I am certian that the play is
within the steering box, switched steering box with my parts car. Both boxes
show the same problems. As I switched I made certain that there are no cracks
in the frame. With the boxes of the car I can feel the play.
Perhaps they are just worn beyond adjustability?
Johan, et all- The thing to do is to jack your
car up and get it on stands. Make sure it is secure! Start on the driver side
and check your wheel bearings for play. Next, try to turn the front wheel by
hand (like you are making a turn) and watch each of the tie rod joints as you
do so. You don't have to go lock to lock, just put enough pressure on it to
make it move. More like a wiggle than a real push. This is really best if
done with a helper- they wiggle the wheel while you watch. ANY movement
horizontally between the tierod sections means that the tierod joint is bad
and it needs to be replaced. You do have to look very closely at the tierod
joints to see the movement- kind of a shearing movement. You have an inner and
an outer tierod joint on the left. When you get to the pitman arm (the arm
from the steering box to the tierod) watch for play between the arm and center
tierod pivot and play in the steering box (fore/aft or side/side movement) . I
have not seen much wear in BMW boxes here- but check it just in case. Don't
worry about rotational movement just yet. Working to the passenger side, what
goes for the pitman arm on the passenger side is actually called the idler
arm. Watch this as your friend wiggles the wheel, or just grab it with both
hands and see if you can move it vertically(up and down as opposed to side to
side). ANY play here and the bushing needs to be replaced. This is a very
common problem on E-3s. Again check the pivot between the idler arm and the
center tierod. Now check the tie rods (inner and outer) on the passenger side
for horizontal play. Last, check the passenger side wheel bearings. If
everything is tight to this point, go upstairs and have your friend turn the
steering wheel with the engine off. Again, this is more of a wiggle to look
for play, not to turn the wheels. Watch the joints, 1 u-joint and mini-guibo
under the dash, and 1 u-joint at the steering box. If these are good, then
watch the steering shaft where it enters the steering box. Watch the
rotation of the shaft Vs output at the pitman arm. A little bit of play
here is acceptable, say 5 to 10 degrees. A new box will be zero, but so will
your bank account if you buy a new one.
Now I will warn everybody about messing with the
steering box adjustment- BE CAREFULL! It is very easy to overtighten this
adjustment and ruin your box! I do NOT recommend that the vast majority
of you out there go beyond this point. This adjustment takes "feel" to do
properly, if you are not intimate with machinery, you probably don't have the
"feel" for this job. Don't be insulted, be warned. OK. Engine off. This
adjustment is set up to tighten up at the center point of travel, so any
adjustments MUST be made at this point. Count your turns lock to lock and find
the exact center- do NOT ASSUME this is where your wheels or steering wheel
are pointing straight. Roll the steering wheel from free movement end
point to free movement end point around the center of travel. Loosen the
lock nut on the box and turn the screw in while rolling the wheel. Try to get
the free play down to about 5 degrees- plus or minus 2 1/2 degrees- and
tighten the locknut. Now turn the wheel from lock to lock, paying attention to
the resistance at the center point. If the steering tends to "bind" at the
center, back off your adjustment. If it rolls smoothly through the entire
range, go back to center and try to take out the last 5 degrees of movement.
Recheck for binding. This is where the "feel" comes in, there is a
slight increase in resistance at the center point, but not a true bind. The
steering wheel gives you a lot of mechanical advantage, so a light touch is
imperative. Note that there will probably be free play in your wheel because
we are taking slop out of a worn box. Guaranteed that it is worn, because it
doesn't come from the factory with play. It is better to have a little bit of
play and get another 100k miles than to have zero play now and have a trashed
box in 10k miles. Good luck!
Mike
70 2800- Wallis
72 Bavaria- Baby
72
R75/5