Does the steering box on its own have a tendency to center? If not, what's the point of the alignment locking pin?

Sixto
87 300D

unbolt the steering damper, throw it in the trunk and drive around to see if the problem goes away.

Interesting....that's exactly what my indie said he was going to do next.

Apparently steering damper is fine....I guess I'll go get the alignment done.

Not enough caster will cause this.

Haha....the authoritative young man at the alignment shop assures me that alignment being off could NOT cause my symptom. We shall see....

Interesting....the alignment shop found that when they disconnected the damper the problem went away and thus recommend replacing the damper (for an outrageous price, I might add). My indie, who took the damper off and inspected it, contends that removing the damper could simply be masking the cause of the problem, which he suspects to be the alignment. So, I'm just going to get it aligned; and, if that doesn't solve the problem, then I'll replace the damper.

Alignment shop wanted to charge me $117 for the damper...just for the part!

I want a lot of things. Don't always get them but it never hurts to ask - unless I get slapped.

The whole package.

If you brought the car this way. Checking the steering box for being set up too tight is important. They can fail in service if done that way. In your case I would loosen the adjustment nut and turn the screw inward a precise turn on the steering box .Tighten the locknut a little and go around the block. If it is centre returning somewhat better adjust the screw in a little further. If no change then return to the previous setting.

The correct way from my perspective is the sector should just present a small additional resistance when passing through the centre area of the steering. If you have heavy resistance in the centre and still fair resistance turning off centre with the wheels in the air something mechanical is amiss.

If you have a pitman arm puller or a way to disconnect the linkage from it the steering box. This can be checked out better. Also if the pitman arm is diconnected from the linkage you can check for binding easier usually.

Even tie rod ends will bind on occassion. With one guy turning the tire side to side. Another guy watching and examining joint movement might pick it up.

Of course it could also be alignment but it would have to be quite a long way off I imagine. Someone might have cranked the castor out or a really poor alignment shop perhaps. There are some real clowns working out there on cars for a living.

agree.

Since it looks like I'll have to get the alignment done at the dealer ($150), I'll just go ahead and replace the damper first just for the heck of it. At least rule that out as a possibility....can't hurt to have a nice new damper.

The thing I don't get about the steering damper explanation (and apparently the problem DID go away when it was removed) is how a bad damper would account for the symptom of not centering. When dampers go bad, don't they get "looser?" Do they ever tighten/stiffen with age? Maybe that's my problem.

Not normally but it could for example be binding. That would be unusual as normally they lose or reduce their shock absorber type action with wear over the years. As your logic suggests.

This basically is having hardly any resistance pushing it in or pulling it out. It almost sounds like yours has developed far too much resistance to movement. Like it somehow at one time jammed internally and bent the shaft enough to create problems. Or a valve internally is not opening when it should. So now the effort required to move it is excessive. An internal seal out of its groove or whatever for example is a sane possibility as well. The seal between piston and cylinder in there could be the culprit.

Replaced the damper this morning. Still won't self-center. But I guess, after 20 years, I'm happy to have a new damper.

So now it's off to the dealer for an alignment. It's a great dealer as dealers go....but I still feel like I need to brace myself for all sorts of recommenced repairs I don't need.