SoloVee stiff steering

[drum3]

We have just got our SoloVee running after a 2 year restoration project . After replacing nearly everything associated with steering except the steering box , it so tough to turn the car that my wife gave up after 3 runs and my shoulders are sore from hustling the car thru 8 runs. I'm sure there was another 4-5 seconds in the car if the steering hadnt been so tight . Is this normal ? could the steering box be that bad ? Open to any suggestions . Thanks in advance .

[SR Racing]

It sounds like you have to much caster. This will require hard steering input and the steering wheel will return to center with a lot of force. Assuming you don't have some other type of bind.

[drum3]

Nope , it doesnt return to center . New King pins , they were a little stiff before greasing but ok after that so the only thing I see left is the box which I'm sure is the original box and not sure whats been done to it

[FV80]

It's simple enough .. disconnect the tie rods and see how the BOX moves. If it's still stiff, you replace it (or Fix it <G>). If the box is OK, then you start looking at all the connecting points/heims/kingpin/etc. It's also possible that someone has redesigned the geometry to speed up the steering for solo -generally it's WAY too slow for solo unless you have a LOT of elbow room in the car. IMHO, that is one of the most significant things you could do to a solo car - but being able to TURN the wheel is pretty important too. The faster the steering, the harder it is to turn. Replacing the stock box with R&P is about the only other option (I'm pretty sure that's legal in solo, but I don't really KNOW).

Steve

[DanRemmers]

Jack the front end off the ground. Grab one wheel and try steering it. The other front wheel and the steering wheel should turn easily. If not, it's binding somewhere. If that's OK, then the alignment may be messed up.

My sole vee is difficult to steer at slow speeds on the grid, but at speed on the course, it's fine.

[cendiv37]

I agree with all of the above as possibilities. Dan's suggestion is the place to start: determine if tire scrub is part of the problem, which with wide tires, etc. could make low speed steering tough.

If you determine that it is the steering box (it's stiff even with the tie rods disconnected), you might be able to readjust the innards of the box to loosen it up. In my experience, every rebuilt (typically TRW) box comes factory set way too tight. I always loosen up the steering input shaft (worm??) adjustment (the big nut and hex socket on the front of the box) as well as the top adjustment.

You need to adjust the big adjuster first with the top adjustment loose. Then you adjust the top one. My Haynes manual describes the procedure pretty well.

Loosen and then tighten the big adjuster until you just take out the end play in the steering input shaft. Then add just a small amount of pre-load. You can use a 5/8 bolt head and vise grips as the "hex key" for the end play adjustment. A large channel-lock pliers works fine on the big nut. Once you get the end play adjustment right, lock that down with the big nut and now adjust the top adjuster to just remove any play and maybe just a VERY small amount of preload. For the top adjustment, you must make sure you are "on center" with the steering or you will adjust it too tight (it gets looser off center by design).

I find that after doing the above, the steering is free and precise. However, it will loosen up a bit with use so you need to readjust it a couple times after/during the first few events. This may be why they factory set it up so tight.

Good Luck.

[drum3]

The top adjustment was so tight we loosened it more than a half turn before you got any free play , and I mean even then you move everything with the slightest turn of the steering wheel . I'll get it on jack stands and checke everything out tonite. Loosening the top adjustment made the steering about 10-20 percent better but it was still pretty stiff .

[FV80]

"pretty stiff" (and "not too much slop") is OK - "I can't steer it" is another problem altogether .
Steve

[problemchild]

If you get to the point where it is OK for you but too heavy for your lady, you could get her a larger steering wheel. These days, with the removable steering wheels, it is pretty easy to have multiple wheels.
There is a driver (I won't say racer) in GLDIV who has about an 15" wheel in her Lynx

[drum3]

Found a couple places where the wrong washers were being used on heim joints causing a little binding there but the main cause seems to be the left side link pin. It seems much tighter now than when first assembled . I guess its time to dissasemble that side.

[pillowmeto]

I do not see how a link pin can cause steering bind, but it can definitly cause suspension bind. Grease it with a grease gun. I forgot to do that after assembling a beam and the pins froze up.

[drum3]

It was the king pin not the link pin that was extremely tight . I was typing and thinking at the same time and that doesnt work too well sometimes

[Ed Womer]

You probably had the king pins rebuilt by a shop that does street cars and shims them tight. You have to tell them up front that you want the spindle to move freely by hand in the carrier when you pick them up or you want them do them over. This happend to me once and whenever you let go of the steering wheel it stayed there even in turns.

Ed

[cendiv37]

Ed is right. When I was taught to do king pins on street VW's, I was told that if they were a bit tight it was OK, even desirable: "They will free up in time". In a FV you are better off with a touch of free play vs having them tight. You don't have any time to "break them in". They need to be "right" the first time out. Having the steering not return to center by itself is NOT a good thing!

If you do them yourself, keep ALL of the old parts from every king pin you ever take apart to have a good selection to swap in and out until you get the shimming right. I prefer the old "fiber" washers to the plastic ones if I can find an old one that fits.