P500 Help With Diagnosis

[futzin]

I took a short video of me working the steering wheel back and forth slightly with the key off. You can definitely feel the steering hitting detents at least once each direction; not smooth. In the video, I exaggerate it a bit to illustrate. I'll see if I can get the video up. Busy day today so we'll see.
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[Admin]

 

[Smitty335]

I took a short video of me working the steering wheel back and forth slightly with the key off. You can definitely feel the steering hitting detents at least once each direction; not smooth. In the video, I exaggerate it a bit to illustrate. I'll see if I can get the video up. Busy day today so we'll see.

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You need someone watching the front end when you do that.

 

[futzin]

Starting Monday (maybe Sunday afternoon) I'll start tearing into the 500 to look for bent/wonky pieces. Since it's entirely likely that I'll look at a bad part and not even know it, I'll use (and tear into as necessary) the 520 for comparison. I may even install 520 parts on the 500 if needed.

Time consuming, but probably a good way for a mechanically declined guy like me to go about it.

I figure the toe out issue will be easier to ID than the steering issue. But both buggies have the same stuff (excepting the shocks) so hopefully that helps me. Hoping for a bent steering shaft or linkage at this point really.
Dreading it's a rack issue . . .

For the shock experts: did I read somewhere that too much preload can result in excess strain on the ball joint?

 

[trigger]

did I read somewhere that too much preload can result in excess strain on the ball joint?

Well I'm far from being any kind of suspension expert and only know what I've experienced on my machine. Based on that, whether it's the stockers or aftermarkets, too much preload on the P5 just causes problems in general.

 

[futzin]

Got em jacked up, rt front wheels off.

The only thing I see thus far is a bent a-arm bracket: upper arm, rear bracket.

 

[futzin]

Probable source of steering slop:

 

[Fatsquatch]

Probable source of steering slop:

View attachment 401117
View attachment 401118

Yeah that’ll probably do it. Hopefully it is as simple as pulling the bolt enough to get some thread lock on it and making it tight.

 

[Fatsquatch]

Got em jacked up, rt front wheels off.

View attachment 401109View attachment 401110

The only thing I see thus far is a bent a-arm bracket: upper arm, rear bracket.

View attachment 401111
View attachment 401112

If the paint isn’t cracked anywhere there and welds look solid I’d be willing to bet that bracket was tweaked in from tightening the A arm down at the factory. Just a guess from this particular pic though. You can make a better judgement call being able to see all the way around both sides of both A arm mounts I’m sure.

 

[futzin]

I can't see that the bent mount is affecting much

 

[futzin]

Ball joint too loose, I think

 

[Mopower58]

I can't see that the bent mount is affecting much

I concur.

 

[futzin]

 

[Smitty335]

Ball joint too loose, I think

The P1 & P7 has a grooved steering shaft coming out of the steering box, the bottom universal pinch bolt needs to be in that groove, you may have to loosen top universal pinch bolt to get the bottom pinch bolt to rest in the shaft groove. Throw the bolt away and get a new one. This was a recall on some of the early P1's. Anyways match bottom pinch bolt of the universal to the steering box shaft groove then tighten top universal pinch bolt on to the shaft coming from your steering wheel. I would think the P5 would be the same as other P's. Now on to the ball joint, did you check it with the tire on? You won't be able to get enough leverage with the tire off to check unless it just falls out. Please keep us apprised.

 

[Smitty335]

View attachment 401120

Nothing there?

 

[futzin]

The ball joint feels fairly loose/pretty easy to manipulate, notchy . . .

 

[Smitty335]

The ball joint feels fairly loose/pretty easy to manipulate, notchy . . .

Hopefully that and the steering knuckle are the issues. I'll bet there is a You Tube Vid of the process, You will probably need access to a ball joint removal tool ( $25.00 OR LESS AT HARBOR FREIGHT) and a press to install new ball joint.

 

[futzin]

I'll just do a lower tie rod...

 

[Neohio]

Order new hardware for your steering joint. I think new bolts are less than $1 ea.

I completely lost steering on mine during takeover. We tightened it up enough on the trail to make it back to RRB, then swapped with a bolt for remainder of week.

 

[futzin]

Rumor has it that the video in post #32 may play on a desktop, but not a phone.

 

[KyGal83]

Rumor has it that the video in post #32 may play on a desktop, but not a phone.

Can you see this one?