Inner track rod ends?

[sholtby]

I cant quite get my head around your comment on the track rods. There isnt much difference in the track rod lengths but even if there was, wouldnt turning the steering wheel still pull one road wheel in by the same amount it pushes the other out?

How do you adjust the preload on the pinon gear?

Thanks
Simon

[Chris_Rogers]

You have to remember the geometry of the steering while turning a corner. The inner wheel needs to turn more than the outer one. This is acheived by the positioning of the inner track rod end in relation to the pivot point of the wheel.

Due to the adjustment you have done the inner track rod end pivot point is in a different position on each side of the car.

You can see what I mean if you put the front wheels on turntables and move from lock to lock.

There is a spring loaded bearing that pushes the rack onto the pinion gear this can be adjusted by removing shims or increasing the tension on the spring using a threaded adjustment depending on the type of rack fitted.

[David 850 GLT]

With your steering rack in a different position, i.e. offset at the steering wheel and compensated by "tracking" adjustments, your steering geometry is now incorrect. As already commented, the toe-out on turns is now unequal and will give rise to increased tyre wear, not to mention a steering pull to one side during normal driving.

The rack teeth are "crowned" and you must set the rack damper preload with the rack central. The adjustment is there to accommodate reasonable wear in the unit.

>>The rack teeth are "crowned" and you must set the
>rack damper preload with the rack central. The adjustment is
>there to accommodate reasonable wear in the unit.

David

Where is the adjuster and how do I go about altering it?

Matt

[David 850 GLT]

Matt

I haven't done this job on a Volvo yet and as I'm away from home at present, can't go and have a look underneath mine to give specifics!

However, the yoke preload adjustment is done at the pinion end of the assembly i.e. the driver's side and with the complete steering gear assembly mounted in a bench vice. Adjustment is usually via EITHER a special threaded plug (special tool) OR a bolted cover plate with selective shims between it and the damper housing.

From memory, the Heynes manual doesn't cover it, so you can't see what's involved. (There's a message there!)

This is definitely not a job to take on lightly.

To do it properly, there's a bit of careful measurement needed in order to establish the correct thickness of shim pack. Unless you have some special tools such as (probably) a DTI (dial test indicator or "clock gauge") plus a holder for it plus a surface plate upon which to zero it there is little chance of success.

I don't recommend removing an arbitrary number of shims from beneath the yoke cover plate so as to increase the preload as you could overdo it and make the steering "tight" and non-self-centring, or worse.

For safety's sake I'd suggest you have a specialist do the rack or, better still, fit an exchange unit.

Sorry to pour cold water on getting into the steering rack, and this is not a cop-out, but it's a safety item.

Hi

I was in on Friday for my M.O.T. the tester said all it needed was a CV boot. Regarding the wandering, he couldn't find any play in the steering and suggested I had the tracking set anyway as the CV boot was getting replaced.

Well, when replacing the CV boot, he found the front hub to be cracked!!! He had never seen one before on an 850.

We put on a replacement housing and new bearing and outer CV joint. Re-set the front alignment, Bingo. No more wandering. Turns sharper and much more smoothly.

Me happy.
Matt

[sholtby]

Its a relief when you finally find the cause of a problem like this as it ruins the whole driving experience otherwise.

Simon