Heavy steering.....

Do all Hijets have heavy steering?

I know I am just not used to non-assisted, but mine is heavier than I remember non-assisted being (it had been a long time!).

I don't think I have reached full lock yet - I give up before I get there! LOL!

Marcus

Dry steering is possible yet hard graft.

Decent tyres helps a hell of a lot!

As they get old the tyre side walls get softer, and it makes the tyre scrub on more tarmac.

Those eco van tyres don't help (brand)

Centre pivot has a grease nipple, you can see it from the top with a bit of effort, jack the weight off the front wheels and pump it full of grease whilst turning the steering lock to lock.(you may require an assistant unless you have 3 arms..)

Ah.....So just a good servicing is about it........

Tyres are good and I have got the pressures high at 35 psi. Not made a lot of difference though.

We can only go for a bigger steering wheel and a bit of work in the Gym then!

The steering isn't heavy, I have a sports steering wheel on mine, your centre pivot will be seizing up.

Either that or I am seizing up!

I will have a look......

A lot to do on the little beast - ALL the usual stuff.

Side door bearings are shot - got new ones - just need to schedule it all in!

I am just happy that the engine is sweet....... everything else is just either cosmetic or wear & tear repair.

Driving around in this thing is a bloody scream!

And quick!

Need to sort out my stiff throttle as well - Get some oil down that cable.......

Marcus

If it makes pingy pongy twang noises as you steer it lock to lock then the upper strut bearings will be knackard too.

But again on the tyres, on my first on I thought the steering was heavy. The tyres were in good condition too. But I put 4 brand new tyres on it and the steering then became really light. It was owned by very careful drivers before me. So although the tyres had lots of tread on them, they were pretty old.

No noises - just stiff.

Will run tyres for a while - all new tyres are good to begin with - until run in.

M

can upper strut bearings be changed or do you need to change the whole strut

Top strut bearings are separate.

Where you get them from is another issue!!!

Logi wrote:Centre pivot has a grease nipple, you can see it from the top with a bit of effort, jack the weight off the front wheels and pump it full of grease whilst turning the steering lock to lock.(you may require an assistant unless you have 3 arms..)

Are these grease nipples on the 993 and on the 1.3? Mines a 1997 993 and garage says they cant find any?

As Logi says, it is on the Central Steering Pivot that is on the crossmember. The grease nipple is on the side of it....... Unless some Grease Monkey ( pardon the pun) or Untrained Pillock in the past has snapped it off.

Taking it off is easy enough if you have a 22mm socket or spanner to get the centre nut off. You will have to remove the two track rod ends held with split pinned , castellated 17mm nuts too. They can be a beggar to get at especially if the split pins are rusty. Putting a load of grease inside it will help before reassembly but once again as Logi said it really needs to be pumped full of grease with a grease gun. If you haven't got the grease nipple on the Pivot then if it has been broken off you will probably have to replace the Pivot Arm. I have a few in stock if you need to replace it.

Thanks, its in the garage at minute having a good 'seeing to' as I have only just got it and wanted to have some kind of good benchmark to start maintaining it from as its past maintenace record was unknown. Reports from garage yesterday were that its in quite good mechanical condition so should be able to pick it up this morning. Steering is not bad but thought as it was with them I would mention it (they got ramps/lifts etc). Probably a job for me when it gets back, one of those sat morn tinkering jobs
Woukd be lost without this forum! Thanks.

Non assisted steering with the hijet is easy in comparision. I had a Vauxhall Senator a2 with 225ers rims.... that was really painful to steer when the power steering failed. Then i had a corsa b with non assisted steering. And it was jet much harder to steer than the hijet. Hijet steering is cherry picking compared to my old cars.

BTW i have a pic of the old vauxhall it was a beauty with the borbet rims.

Yes, steering is relatively light at the moment, now my wifes original Peugeot 205 from the early 90's ,n ow you needed gorilla arms with that one! Parking was a nightmare for a small car, the van will be a doddle when I can get used to having no bonnet in front of me!

Well you can always tie one of your wife's bonnets on the front and decorate it with Carnations and Roses, Sweetie.