My Steering Appears To Be Stuffed From Minor Crash

[86RollaWagon]

Hey guys, a few monthes back my cousin had a minor crash in my 1986 dx, the front is damaged up untill the radiator so its not to bad, i have got new headlights,bumper etc but i hopped in and went for a quick drive and the steering is very very hard to turn, alot harder then usual anyways. Iv been told its a bent steering arm, is this true or what could it be! Cheers! :)

[ke70dave]

Assuming the tyres arent flat..Could be anything bent from the crash. steering rack, rack ends, tie rod ends, ball joints, control arms, castor arms, shock absorbers, top hats on the front struts.

 

Being "very very hard to turn" i would be looking at the steering rack itself perhaps to start with.

 

Jack up the front wheels and see if its still hard to turn. and if it is, undo the tie rod ends from the steering arm s you can move the steering rack and the wheels independantly to try and isolatet the problem.

 

I once had a ke70 steering rack that was very hard to turn, suspected it was bent inside and binding up, I don't know how it happend (bought car like it). It's quite possible it was damaged in a crash.

[altezzaclub]

As Dave says, put a jack under each LCA and get the tyres just off the ground, then try turning the steering wheel.

 

Did he hit a kerb in the crash? ..or anything with a wheel? I can't see anything steering-related being damaged without some damage underneath.

[dannyl]

read manual b4 jacking. lifting the arms can hurt lbj's. place stands at the jacking points behind front wheels, below doors.

 

if the engine bay is shortened up or the "k" member is pushed back its measureable. i've used a mitchell crash estimator book to get measurements but don't know what you have available there.

 

look for paint knocked off or bends in the body that can push the rack toward the column. measure the toe, wheelbase, crossmeasure, find where a shorter distance now exists. if a tire is hit hard it should make a measurable change/ and or wheel damage. you can transfer the measuring points to the floor in the garage,using a plumbers bob. then move the car and measure point to point

 

map out the measurements and readings before you start to fix so you understand the severity before and where the hardest impact made a crumple.

 

since it absorbs the energy instead of transfering it to the occupants, the evidence will be in more than just one place

Edited May 12, 2014 by dannyl

[86RollaWagon]

Ok thanks! And he lost control on a gravel road (not going very fast) and hit a tree the width of the headlight, which is smashed. its only the left side which is effected and the front passenger panel appears to be pushed out a bit further then the drivers side