loose steering
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Leesfer
loose steering
is it normal for these fiats to have a bit of a loose steering wheel? I've got about an inch or more of play in the wheel, is there anyway to tighten that up?
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rlux4
- Patron 2022
- Posts: 4211
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:32 pm
- Your car is a: 1982 2000 Spider
- Location: Granite Falls, Wa
Re: loose steering
It is normal to have up to 1" of play in your steering wheel. There is an ajustment screw with a stop nut on it located on top of your steering box. You can tighten it up, but be careful not to try to get all of the play out, you could damage some parts. Manoa Matt has covered this very well earlier:
I think he ammended this to 1/2" free trravel after he checked his manual.
Good luck.
With the front wheels on the ground the steering wheel should have 1 inch of free play from side to side untill you feel the resistance of the wheels.
The adjustment post and nut are at the center of the cap plate for the steering box. You may have a black plastic cover over them. To take up free play, you hold the center post from moving with a large slotted screwdriver while loosening the locking nut. Turn the post with the screw driver untill you have 1 inch of free travel. I think its clockwise to take up slack. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong, don't have my manual in front of me.)
I believe the correct level for the steering box is 1/2 inch below the cover plate, use a wood dowel to check the level. Idler is about the same.
I think he ammended this to 1/2" free trravel after he checked his manual.
Good luck.
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ventura ace
Re: loose steering
To say that the steering adjustment should be 1" is sorta correct, but there is more to it than that. The steering box is best adjusted with all the steering links disconnected from it, but can be adjusted with everything connected if you are careful.
First get the front wheels off the ground, and free to turn from stop to stop.
The steering box is designed to be the 'tightest ' in the middle, with progressively more play the further you turn the steering box from center. You should have essentially Zero free play in the center (assuming that all your tie rods and ball joints are good), and up to about 1" steering wheel play at the outer extremes. To adjust, cautiously turn the steering box adjustment screw CW little by little while turning the steering back and forth through the center range until you can just start to feel more resistance in the center (the steering wheel or front wheels may or may not be centered at this point -- you are going by feel, and whenever it feels 'tight', that is the true center of the steering box motion. Find that point. Find it several times, approaching from both CW and CCW directions, until you get repeatability enough to know what the 'center' is If the steering wheel happens to be centered at this point, then good, the steering wheel is properly positioned in relation to the steering box center. If not, remove the steering wheel (being careful not to rotate the steering post) and put the steering wheel back on such that it is centered. Then, you should back off the steering box adjuster screw, until you can just barely feel this resistance in the center while turning the steering wheel back and forth, then cinch the steering box lock nut down and call it good.
If the front wheels are not centered with the steering wheel, then either take the car to an allignment shop , or adjust the tie rods yourself to center things up. To keep the same Toe-in adjustment, adjust the tie rods on each side by exactly the same amount. In other words, if you tighten the right side by tie rod by 1/2 turn, then loosen the left side tie rod by 1/2 turn. Do small adjustments, then test drive between each adjustment. Rotate the 2 tie rods in the opposite direction. If you rotate one tie rod forward, then rotate the other one backward.
Good luck with it!
Alvon
First get the front wheels off the ground, and free to turn from stop to stop.
The steering box is designed to be the 'tightest ' in the middle, with progressively more play the further you turn the steering box from center. You should have essentially Zero free play in the center (assuming that all your tie rods and ball joints are good), and up to about 1" steering wheel play at the outer extremes. To adjust, cautiously turn the steering box adjustment screw CW little by little while turning the steering back and forth through the center range until you can just start to feel more resistance in the center (the steering wheel or front wheels may or may not be centered at this point -- you are going by feel, and whenever it feels 'tight', that is the true center of the steering box motion. Find that point. Find it several times, approaching from both CW and CCW directions, until you get repeatability enough to know what the 'center' is If the steering wheel happens to be centered at this point, then good, the steering wheel is properly positioned in relation to the steering box center. If not, remove the steering wheel (being careful not to rotate the steering post) and put the steering wheel back on such that it is centered. Then, you should back off the steering box adjuster screw, until you can just barely feel this resistance in the center while turning the steering wheel back and forth, then cinch the steering box lock nut down and call it good.
If the front wheels are not centered with the steering wheel, then either take the car to an allignment shop , or adjust the tie rods yourself to center things up. To keep the same Toe-in adjustment, adjust the tie rods on each side by exactly the same amount. In other words, if you tighten the right side by tie rod by 1/2 turn, then loosen the left side tie rod by 1/2 turn. Do small adjustments, then test drive between each adjustment. Rotate the 2 tie rods in the opposite direction. If you rotate one tie rod forward, then rotate the other one backward.
Good luck with it!
Alvon