Steering wander javelin

[Ballykjavlin]

Hello, as I'm sorting out issues with ZO2222 in succession I'm now getting to the wander which occurs rather abruptly at times to the right. I'm suspicious of the rh (drivers side) wheel. There is a small amount of movement /play when rocked side to side and also top and bottom, the passenger side has none. I've replaced the front tyres with new Avon items, dispensing with the elderly remoulds!..
What I need to know is what should I be looking for to replace, ball joint or bushes? Any advice appreciated. Cheers, Donal

[alexander]

Does the movement to the right happen when you brake ?
If so check the left front brake
Dave

[Keith Clements]

If it happens during braking then it is probably a seized brake cylinder or could be mismatched shoes, grease on shoe or poor adjustment.
Note that shoes can be put in the wrong way around which will cause uneven braking and the correct brake springs should be fitted.
I have seen a few cars with bodged springs and mismatched or wrongly fitted shoes. Wear on the posts can also take place such that the shoes do not fit evenly on the drums.
If it happens because of tram lines in road then it is either play in tracking or incorrect steering alignment.
If it happens on bump, it is likely to be steering ball height adjustment.

Do a really good check on the play in the king pin (both up and down and inside to outside) , wheel bearing play, lower swivel pin play, play in each end of the track rods. Also check the bolts holding each end of the steering cross member and box have no play.
If it is the brass rather than rubber suspension, play can also occur in the top yoke assembly.

I have seen some incredibly worn suspension components in my Jowett lifetime!

[David Morris]

Hi,

The good thing about a Javelin is that almost all the parts of the steering can be adjusted for wear. But this is also it's downfall. As Keith says, wear can be almost anywhere. What I would do is to raise the front wheels up on axle stands. Then, waggle the wheels and feel and look for obvious wear in all the components. Starting with the steering wheel, there should be no more than 1cm of free play, that is before the wheels show a response to steering wheel movement. You can take out any play here by adjusting the eccentric bush at the bottom of the steering column. Sometimes this will be easy to move, or perhaps it has not been adjusted in 60 years! Check that there is good free movement across the full range of wheel travel. Adjusting at the centre of travel might create stiffness at the extreams.
Then inspect the four cone nuts on the steering link. These wear oval and then are very difficult to get right. You may need to get reground replacements from JCS. Take great care with the tab washers here, you MUST fold over both tabs, down on the cone nut and up on the locking nut. failure to do this will result in locked-up steering.
Finally, as Keith says, look for wear anywhere else on the system and replace/adjust as necessary. The steering link arms have shims and, if you have the Jowett ball joints, these are adjustable. Up and down movement on the swivel pins should be no more than 0.015" Even when everything seems fine, she will wander when encountering tram lines or roads that have uneven tarmac, if you have crossplies fitted. Just accept it, hold on tight and smile!
Also, check that the steering box is tightly bolted to the wheel arch. There is a bolt that goes through the cast shoulder on the steering box and the nut is visible on the inside of the wing, sitting in a reinforcing plate. This can work loose.
Hope this helps?
All the best and stay safe,
David

[David Morris]

Hi,

Following on from my earlier post, I was browsing other posts and saw one, I think from you, under ‘My Jowett Experiences’, where you mentioned the steering free play at the wheel. I think this may be the root cause of your steering wander?
Here’s my suggestion. Get the front of the car up on axle stands and remove the front wheels. Recruit an assistant, who needs to sit in the driver’s seat. Put the wheels in the straight-ahead position. Reach into the wheel arch and find the steering cone nuts facing you on the end of the steering beam. These are also attached to the drop arm coming from the front face of the steering box. Everything here should be very greasy!
Ask the assistant to move the steering wheel to the right. When you feel the cone nuts start to move, shout ‘Stop’. Ask the assistant to memorise a point on the edge of the steering wheel rim. Then ask him (or her) to move the wheel to the left. Again when you feel the cone nuts start to move shout ‘Stop’. Ask the assistant how much movement there was on the rim of the steering wheel. If this was less than 15mm, then the adjustment is fine and you need to look elsewhere. If more than this, I suggest the steering slack needs to be adjusted out, and MAY be causing your wander.
Bear in mind that the steering box probably hasn’t been touched for 60 years. Jowett’s have been very clever here and the box is actually a unique folded rack and pinion. The engagement of the pinion with the rack is adjusted by a bush, with an eccentric hole drilled through the bush and fitted into the bottom of the steering column, where this enters the box. Rotating this bush lifts or lowers the pinion and hence the slack between the teeth. Cunning!
Now, getting to the bush is a bit tricky. I suggest the best move would be to start by removing the steering column. Not too difficult, as you need to undo the yoke where the steering column runs under the dash, take off the wire for the horn, and find the three small set screws at the base of the column. With these out, you should be able to lift away the column, complete with the wheel. Looking at the top of the exposed steering box, on the floor, you will see a ring with several drilled holes. The set screws you removed went through three of the holes. Now, you may be able to rotate the eccentric bush. It should be nice and greasy. Mine moved easily, but I know Chris Cole had great difficulty in getting his bush to move and had to make a tool to fit into the holes to get a purchase on the bush. It eventually moved and if you have difficulties here, he may still have the tool?
The trick is to move the bush to lift the column into a tighter mesh with the folded rack. Obviously, you need to trial fit the column back and check again for play. You have two points to watch. You have to choose a new position of the bush ring where you can get the set screws to align with the drillings in the top flange of the box and secondly, you need to check that the box doesn’t bind at the ends of the movement, as the most wear will have been in the centre position of the rack. Finish off by reassembling the column into the box.

I do hope this helps,

David

[Keith Clements]

Out of about 20 columns I have acquired 3 had broken casting where the column meets the box. So possible cause.
Also there are a set of shims where the two join which may be used to adjust play.
None of my boxes showed much sign of wear in the rack which is amazing. I think most wear takes place in the cones and track rod ends.