Re. Vibrating steering wheel

The Goonies · Post by **The Goonies** » Wed May 23, 2007 9:47 am

Hello,
We have just bought our first Bongo and wondered if it is normal for the steering wheel to vibrate from 60mph upwards?

The Goonies

Veg_Ian · Post by **Veg_Ian** » Wed May 23, 2007 10:03 am

No it's not normal but fairly common with these and new owners. You need to get the front wheels balanced and in rare cases can be due to poor tyres, incorrect tracking or worn wheel bearings or balljoints. Any tyre fitting place can check the balncing for you.

Griffin · Post by **Griffin** » Wed May 23, 2007 12:32 pm

Oh dear, you too ? I have had my Bongo nearly a year, arrived really really wobbly at 60-75 mph. Took it back and having the tyres balanced made it much better (took them 2 goes though). Two weeks ago had a puncture and put a new tyre on, tried balancing, tracking and anything else we could think of but the wobble returneth:-)

Not happy and thinking that if the Bongo is so particular then I may be faced with changing at least another 2 tyres to get it sorted.

On the bright side once it's fixed you'll love it, if you don't fix it think o the extra mpg

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Wed May 23, 2007 12:43 pm

Mine did this. Got front and back balanced for £23. Beautiful now. Extra benefit was it doesnt seem so noisy over potholes etc. even at low speeds. How does that work? So yes, do it. I've been told (on BF, naturally!) that on Bongos, as the tyres wear, it may come back and you have to rebalance. Or return to sticking to 60 mph!!

Mike

Veg_Ian · Post by **Veg_Ian** » Wed May 23, 2007 1:21 pm

Well I've had a vibration that comes in at 80 mph since getting it (just over a year). I use it as a reminder to slow down. I'm hoping that when I replace the balljoints it may go away (one can but hope). But yes - check the balancing, it's the most obvious and cheapest.

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:02 pm

I've been down this route many times with balancing the wheels on the centres, on the studs, aligning the tracking changing the wheels etc. and each time the imbalance problem improved but was not perfect.

2 weeks ago I felt a "clunk" when turning the steering with the engine off and van stationary and found the steering rack needed adjusted in it's bearings.

After slackening locknut 32-131A then item 32-130C adjusts the nylon slipper (32-11X) towards the rack and takes up excess clearance until the "clunk" is eliminated then unscrew it about 10 degrees.

After adjusting it road test to make sure the steering isn't tight anywhere at the full movement of the rack from lock to lock.

Job's a carrott - ALL BUT eliminated the wobble

http://www.lushprojects.com/bongopartsm ... mgno=.html

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Wed May 23, 2007 3:31 pm

That's very interesting Dandy.
My wheels have been balanced twice in 6 months (at the garage I used to work at, so it was free!!), but the wobble never fully goes and always comes back. The general opinion is that it is the "multi-fit" alloy wheels that I've got and that they really need dynamic balancing whilst on the van (unfortunately not possible at that dealership!). But maybe you've found the solution - how did you check for play?

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Wed May 23, 2007 4:57 pm

Get someone to shake the steering wheel left/right quickly about a quarter turn with the engine off - lie below the van and check the rack for clunk near the pinion.If it clunks then pull back the steering track rod gaiter and watch the rack (32-119E) move parallel to the ground if it is needing adjusted. Mine has done around 70,000 miles.

trevd01 · Post by **trevd01** » Wed May 23, 2007 6:46 pm

francophile1947 wrote:That's very interesting Dandy.
The general opinion is that it is the "multi-fit" alloy wheels that I've got and that they really need dynamic balancing whilst on the van (unfortunately not possible at that dealership!).

I remember reading that on the forum a long while ago.

Question: can you balance 4wd wheels dynamically?

Lewy · Post by **Lewy** » Wed May 23, 2007 7:12 pm

dandywarhol wrote:I've been down this route many times with balancing the wheels on the centres, on the studs, aligning the tracking changing the wheels etc. and each time the imbalance problem improved but was not perfect.

2 weeks ago I felt a "clunk" when turning the steering with the engine off and van stationary and found the steering rack needed adjusted in it's bearings.

After slackening locknut 32-131A then item 32-130C adjusts the nylon slipper (32-11X) towards the rack and takes up excess clearance until the "clunk" is eliminated then unscrew it about 10 degrees.

After adjusting it road test to make sure the steering isn't tight anywhere at the full movement of the rack from lock to lock.

Job's a carrott - ALL BUT eliminated the wobble

http://www.lushprojects.com/bongopartsm ... mgno=.html

Is this the holy grail of wheel wobble? I rebalanced my fronts a few months ago and they are getting progressively worse now - really annoying. I also had my rack reconditioned when i got the van a couple of years ago - but don't notice any clunks and steering seems pretty good really.

I was hatching my own theory about the Bongo and its 4WD system distorting the front tyres shape over time - hence the wobble. But as I know zilch about this probably totally off the mark anyway.

Lewy · Post by **Lewy** » Wed May 23, 2007 7:31 pm

Just been out to listen for clunks - with the rapid left/right steering wheel movement can here something. Dandywarhol - can you do the adjustment with the van jacked up and on axle stands? Bit anxious about mucking about with the steering rack - but I'd bloody love to solve that wheel wobble.

Will watch the thread - would make a mint help sheet with some of those photo things if indeed this is a fix for this problem - there must be loads of us all wobbling at 65mph.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Wed May 23, 2007 10:55 pm

I have to say though, returning to Griffins

if you don't fix it think o the extra mpg

...that driving the Bongo at 60 is extremely pleasant and economical and I was almost happy to have wheel wobble to remind me that a drive in the Bongo should be savoured, not rushed.

johnb8840 · Post by **johnb8840** » Thu May 24, 2007 12:10 am

I have been trying to cure wheel wobble for nearly two years on my Bongo with no great success. It was worse when the van loaded for a trip. I put the van in for a brake and steering check, and the engineer phoned to say that both front discs were badly pitted and blue with overheating,on the insides only, so would recommend replacement.So a quick trip to AVA for discs and pads, and picked van up next day, a run down the by-pass and everything is a amooth as silk, up to 85 anyway. I don't suppose this is the answer to many peoples problems, but it might be worth checking the discs for distortion or cracking.

John & Di

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Thu May 24, 2007 1:07 am

Lewy wrote:Just been out to listen for clunks - with the rapid left/right steering wheel movement can here something. Dandywarhol - can you do the adjustment with the van jacked up and on axle stands? Bit anxious about mucking about with the steering rack - but I'd bloody love to solve that wheel wobble.

Will watch the thread - would make a mint help sheet with some of those photo things if indeed this is a fix for this problem - there must be loads of us all wobbling at 65mph.

You can adjust it either way Lewy - what you're trying to achieve is to take up 99% of the slack in the right hand plain bush. I guess that the bush should be replaced if it's excessively worn. I don't have any figures to go by and don't have a manual but just took up the slack with the adjuster. I actually took up too much and the steering didn't self centre easily to took it back about 10 degrees - clunk has gone and the wheel wobble greatly reduced. I recon the remaining vestiges of wobble are down to ovality of tyres on the rim - always been slightly out of true since new - Goodyear GT2s

Lewy · Post by **Lewy** » Thu May 24, 2007 8:56 am

Thanks for that Dandy - will have a crawl under van after half term and back from Devon.

Mike - I know what you mean - 60mph is much more civilised but sometimes you just gotta get there! And you end up with 30 tonnnes of wagon edging past you at 1mph more than you.

Hopefully soon most of my driving will be on A roads rather than motorways.

Re. Vibrating steering wheel

Re. Vibrating steering wheel

steering wobble