Steering dead zone

[rob88]

Well, have to throw in my two cents. The steering definitely has a large dead zone. When the truck needs a minor steering correction due to wind or road crown, etc, the correction may require rotation through the dead zone before the minor correction can be made. As a result the wheel is moved more than it should have to be for small correction that otherwise might not annoy. It is better than some trucks I have owned, but also worse than others. It seems like it should be resolvable and I hope Ineos or aftermarket do just that.

In the mean time I am getting good at making the correction, but it does keep you busy on the freeway. For such a tight truck, it is surprising to me that this is the case. This does not condemn the truck in my view, but it can (and I am sure will) be better!

 

[bigleonski]

I had my tyres rotated balanced and an alignment done a couple of months ago.
Before then, I had about a centimeter of wobble in the steering, maybe less. Since the alignment it’s three times that, and because of that I get the sense on the highway the car is all over the road. It also feels like I am constantly pulling it back straight against the camber of the road.
In fact, if I take hands off the wheel it tracks dead straight and true for as long as I leave it. But because of the “dead zone” as you call it, it feels like it’s all over the road and I’m therefore doing little corrections all the time. But I’m not really. Because the steering wheel’s vague my mind plays tricks and thinks it has to correct all the time.

So, I’ll need to get that sorted, and it could well be your issue as well.


The above notwithstanding, I also believe you need to drive the grenny like you steer a boat. Early slow inputs rather than quick sharp ones, which it doesn’t like at all. Get that into your mindset, and it’s great to drive.

 

[Jeremy996]

Sounds like a typical steering box characteristic; the UK MOT examiners handbook gives different tolerances between steering boxes and rack and pinion steering.

"Steering wheel free play should not be more than:

13mm for rack and pinion steering, or 48mm if there are several joints between the steering wheel

and the rack

75mm for non-rack and pinion

These limits are for a standard 380mm diameter steering wheel. The limits should be adjusted up or

down accordingly with larger or smaller diameter steering wheels."

https://mtta.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2.-Steering-MOT-inspection-manual_-cars-and-passenger-vehicles-Guidance-GOV.UK_.pdf

It is all too easy to 'overdrive' a vehicle with a steering box, you need to relax into it's working characteristics. Having said that, you do need to separate between working clearences and excess wear.

 

[RY-Journeyman]

Well, have to throw in my two cents. The steering definitely has a large dead zone. When the truck needs a minor steering correction due to wind or road crown, etc, the correction may require rotation through the dead zone before the minor correction can be made. As a result the wheel is moved more than it should have to be for small correction that otherwise might not annoy. It is better than some trucks I have owned, but also worse than others. It seems like it should be resolvable and I hope Ineos or aftermarket do just that.
In the mean time I am getting good at making the correction, but it does keep you busy on the freeway. For such a tight truck, it is surprising to me that this is the case. This does not condemn the truck in my view, but it can (and I am sure will) be better!

Can’t say mine does that. Nor did the loaner I got in namibia. I installed the Bilstein steering damper (thanks Rohan) and it’s been even more excellent since that, but I can’t recall ever experiencing that dead zone you mention. Namibia highway driving was often at 166kph (hitting speed limiter) yet held the road just fine. Might be wheel camber/caster etc maybe needs changing ? Or something else different from mine - MY23 Trialmaster in Australia.

 

[Logsplitter]

I had a bit of freeplay and needed some minor corrections at speed on a motorway. I’ve now had the wheels balanced and alignment done. Steering is now much better with no dead zone.