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Play on Steering

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pinkels
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Play on Steering

Post#1 » Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:46 am

My G wagon is an old 300GD model 460 that I am busy working on trying to get it fixed. I 've got some serious play on my G steering rack.If anybody can explain how I can fix this problem I will appreciate it Humongously.Does Anybody have some ilustration from a manual how to service the steering Rack on a 460.
I thank you in advance.
pinkels
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Dai C
Posts: 786

Re: Play on Steering

Post#2 » Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:43 am

The adjustment is that 17mm locknut and the allen adjuster. You loosen the locknut, insert a hex key in the top and turn it counterclockwise!!! to tighten it. One of the reasons they get loose is that most of the adjusters out there turn righty tighty to take the play out, MB is the opposite. Mechanics not clear about this loosen them more and leave it that way. Try giving it a half a turn left, tighten the locknut and drive it. Do this a couple of times and be cautious. You need to leave a little play or it will cause very fast wear of the box and the steering will not self center after a turn. So go slow and carefully. I hope this makes sense. Be sure to check for play in the steering components. Check the tie rod ends and the drag links. Play can be other than the steering box.

Let us know what you find.

-Dai

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jonathan joseph
Posts: 1407

Re: Play on Steering

Post#3 » Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:50 am

Pinkels,

Everything Dai says. Most definitely check the rest of the steering system before making this adjustment though. Not to nitpick but your G does not have a steering rack, it is a steering "box" , a very differant thing.
You need to insure there is no play in the tie rod ends, including the drag link, and the pitman arm. Also worn wheel bearings, or king pin bearings could contribute to the feel of play. Also look at the steering shaft and make sure there's no play in the universal joint there.

Feel free to ask for all the help you need.
Fill in your profile with location and vehicle, it may help us to help you in the future.

Jonathan
Below you'll see a picture of the parts Dai described, the lock nut on top of the steering box and the adjustment screw. Be careful not to tighten to much as Dai says. Start with an 1/8 of a turn at a time. Maximun play at the steering wheel is supposed to be 30mm before the wheels move.
The factory procedure is to check friction at the steering wheel with a torque wrench, this is a little complicated, I think most folks just "feel" it out

Dai: Have you checked the resistance to turning with the wheels in the air when doing this adjustment? I'm going to re-adjust mine this week and see what it feels like in the air.
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pinkels
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Re: Play on Steering

Post#4 » Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:38 pm

Hi Dai and Jonathan.You guys are just great and thank you so much for the advice and for the ilustration.It will help a lot.And sorry for all the Questions but I guess the best way to learn is to ask and I need to learn a lot.And I will post some horor stories and pictures regarding "mechanics" that never should have been mechanics in the first place.
I will do as you explained.But I have two other Questions.
First My G is a 300D 406 and a right hand drive.
A :If I ceter the wheels and then turn it to the left,It does turn corectly and sharp.But If I center the wheels again and then turn the wheels to the right.It only turns about +-20 to 25 degrees and no more.It does the same while I am driving .Could the cause possably be a damaged steering link,track rod,damaged wheelhub or CV joint or again STEARING BOX.I want to rebuild as much as possable but cant order all the parts at once.
Whould it be possable to have the Stearing box Reconditioned instead of replaced,as it is going to cost an arm and a leg and maybe an earlob as well?.
B :After I have filled the Front diff with oil and start driving,some oil starts leaking on the lefthand wheel hub.Could the possable cause be just a seal,or a damaged wheal bearing.There is no accesive play on the front wheels if I shake them.But I am going to replace the bearings in any case.
regards Pinkels
Will Update profile now

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jonathan joseph
Posts: 1407

Re: Play on Steering

Post#5 » Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:24 am

Pinkels

I'm not to sure about your turning problem, it is strange. There are limiting screws in the hubs, perhaps they are mis-adjusted but I wouldn't think they would have that "much" adjustment. I'll post a picture below.

Has there been work done on the steering that you know of? Perhaps someone removed the pitman arm and replaced it with the wheels out of center, this might not allow the wheel to return to center before the gears in the box come to a stop. I'm not sure how to determine if this is the case, I'll look into it. Maybe some one else will chime in here?

You can rebuild the steering box, although make sure everything else is fine first. The parts aren't cheap and unless you have some special tools you may want to leave it to a professional shop.

The oil leaking from the hub is a pretty good sign that your axle seal is bad, make sure you keep that differential topped up, you don't want to wear out those "very" expensive parts.

On a side note I have a friend here in the US who is from Wilderness! It's a small world.

Jonathan

What year is your G? There are different types of axle seals depending upon the year.

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pinkels
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Re: Play on Steering

Post#6 » Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:23 am

Hi Jonathan.Thanks again. I think I definitely will need to order me a manual dvd from the USA.I am now more than determined to rebuild my G as best as I can,myself and ask for help where I can.And I will learn a lot.Thats for sure.It is basically a 300GD 1984 model and the previous ,1st owner replaced it with a230E M102.981 engine.He used it for farming and it worked hard . Now I had it for 7 years but did very little long distance driving with it. Mostly hauling a big horse box around.Finally that engine also developed a problem and I entrusted it to some retired mechanic that needed some extra income to replace the 230E engine for me with a replacement 280 petrol engine. I paid the guy the full amount and for the work in advanced as I really felt sorry for him and his wife.Also I gave him extra money and to replace any pipe or wire or hose that needs replacement. Unfortunately I left before he started as I was on a field trip upcountry in the Richtersvelt on the Namibian border for a period of 3 months.And I can assure you it is a beautiful place,but very unforgiving. I am a full time artist and the excursions into nature is part of my job.Also the G needed a new paint job that he would overlook and that would have been done by somebody at a small town nearby.
To make a long story short.On my return I couldnt wait to see what was done.To my horror I couldn't believe my eyes when I realized that he bought a 280 twin cam carburetor engine instead of a M110 280E engine. No wires was replaced and it look like a total mess. He used a jig saw and simply cut the front radiator out of its frame. His explanation was "So that more Air can get to the second radiator"Actually I should take a picture and post it here.He used a garden hosepipe for the steering pump.My air con was simply gone.He said he got it back like that from the place that did the respray job.The pipes are still hanging like that at the bottom.He did cut a piece of it of to use somewhere.Where to this day I still dont know.2 days later I was driving late one night on a dirt road along the coast and I hit a crater of a pothole. Just a loud bang underneath the bonnet and The Engine nearly flew out of the engine bay.Fan cover blown to pieces .I still manage to make it home and on closer inspection I noticed that he never secured the engine mounts to the chassy. The next day I went back to him and asked him "WHAT ON EARTH WAS HE THINKING"He said that he thought that the 280 engine is so heavy that there was no need to secure the engine mounts to the chassy. I just left and for a long time was so depressed that I didn't even wanted to look at my G anymore.It was partly my own fault and I have learned a lesson in life.So now I will teach myself how to do it as and rather ask for expert advice along the way.I simply refuse to give up on my G.I now want to rebuild it for my daughter who is also into horses so that she can use it to haul the horses around.It still wont do long distances and I am considering refitting a 230E M102.980 engine. It has more than enough power for the task at hand and also is very light on fuel. So to answer your question. Yes somebody did worked on it and I don't have a clue what he did.
I think it will be best for me to start at some point and take everything apart and simply replace things as I progress.I know it is not going to be easy and expensive as well but I am going to do it with my daughters safety in the back of my mind.So there is going to be no short cuts.
Ya it is a small small world,you can say that again and with some very very stupid people living on it and that includes me.At least I have learned my lesson and made my peace with it.The old guy who messed up my G passed away some 18 months ago.And I am not mad at him anymore.
And thanks again for your advice.It is much appreciated.
Pinkels

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jonathan joseph
Posts: 1407

Re: Play on Steering

Post#7 » Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:47 pm

Wow Pinkels sounds like this guy made a mess of your G. Sorry to hear that. Seems like you are determined though. From what little I have learned of South Africans though I am sure that is all you need to succeed in your plan to restore the G. You guys are mighty resourceful!
We'll be here to help with whatever we can. Let me know if I can send any parts back to you when my friend Frederick goes home to visit Wilderness!

Jonathan

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4x4abc
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Re: Play on Steering

Post#8 » Tue Mar 17, 2009 7:17 pm

Pinkels,

here is everything you will ever need:
http://4x4abc.com/G-Class/available.html

Harald

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pinkels
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Re: Play on Steering

Post#9 » Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:59 am

Thanks for the link Harald.Will start getting together but I definately think that a manual is going to help a lot.
And thanks for offering help Jonathan.It will always be good to at least try and restore any G as best as you can.I guess a well restored one will probably last another 30 years easily if it is well maintained.They simply don't build solid vechiles like that any more.
I just dont think that your friend from Wildernees is going to be happy to carry a Transferbox with him through customs.Just joking.I might consider ordering some new window and door seals and mirror mounts and mirrors as well.
But my bad luck didn't stop with the retired Mechanic and brain dead panel beater.A “friend”from France who used to be in the French Foreign legion was helping me with my rear drum brakes,which is a very simple job.He actually knows the G quite well as they use the Puch in France.Because we are living way out of town in the mountains,he offered to take the right hand side brake drums and brake shoes with him to drop them of for me at an engineering place in town to be re skimmed,and then I could just collect them again later that week .To make another long story short.He simply dissapeared of the face of this earth.The parts were never dropped of at the engineering place.I know for a fact that he was illegal without any papers in South Africa and that he left the Foreign Legion before his 15 years contract expired,and that they were looking for him.Just another unsolved Mystery.

I have already ordered 2 new rear drums but are considering to rather take the left rear Brake shoes to an engineering place “MYSELF” and have a new set make for the right hand rear side.It doesn't look that complicated and I am convinced that they would be able to manufature a new set for me as Mercedes South Africa are asking a small fortune for a new set as they need to import it from Germany for me,and I only need 1 set for the right rear.So every buck I can save there I can rather use on some other part.
But I will take pictures as I progress and maybe it can help somebody else in the future.
My email address is pinkels @elitemail.org .maybe it would be good to stay in contact as when your friend,also from wilderness does return at some point and if he wont object bringing a couple of seals with him.
Pinkels.

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