Drag Link Service Information

Hydrosteer

The installation of a drag link should always be completed by a qualified person.

Hydrosteer rods ends that have been supplied with a drag link would have been pre-greased and do not require re-greasing
The rod ends fitted to draglink tubes have anti-seize applied to threads.
When installing the draglink please ensure safe clearances to all chassis and suspension components are maintained for the full movement of the drag link during operation. The clearances must be checked on both full right and left hand wheel turn angles. Additional checks must be made at full suspension bump and hang or rebound. The tyre must not contact the draglink tube at any time.

When adjusting the length of the draglink ensure the steering gear plungers / poppets and axle lock stops are also correctly set as per manufactures specifications.

When tightening the draglink and rod ends , if supplied , ensure that…

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Drag Link Service Information

The installation of a drag link should always be completed by a qualified person.

Hydrosteer rods ends that have been supplied with a drag link would have been pre-greased and do not require re-greasing
The rod ends fitted to draglink tubes have anti-seize applied to threads.
When installing the draglink please ensure safe clearances to all chassis and suspension components are maintained for the full movement of the drag link during operation. The clearances must be checked on both full right and left hand wheel turn angles. Additional checks must be made at full suspension bump and hang or rebound. The tyre must not contact the draglink tube at any time.

When adjusting the length of the draglink ensure the steering gear plungers / poppets and axle lock stops are also correctly set as per manufactures specifications.

When tightening the draglink and rod ends , if supplied , ensure that the rod ends are located centrally in the total available movement of the rod end, while the vehicle and wheels are in the straight ahead position. Where the draglink is fitted with lock nuts ensure the body of the rod end is not forced against the rod end stud while tightening is being performed.

The maintenance and servicing of the draglink should  follow the original vehicle manufacturers specifications , or increased maintenance periods depending on operational environment.

Consult your vehicle service manual for recommended torques for draglinks.

Always remember safety first and you can contact any  Hydrosteer facility should you have any queries regarding your heavy vehicle steering needs.

http://www.hydrosteer.com.au

Service Tales !!

Recently a customer called in with a prime mover complaining of vehicle wander. He claimed that on choppy road surfaces the vehicle wandered and darted badly. Although the vehicle was 10 years old it was in generally good condition. An inspection of the steering system failed to reveal the problem.We were looking for worn linkage , a partial seizure in the steering column or king pins.
We road tested the vehicle on a rough stretch of road luckily near by and sure enough the truck did move around. We noticed that we were getting some steer from the drive axles when we applied and released the accelerator.
On returning to the workshop, we inspected the 4 leaf spring rear suspension and found that the springs had worn the slippers badly so that there was about 18mm side movement of the springs.
The correct way to test for this is to find a quite piece of road and providing its safe to do so drive at about 50-60 KPH and apply and release the accelerator looking out for any tendency for the rear to steer the vehicle.
Although in this case the truck has 4 leaf spring rear suspension the same fault will present if there are worn axle torque rods. Its worth noting that you just cant assume the fault must be in the steering system. As this example proves the drive axles will also cause steering problems.

Should you experience steering problems contact your nearest Hydrosteer facility.

http://www.hydrosteer.com.au

Easy steering system temperature check !

If you have suspicions of excess temperature’s in your power steering system there is a great little device available to give an indication of maximum temperatures attained over a period. Thermindex make a temperature sensitive adhesive label that consist of a series of silver dots that will change to black as their pre determined temperature is reached. Simply apply one of these inexpensive labels to your power steering reservoir , after making sure that the surface is clean and smooth.

Run the vehicle for a week or two and check for the maximum temperature achieved. If the label does not make firm uniform contact the results will be inaccurate. Of course there are many other uses for these great little tell tales, engine sumps , diff housings , transmissions , alternators just to name a few. The strips are available in temperature rangers so two stickers may be required if you have no idea of what temperature to expect.

Remember power steering systems that over heat generally mean there is a problem and you should contact one of our Hydrosteer branches for support.

WWW.Hydrosteer.com.au

Get a better Grip !!

As well as components for power steering systems , Hydrosteer have a range of steering wheels. These are stocked in component form and we assemble as required to suit the various hub spline styles used by US truck manufactures. VIP steering wheel styles range from the standard black plastic two spoke to the four spoke wood rim wheel.

A steering wheel is often considered to last the life of a truck , however in reality it is just like any other component and does ware out with use.

Remember , the steering wheel is the interface between the driver and the truck and must be comfortable offering good grip in order that the driver can safely control the vehicle.

Steering wheels are often used for a grip as the driver hoists them selves into the cab, and in time the cover on the wheel may begin to loosen or the spokes may fatigue causing pre mature failure.

Since almost all heavy trucks are fitted with power steering the steering wheel diameter is being reduced from 20″ ( 508mm) to 18″ (457mm) on later model trucks.

If the vehicle has a 20″ wheel the driver can get a little more room by changing steering wheels to an 18″.

To find out more about the range and technical information on steering wheels contact us on  www.hydrosteer.com.au

Check That Turntable !

You may not be aware of the influence a turntable can have over the steering performance of a truck / trailer combination. Problems with turntables can result in vehicle wander, darting and make small steering corrections difficult.

There are two types of turntable , greased plate or ball race. This connection between the truck and trailer must be in good condition and free to pivot if steering performance is not to be jeopardised.

Think about what happens when you start to over take a vehicle on the road, the driver applies a slight amount of right hand lock and the truck begins to turn and the trailer pivots about the turntable. If there is excessive friction at the turntable as the truck begins the turn , a resistance to turn is applied by the turntable until enough force at the turntable to overcome the friction. Once this happens the resistance  breaks and the vehicle will oversteer or over react darting across the road. To bring the vehicle back on line the same happens resulting with the driver sawing away at the steering wheel whilst trying to maintain their course.

There may be 12 tonnes of load on the turntable and obviously it must be in good condition to turn freely under load.

Never assume that because you have a ball race turntable inspection or maintenance isn’t required. Ball race turntables  are often poorly sealed and road grit can get in and contaminate the ball tracks resulting in a huge increase in friction. Spin the turntable and if you hear a heavy rumble noise then imagine how it would be under load.

Grease plate turntables must be regularly cleaned and regreased. Look for signs of galling or gouging if these are apparent the service intervals are too long.Galling occurs when , because of friction, the metal surface tears at the interface of the two surfaces. A galled turntable is a definite sign that the vehicle has had its steering performance seriously impaired. Consider fitting one of the low friction overlays to the turntable , these reduce maintenance  and significantly cut friction over a poorly maintained turntable.

For more information contact Hydrosteer  http://www.hydrosteer.com.au

What’s Your Reservoir Telling You !

The power steering reservoir is an important part of the power steering system and unfortunately is often thought of as just some where to store oil. As well as important functions the reservoir can be a tell-tale of serious faults within the power steering system.

RESERVOIR WET ON THE OUTSIDE ………………..

This is an indication that there is a pocket of air some where in the hydraulic circuit usually in the power steering gear. A common symptom of air is steering wheel kick or shake on rough surfaces or vehicle darting particularly when moving the vehicle back onto the road over a road shoulder.

To check for air , hold the steering wheel at 12 o’clock , engine idling and very quickly wrench it right and then left, if air is present  you will experience a baulk , usually on one lock.

If baulking is evident on both locks pump flow may be low .Increase engine revs and try the air check again .

If baulking is no longer evident then low pump flow may be the problem, have it checked with a flow and pressure kit.

If you have any doubts whatsoever take the vehicle to a qualified truck mechanic or one of Hydrosteers’ service branches.

www.hydrosteer.com.au

Drag Link & Tie Rod Ends

What’ the difference ? ………………………. PLENTY !

The drag link end at the steer axle end of your drag link is showing signs of wear and needs replacing. The common practice  is that you take it to your local parts outlet , the parts interpreter measures the thread, length and checks the size for taper and gives you a replacement and all appears to be fine. Perhaps not !!

Take a look at the photos below .Here a tie rod end was fitted to the axle end of the drag link .Tie rod ends have a limited degrees of ball stud oscillation , typically 20-25 where as drag links ends  will have up to 50 degrees. 

 

Because of the limited ball stud movement the tie rod end in this example ran out of travel as the front spring was deflected and applied enormous twisting loads to the steering arm resulting in steering arm failure and loss of steering.

It is essential to compare the amount of available ball stud movement between the old and the replacement drag link end before the new component is installed. The shorter the drag link ,the more critical this is because the ball stud has to oscillate more as the suspension moves.

Contact Hydrosteer for more information.

http://www.hydrosteer.com.au

Steering Wheel Removal

 

Many times we see steering columns and steering miter columns damaged due to improper steering wheel removal. The most common incorrect method is for the mechanical to apply an upwards force at the steering wheel rim with their knees and pound on the steering shaft with a drift and hammer. Apart from the risk of personal injury the steering column will most likely be damaged with this method.
 The steering column shaft bearings in many steering columns are constructed using pressed metal ball tracks which can easily by distorted.Once distorted these bearings may cause rattling in the column.

 

 

 

 

 

In vehicles equipped with dual steering wheels pounding on the steering shaft can damage the coupling between the steering shaft and the miter gear. This will cause excessive end float in the column.

In order to ovoid the damage mentioned above use an appropriate puller such as the one pictured below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Hydrosteer for more information.

http://www.hydrosteer.com.au

 

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Hydrosteer has in house engineering capability and can design a power steering system for your heavy vehicle application.

We have the capability through in house facilities and with partners such as R.H. Sheppard to design, prototype, test and supply steering systems and components.

This short video shows a steering gear on durability test at our partner R.H. Sheppard’s facility.