Amazon: Vague + Heavy Steering

[altrezia]

Hey guys

The first of my many issues - the steering.

Drove the car (a '66 121) home from collection today and while it was pretty well behaved, the steering was causing me some concern - it's really heavy (but I suppose I expected that) - but also very vague. The car tends to wander about on the road, and needs constant correction, but the corrections aren't consistent.

Moving the steering wheel clockwise and anti-clockwise seems to only suggest the car should turn and it decides if it wants to and so on.

I'm going to check the steering box, and replace the rubber doughnut thing - anyone know the best place to order parts for the old cars in the UK?

In addition - can the rubber be replaced by a UJ, and/or the box replaced with a more modern rack?

Many thanks!

[Rustinmotion]

Originally Posted by altrezia

Hey guys

The first of my many issues - the steering.

Drove the car (a '66 121) home from collection today and while it was pretty well behaved, the steering was causing me some concern - it's really heavy (but I suppose I expected that) - but also very vague. The car tends to wander about on the road, and needs constant correction, but the corrections aren't consistent.

Moving the steering wheel clockwise and anti-clockwise seems to only suggest the car should turn and it decides if it wants to and so on.

I'm going to check the steering box, and replace the rubber doughnut thing - anyone know the best place to order parts for the old cars in the UK?

In addition - can the rubber be replaced by a UJ, and/or the box replaced with a more modern rack?

Many thanks!

Brookhouse Volvo have most parts, Amazon cars are another source but best to phone them as the web sites a shocker

[altrezia]

Amazing, thank you

[Ron Kwas]

altre;

Welcome to this forum!

The first thing I would check is tire pressure!...after that, condition of front suspension, including separating upper Ball Joint to remove Spring preload forces, then checking all bushings and components for slop...

You should introduce yourself, and state your experience and capabilities...then we will know to what level to give advice and suggestions.

Before speaking of modifications, like replacing the Steering Box (a MAJOR re-engineering job!), you should bring the systems back to proper and decent condition, including adjusting the Steering Box (and that means per the procedure, and NOT simply wanging down on the Adjustment Screw!!). Half the time people speak of wanting to "upgrade"...they should first restore!

I invite you to peruse the sw-em.com site to steepen your learning curve.

Good Hunting and Greets from Connecticut!

[altrezia]

Originally Posted by Ron Kwas

altre;

Welcome to this forum!

The first thing I would check is tire pressure!...after that, condition of front suspension, including separating upper Ball Joint to remove Spring preload forces, then checking all bushings and components for slop...

You should introduce yourself, and state your experience and capabilities...then we will know to what level to give advice and suggestions.

Before speaking of modifications, like replacing the Steering Box (a MAJOR re-engineering job!), you should bring the systems back to proper and decent condition, including adjusting the Steering Box (and that means per the procedure, and NOT simply wanging down on the Adjustment Screw!!). Half the time people speak of wanting to "upgrade"...they should first restore!

I invite you to peruse the sw-em.com site to steepen your learning curve.

Good Hunting and Greets from Connecticut!

Hey! All good advice.
I did some more forum reading after posting, and a lot of the replies to other threads mention that a joint or idler arm maybe be bad, meaning stiff steering and/or vagueness - so makes sense I should check all that first.

I'm totally new to Volvos, but rebuilt loads of cars previously, and raced cars for a decade, so not scared of spanners

Edit to add: That sw-em website is amazing!

Thanks!

[gjr0]

If the car has sat in a collection for a long time the grease in all the joints may be dried out, giving the car a bad case of memory steer. Once you are moving the steering should not be particularly heavy.

The rubber coupler in the steering column is there to keep you from getting speared by the steering column in a front end collision. A u-joint could work but you would have to re-engineer the angle between the upper and lower columns.