Steering locked for a moment, ideas?

[4flyboy]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 1984 Carrera M491. That's a factory wide body w/turbo brakes and suspension for those unfamiliar with the option code. Standard Carrera otherwise.

The PO lowered it below what I consider Euro height and it has a bump steer kit.

Recently I got a shot of adrenaline when I went to change lanes!

The steering felt locked for a moment? With mild effort I overcame the resistance and the car steered normally. I pulled over cycled the steering lock to lock and everything seemed normal though I headed for the barn.

For a good bit the car steered per usual then another attention riveting episode? Let me stress that at no time was the car uncontrollable or the steering uncoupled in any way....it just binds momentarily.

I'm about to put her on jack stands and pull the steering box cover. I did open the smugglers box and visually check the u-joint and shaft for play.

My question to the board? Where do I start looking? What would exhibit those symptoms?

It's intermittent which leads me to believe that somethings loose?

The car is obviously sidelined......

Thanks Scott

[john walker's workshop]

Could be the needle bearing in the rubber sleeve, which is clamped against the body in the smuggler's box.

[4flyboy]

Thanks for weighing in John,

Can you expand a bit on this?

Inside the rubber boot #22 in this diagram?

[uwanna]

Had exactly your symptons a couple of years ago. Once while making a left turn at a traffic light, I almost hit a car when the wheel tried to lock momentarily! My problem was the plastic upper steering wheel bushing falling apart.
My bushing started breaking up and the steering would stick and hang up momentarily. Turns out chunks of the plastic were falling further down the column and lodging against the plunger of the steering lock unit, binding the shaft. To fix mine, I removed and reinstalled the ign/lock unit and the plastic chunks
fell further down the column, relieving the problem and then I installed a Mitch Leland bushing.
This is a very dangerous problem and needs to be addressed ASAP!
Check if your steering wheel has a lots of up and down play, if so your upper plastic bushing is probably toast and coming apart. Do a search for Mitch Leland bushing if you have this problem, it's a permanent fix.
He's a link to a long thread about the Leland bushing which is available from our host:Mitch Leland's Steering Wheel Bushing
Here's the part:
https://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/ksearch/pel_search_2016.cgi?command=DWsearch&description=mitch+leland

[Tom '74 911]

What John referenced is #23/#24.

I'd check the easy & accessible stuff first and then move to the harder to get to stuff if you can't find a culprit.

- maybe check the steering wheel lock in the hub behind the steering wheel
- steering shaft u-joints
- needle bearing per John W. comment
- there are bearings inside the steering column, although don't know if they'd get 'gravelly' enough to affect your steering
- maybe check your tie-rods & steering action @ the struts/ball joints; maybe it's catching on something?
- steering rack itself

sounds a little scary...

Tom

[4flyboy]

Tom, Uwanna,

Appreciate it, this gives me a starting point. I'm familiar with Mitch's bushing....probably should do this anyway.

If the needle bearing is bad is it a replacement item?

[Tom '74 911]

Originally Posted by 4flyboy

If the needle bearing is bad is it a replacement item?

It's easy to get to for diagnosis.; I don't know if replacements are available however. I have taken a few of them apart and found some that were really dry, but none that were seizing or seized. If it's dry or not-smoothly operating, you might try just adding some grease to it... if it's fully toast, you'll probably know it when you look at it.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by uwanna

check if your steering wheel has a lots of up and down play

+1

[Munky King]

Could it be that the nut/pinch bolt that holds the steering / ignition lock has become a little loose and is now occasionally ‘kissing’ off on the steering column interface?

Mine had wiggled out to finger tight and had a small amount of play.

I don’t have editing software on my phone, but I tried to zoom to show you where it hides- behind the bottom steering column molding and mine was behind a wire bundle - as seen in the zoomed in pictures.

[Munky King]

Second try on the pictures!

[4flyboy]

Thanks,

I'm following all the leads here fellas, doesn't appear to be excessive play in the steering wheel vertically (around the steering shaft). I have noticed a lag (play) when I rotate the wheel....1/8" and have been gathering Porsche rubber for a suspension rebuild.

I read the MItch Leyland thread, I participated in it several years ago but didn't see parallels until Uwanna mentioned his problem.

I'm looking for an oversize socket to pull the steering wheel. I want to see if the bushing is deteriorated and get as much out as possible..... this would explain the intermittent nature of the thing if chunks were floating around low on the steering shaft?

[uwanna]

Originally Posted by 4flyboy

Thanks,

I'm following all the leads here fellas, doesn't appear to be excessive play in the steering wheel vertically (around the steering shaft). I have noticed a lag (play) when I rotate the wheel....1/8" and have been gathering Porsche rubber for a suspension rebuild.

I read the MItch Leyland thread, I participated in it several years ago but didn't see parallels until Uwanna mentioned his problem.

I'm looking for an oversize socket to pull the steering wheel. I want to see if the bushing is deteriorated and get as much out as possible..... this would explain the intermittent nature of the thing if chunks were floating around low on the steering shaft?

The problem with the floating plastic bits is they lodge in the recess that is cut in the shaft for the lock plunger to go into. When I had my problems, the wheel would lock till I jerked the wheel quite hard,
which I assumed caused the plastic bit to break up, freeing the the shaft. Does that sound like your problem? If so, you'll have to remove the tamper proof bolts that hold on the ignition lock unit then crawl under the dash and free up the lock unit. It's real tight quarters and a pain in the AZZ. Then I would bang on the steering tube to allow the bits to fall down the tube, but first I would remove all the leftover pieces of the bushing above from under the wheel. Anyway, that's what I did and it worked for me
YMMV! Good luck!

[4flyboy]

Those are my symptoms exactly Uwanna.....anybody know the MM size of that steering wheel bolt?

[uwanna]

Originally Posted by 4flyboy

Those are my sysptoms exactly Uwanna.....anybody know the MM size of that steering wheel bolt?

I believe it's 17MM but can't state as gospel! LOL

[john walker's workshop]

you can check 23/24 by taking the clamp off and turning the bushing by hand. might have to lightly pry the steering shaft outward a bit to do it.

[HaroldMHedge]

It also might be the steering U-joints.

My steering jams - YIKES!!

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by uwanna

I believe it's 17MM but can't state as gospel! LOL

27MM. Get a thin wall chrome 12 point. Impacts are too chubby.

Get it up in the air and run the rabbit on the various recommendations. A helper is good.

[Munky King]

As Bob says it's a 27mm.

You will probably need a bit of an extension, depending on the steering wheel you have attached.



Third (and final) try with the pinch bolt pictures.

If you take the steering wheel off, access to this nut and pinch bolt are three screws away - the bottom two that you see holding the lower steering column cover and one at the side where the steering column splits on the side of the ignition.

Swing the cover down and you will see the nut and pinch 'bolt' (though it has a recessed Allen key inside it rather than a hex head).

[Munky King]

[uwanna]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

27MM. Get a thin wall chrome 12 point. Impacts are too chubby.

Get it up in the air and run the rabbit on the various recommendations. A helper is good.

LOL, I was only off by 10mm (17mm vs 27mm) Hanging my head in shame.