wheel over into to a steer angle greater than the steering box limit, putting all that force on the sector shaft.

Must admit that yours doesn't look twisted (mine did, there's a photo of it in the thread link at the end of this post) but it depends on how far off centre your steering wheel is now, mine was a lot out, 20 minutes on a clock face.

I had a new sector shaft fitted, an upgrade from a 105 steering box, purchased courtesy of @chapel gate ...

I would bet my truck on this being your problem...

https://www.landcruiserclub.net/community/posts/1457426/

 

[StarCruiser]

I would bet my truck on this being your problem...

…and it’s a nice truck too…

 

[frank rabbets]

A thump on the wheel will not bend a steering tube ?

 

[stumog]

Are both wheels pointing the same way?

 

[clivehorridge]

A thump on the wheel will not bend a steering tube ?

It might Frank, but the symtoms would be more Marty Feldman than an off-center steering wheel.

In my case the wheels were perfecly alighned between each other (tracking) but the centre-line (in a straight line) had shifted over regarding the steering wheel.

Actually, it could have been corrected by adjustment of the ball joint thread at the Pitman arm, but a twisted quadrant shaft scared the hell out of me, regarding its latent strength after the twist.

 

[nielsc]

Hi all,

Yes the wheels are pointing the same way.
When I went into the rut, and my steering wheel jerked, it did not twist it all the way to the end, because I was holding it firm and could stop it from twisting all the way up to the stops.
This got me looking at the steering column shaft. I think the one from the U joint right under the steering column, to the steering box is bent, as it goes up and down where it goes trough the firewall when I turn the wheel. I will try to make some pics or a video as I do not know how much movement is normal in this shaft.

 

[clivehorridge]

I've just re-read your post, I'd got the impression it had slammed hard into the hub-stop hence my comment. It spun the wheel out of my hands when it happened to me, in fact it burned my forearm as it spun, and I lurched forwards, taking the skin off

 

[nielsc]

No I could hold my steering wheel firm, but there was quite some force on it.
I took a look at the steering shaft and it also looks straight. It is because of the rubber disc between the column and the shaft that there is that much play on it I think wich does not seem normal to me.
Here you can see it :

 

[frank rabbets]

Mine has the same play at the firewall and has never been off road. On yours though there does seam to be a bit more play than mine up by the steering wheel. If you centre the steering wheel do you still have equal number of turns lock to lock?

 

[nielsc]

Mine has the same play at the firewall and has never been off road. On yours though there does seam to be a bit more play than mine up by the steering wheel. If you centre the steering wheel do you still have equal number of turns lock to lock?

Yes I still have equel turns left and right when I centre my steering wheel. What does that say?

 

[frank rabbets]

Oh dear I wish I had not asked that question as I don't know the answer. My money would be on one of the track rod ball joints on the drag tube in front of the axle being bent. The rear track tube and ball joints are OK as the wheels are still parallel when pointing ahead. Perhaps a quick look may reveal that one(s) looks bent obviously the bend being in line with the tube.

Or do you have any cracks that have opened up around the steering box/chassis?

 

[joinerman]

Steering wheel hasn't moved on it's boss or the splines has it ?, just a thought.

 

[nielsc]

Steering wheel hasn't moved on it's boss or the splines has it ?, just a thought.

I think I would have felt that in my steering wheel when it happend, no?
Ball joints looked fine, as does the rod, had it out today to free up the threads to adjust the length. I had to shorten the the steering rod a bit to get my wheel back centred. For now I cannot find anything faulty. The shafts in the column don’t look twisted, U joints look fine. Only strange thing is the shaft goes up and down trough the firewall when I turn the wheel but looks straight from what I can see.

 

[clivehorridge]

I think I would have felt that in my steering wheel when it happend, no?
Ball joints looked fine, as does the rod, had it out today to free up the threads to adjust the length. I had to shorten the the steering rod a bit to get my wheel back centred. For now I cannot find anything faulty. The shafts in the column don’t look twisted, U joints look fine. Only strange thing is the shaft goes up and down trough the firewall when I turn the wheel but looks straight from what I can see.

From what you’ve described, I suggest that either the quadrant shaft has twisted inside the steering box or the Panhard rod has bent.

Admittedly, both are unlikely, but if the steering rod isn’t bent and neither of the two ball joints each end of it are bent, and the steering column isn’t twisted, then there’s no other logical explanation I can think of...

Oh, and PS... can I have my truck back please... ??