[Johnny Penn]

The nasty roadways of Upstate, NY may have dealt my Rover a fatal blow. The other day I was traveling about 50 mph when I struck a wicked pothole. I said out loud, that hurt. Well it did damage. The steering wheel would not turn left. It would go right easily, but not back to the left of center. I slowed to about 15 mph, as I was only a half mile from home so I was hoping I could limp her the rest of the way. I could hear the steering box getting louder from the lack of steering fluid. Lucky I was able to make a right turn into my driveway. Once in the driveway it would not turn back left. I got out and could see steering fluid everywhere, still flowing freely somewhere from the steering box. It was dark so I don't know exactly where from. Nothing appeared to be hanging down like any steering rods or linkage. The wheels appeared even, pointing in the same direction. I experimented with the steering and when I went all the way to the right, it briefly freed the steering allowing my to straighten the wheels back up so I could pull the rest of the way down the driveway.

Has anybody dealt with this and what is the general consensus on what broke, what needs to be repaired?

1995 RRC LWB
Salt has been a corroding factor with other failures I've had.


John

 

[olmectech]

Have a shop put it up on a rack and do an inspection. It sounds like a busted CV joint.

Ask me how I know. If it's CV joints do both sides. Your looking at around $250 in parts $350 labor.

Have them check and make sure everything else underneath is tight (tie rod ends, etc.).

Also make sure your ABS senor light does not stay on. I had ABS sensor break with the CV joint.

 

[Johnny Penn]

What does the CV Joint have to do with the steering fluid coming from the steering box? Either repair will not be pleasant. I'm going to crawl under there today, hopefully before it gets dark, and try to trace where the fluid is coming from. There is no doubt that after I hit the pothole, there was an immediate loss of steering to the left and steering fluid was gone in less than 5 minutes. The drivetrain seemed unaffected. I would think if I had a catastrophic loss of one of the CV joints I would have never made it home. I went back by that pothole to examine and it was pretty nasty. I saw two hubcaps close by and a license plate with its frame. It was a steep one, about a 3 inch drop, 12 inch diameter and it was on a gentle curve for the inside tire.

I’ll let you know what I find….

John

 

[classicjack]

This doesnt sound good,sounds like the drop arm hit the road and busted through the case. You'll have to plan your trips with all right turns ! Sorry I couldnt help myself.

 

[jsp]

I have had a cv joint impode due to bad VC, and it locked up the steering, but in my case I couldn't turn the wheel either way.

My $ is on PAS box and then maybe it further down the line upset the big steel ball of power.

 

[GreatDivide245]

I doubt its a CV if your losing steering fluid and Most likely the drop arm/pitman arm did not contact road (if it did, we're talking about boulders, not potholes). It most likey jarred the steering and broke the sector shaft or the worm gear in the steering bow. There probably is a fragment that is jammed inside the box which is causing it to go left and something is sitting on an off angle and the seals are leaking. I've haven't busted a rover steering box yet but from the other ones I have broke, that's some of the similar symtoms I had. Locked steering and a massive out flow of fluid.