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Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
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Author:  FullyZooked [ Sat Dec 03, 2011 3:55 am ]
Post subject:  Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
Hey guys,

Went for a good wheel yesterday arvo on some medium-hard tracks. One of these tracks with very deep water erosions running up it. As I entered one of the erosions( about 500mm deep) my front end made a whining noise.

I pulled through the trail and at the end my steering wheel is now 45 degrees to the right when traveling straight :blink: .

I nursed it home with great care and this is what ive checked.

All tie rod ends are tight and not bent. Idler arm is straight. Steering shaft from column to the box is tight.

My thought was that maybe the steering shaft from console to steering box may have slipped a few teeth on one of the clamp joints. These are all tight though?

Note that on the road the car is not pulling to any one side nor are the tyres making any more noise than usual indicating wheel alignment out of whack.

Is there any way it could skip a couple of gear teeth in the steering box? It is power steering BTW.

I'm lost, any input of previous experience with similar issues or ideas to what may be the cause are appreciated.
Author:  royce [ Sat Dec 03, 2011 4:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES?
unless you are lying directly under the draglink in mine and look at it correctly you would never notice the tiny bend I put in it doing the same thing, which with the resulting toe change on one side did the exact same thing
Author:  FullyZooked [ Sat Dec 03, 2011 5:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES?
Hmmm, hopefully its that easy. This is the second time it has happened?

Last Auszookers run to Wombat I came home with the Wheel 25 degrees or so to the left. It has been fine since yesterday and now its bent the other way.

Maybe its lost its strength and is bending will nilly now.
Author:  FullyZooked [ Sat Dec 03, 2011 5:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES?
Ah the link you say not the idler arm?
Author:  atari4x4 [ Sat Dec 03, 2011 5:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES?
usually it's the idler arm bracket that goes before the idler arm, but i snapped the tie rod, stocker bent his drag link not that long ago.
Author:  FullyZooked [ Sun Dec 04, 2011 1:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES?
Well the ole drag link is a little bent looking on both ends?

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

How does that look? Surely thats not so good!
Author:  FullyZooked [ Sun Dec 04, 2011 6:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
Can someone with a vitara have a squizz at theirs for me and see if it's any straighter?
Author:  jimbo_jones [ Sun Dec 04, 2011 8:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
If its not that check the main shaft in your steering box may be twisted
Author:  atari4x4 [ Sun Dec 04, 2011 9:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
FullyZooked wrote:
Can someone with a vitara have a squizz at theirs for me and see if it's any straighter?


mine has the same slight bends in it on both sides. :wink:
Author:  Flx11e [ Sun Dec 04, 2011 10:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES?
FullyZooked wrote:
Well the ole drag link is a little bent looking on both ends?

Image



Not a crack in the chassis where the steering box mounts is there?
Author:  FullyZooked [ Mon Dec 05, 2011 12:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
Good eyes! I will take a look at that this arvo!
Author:  FullyZooked [ Mon Dec 05, 2011 5:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
Ok. No crack in suspect place just where oil has been whipped off.

Here's some food for thought. When wheel is centred and turned full lock right this is 1 3/4 turns. Centre to full left is just on 2 1/4 turns?

A mechanic asked me to do this test and confirm the box has not shat itself.

So what it would seem is the box itself has skipped a few teeth or the input/output splines have jumped a few teeth?

I've got a spare draglink here but it has similar bends in it.

What do you guys think about the above?
Author:  atari4x4 [ Mon Dec 05, 2011 5:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
I'd put my money on the splines skipping, can't remember but are you bodylifted?
Author:  FullyZooked [ Mon Dec 05, 2011 5:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
Nope, bodylift a negative.
Author:  christover1 [ Mon Dec 05, 2011 6:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
Everything I see in pix looks straight and OK.
But seems to be a lot of fluid/oil round the box.
My money is on the steering box,
slipped or broke a spline.
But steering column/shaft/steering wheel all need looking at.
Quote:
When wheel is centred and turned full lock right this is 1 3/4 turns. Centre to full left is just on 2 1/4 turns?


Do you mean steering wheel,
or steering itself centred?
Author:  FullyZooked [ Mon Dec 05, 2011 7:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
christover1 wrote:
Everything I see in pix looks straight and OK.
But seems to be a lot of fluid/oil round the box.
My money is on the steering box,
slipped or broke a spline.
But steering column/shaft/steering wheel all need looking at.
Quote:
When wheel is centred and turned full lock right this is 1 3/4 turns. Centre to full left is just on 2 1/4 turns?


Do you mean steering wheel,
or steering itself centred?


Oil around pump is previously leaked oil :blink: It has since stopped via Nulon stop leak. I check the level everytime I drive it and it has not dropped in months.

I meant the steering wheel straight not the wheels.

When I drive straight the steering wheel is 45 degrees to the right to go in a straight line. This doesn't let me use the right indicator as it is right on the return springer dotherlacker 8O .
Author:  christover1 [ Mon Dec 05, 2011 7:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
If anything was bent enough to put it out that far,
I'd think it would be clear to see.
Splines can twist,
seen it on axles,
but never on steering,
tho is a possibility.

Everything from steering wheel to box needs pulling apart,
may look fine from outside,
and hard to see fault when still assembled
Author:  stocker [ Mon Dec 05, 2011 7:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
Hey bud, just curious, but have you checked that the clamps are tight on the Splined bit that connects the Steering Wheel to the Steering Box. you should be able to see this looking down from the engine bay. they are 2 M10 bolts from memory.
Author:  FullyZooked [ Mon Dec 05, 2011 9:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
Yes the bolts are tight. I'm gonna have to pull it out and check for slippage though. What a PITA.
Author:  christover1 [ Mon Dec 05, 2011 9:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
FullyZooked wrote:
Yes the bolts are tight. I'm gonna have to pull it out and check for slippage though. What a PITA.

Zook owners need liberal supplies of anul lube.
:cry:
Author:  FullyZooked [ Mon Jan 02, 2012 12:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
Problem sorted for future search reference.

Idle arm bent to shit, replaced. Did not fix toe issue(crooked steering)

VERY bent left lower ball joint, replaced and voila! Fixed.

Next time the front takes a hit and knocks shit out of whack, i'll know where to look first :)
Author:  shandy92 [ Mon Jan 02, 2012 12:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
FullyZooked wrote:
Problem sorted for future search reference.

Idle arm bent to shit, replaced. Did not fix toe issue(crooked steering)

VERY bent left lower ball joint, replaced and voila! Fixed.

Next time the front takes a hit and knocks shit out of whack, i'll know where to look first :)


good stuff mate, where did you get ur new bits from?
Author:  Gwagensteve [ Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
It's interesting that when this comes up, someone always offers "maybe the steering box has slipped a few teeth"

I fail to see how this is possible without the box breaking. IMHO the design of steering boxes make this impossible.

As for jumping splines on the steering shaft, again, I call BS unless the shaft has been incorrectly reassembled and there's only a few millimetres of spline engaged - almost impossible to do.

I think these are internet myths that do nothing to help someone find the real problem.

Has anyone actually had a steering box "slip a few teeth", confirmed by pulling it apart and checking?

How about a steering shaft "jump a few splines"? I believe that if i put a shaft in a vice, even with the bolt out, I'd break the uni/rag joint before the splines could jump.

Steve.

PS a bent main shaft in the steering box is entirely possible, but rare in a vitara where you have the "fuse" of a weak idler arm.
Author:  ajsr [ Mon Jan 02, 2012 9:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
Gwagensteve wrote:
It's interesting that when this comes up, someone always offers "maybe the steering box has slipped a few teeth"

I fail to see how this is possible without the box breaking. IMHO the design of steering boxes make this impossible.

As for jumping splines on the steering shaft, again, I call BS unless the shaft has been incorrectly reassembled and there's only a few millimetres of spline engaged - almost impossible to do.

I think these are internet myths that do nothing to help someone find the real problem.

Has anyone actually had a steering box "slip a few teeth", confirmed by pulling it apart and checking?

How about a steering shaft "jump a few splines"? I believe that if i put a shaft in a vice, even with the bolt out, I'd break the uni/rag joint before the splines could jump.

Steve.

PS a bent main shaft in the steering box is entirely possible, but rare in a vitara where you have the "fuse" of a weak idler arm.


I snapped the output shaft clean through before the splines let go
Author:  christover1 [ Mon Jan 02, 2012 9:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
FullyZooked wrote:
Problem sorted for future search reference.

Idle arm bent to shit, replaced. Did not fix toe issue(crooked steering)

VERY bent left lower ball joint, replaced and voila! Fixed.

Next time the front takes a hit and knocks shit out of whack, i'll know where to look first :)


I bought one of these idler arm/brackets from low range
Image
Author:  Gwagensteve [ Mon Jan 02, 2012 9:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
Exactly. Broken shafts are real. "skipping some teeth" is a myth.

This is a simplified drawing of a steering box as used in a sierra - a "recirculating ball" system.

Image

I think it's fairly clear that "skipping some teeth" is going to be pretty hard without something breaking.

Steve.
Author:  FullyZooked [ Mon Jan 02, 2012 10:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
I got the new idler arm/bracket from eBay $60 delivered and also the lower ball joint for $78.
Author:  FullyZooked [ Mon Jan 02, 2012 10:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vitara Steering Box ISSUES? NOW WITH PICS!
The lowrange idler and bracket are huge! I would have purchased this if I wasn't in such a hurry to get her back on the road.
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