In an effort not to completely hijack the “What have you done to your Bay today” thread..... because let’s face it, apart from give it a bit of a flick over with a duster and have a cup of tea in it, I’ve not done much..... I thought I’d actually ask the question properly with a nice thread all of its own. So me and Clem seem to have trouble staying in a straight line in cross winds. I do appreciate that anything shaped like a brick is just asking for trouble, but apparently fighting to stay on the road isn’t the norm around here. Who knew, eh?! So where to start looking for an answer? Shocks? Steering gubbins? Stock height. No idea about the shock absorbers.... they’re green and could well be original from 1973. Updated ARB on the front. No ARB on the back. Type 1 engine. Devon pop top. 0range and Pastel White. Likes piña coladas And gettin' caught in the rain I'm not much into health food I am into champagne..... Nurse! Is it medication time? Help!
The shocks could be getting on a bit, if they are original? Whip one off and see if it's actually damping, or not. The ones I took off the Bay I could compress using two rich tea biscuits as levers.
I think it's a question of holding on hard on the steering wheel and brace yourself when there is a gap in hedgerows ( there the ones to watch out for) . Can't remember if yours is stock height Sarah ? . Mine is lowered by about 3 inches and is still a bitch in the wind ...it's just a whole different drive in windy conditions . Bit like trying to steer a 6 horse stagecoach with all the horses on LSD
In addition. The ARB doesnt really do too much for instantaneous wibbles, its more for cornering. Loose things that make a bus go wobble Steering damper worn out Steering coupler split Steering coupler not bolted onto steering box tightly Loose steering idler pin - these wear out if not regularly greased. Loose steering box - you run out of adjustment and the shaft inside rattles around. Ball joint wear on drag link from steering box to steering idler arm. Ball joint wear on track rods from steering idler to front wheel assemblies Suspension ball joint wear - steers itself as it hits bumps. Camber misalignment - spend all your time holding the bus against the tendency to turn one way, wind blows and all of the slop in the steering has to be taken up before the bus is stopped by the steering in the other direction Rear suspension rubber donuts worn - allows spring plate holding hub carrier assembly to move back and forwards for some extra rear wheel steering action. Classic full height suspension - sticks up a bit further into the air, and gives more leverage to wind force. After fixing a fair number of these, I can drive my bus in a gale and although I have to guess when the gusts will hit - hedge gaps, leaves whirling around , it still stays on track. On a calm day, I can let go of the steering at 60mph and it runs straight.
Basically, crouch down beside the bus parked on tarmac, turn the steering wheel, listen for clunks. The idler pin is quite common, you will see it rocking rather than rotating. Some improvement as @pkrboo says on increasing tyre pressures if the rating allows for it, running e.g. 32psi front, 45 psi rear as standard being a camper full of junk to start with. This also affected uneven tyre wear on my bus, making it more even, especially with the extra rear wheel camber caused by lowering.
I've done as @snotty suggested in the "What have you done to your Bay today" thread, and bounced up and down on my bumpers (each corner). Apart from the couple walking past the house who now think I'm a lunatic, all seems okay. ...assuming okay is a 'Down, Up, Stop Dead' ?
Unfortunately it may not be just one thing, there's a lot of joints and wear points in bay front suspension and a small amount of wear in all of them can add up. First things to check would be tyre pressures, tracking, shock absorbers (technically they are dampers) and the steering damper then ball joints and steering pin. To be honest a slab sided van designed over half a century ago is never going to drive like a modern vehicle which is actually part of the charm of driving a classic but if everything is in good order they're not *too* bad
Bays may get tugged about a bit in the wind, but they shouldn't swerve all over the place. Likely that the steering box needs a nip up, but there's plenty of other stuff to check. If Clem's going off to the Ringwood Healing Centre, get your guy to jack the front up and check for play in the balljoints. There are plenty of them: track rod ends, drag link ends and the big ones, which are best left alone. He can easily do this. Get him to pop the end of the drag link and waggle your steering box arm. If it clicks a lot, likely it needs adjusting (properly). You can test the shocks yourself by bouncing on the bumpers (and amuse your neighbours by shouting "Oh, my goodness!") . The van should settle after one bounce or so. Steering damper? Meh. Roll bar? Double meh. I've never been convinced they actually do anything.
I don't buy the jumping up and down on the corner test, it's not exactly science, whip off the shock and see how easy it it to compress. Mine passed that test and, as I said, they were cream crackered. Koni's for me next time
I like my bus better with stiffer front suspension and better damping shocks and no front anti-roll bar, it is nicer with completely independent suspension on bumpy surfaces too - it pokes a wheel at a time into the holes rather than lurching into the hole with the ARB. Rear suspension no ARB and the replacement rear shocks have less damping than the previous ones - they fail the bounce test, by letting it bounce about twice. I began my buses career with me in 2010 with underrated 88T Yokohama tyres and these were always very soft, squidgy and vague compared with the Coopers I have on it now -you could not inflate the Yokohamas to stop them rolling around. I think they had gone on in a fit of lowering by a PO around 2005.
Mine is also a blower abouter. There is no play anywhere (I have challenged the MOT man specifically to find the smallest amount with his shaker), no broken springs (now), new shocks and damper, 4 new tyres (which I've swapped around) tracking (I have Dunlop gauges) and camber (digital inclinometer) are correct. I've even changed all 4 trailing arms and the spindles chasing this. Sooo... when you crack it let me know what it was.
I've never asked it Not that I've noticed, but when I'm out in it tomorrow I'll take note. The tyres are all good, a year or two old - 29psi front, 43 on the back, standard steel wheels, C rated tyres. I seem to recall something being done to the steering damper a couple of years ago, but I'd need to look back at paperwork as my old lady brain isn't what it was. Whatever that was.
As i say , i`m happy enough with the standard set-up but it`ll never feel `planted` like a new van , i seem to have got into the knack of feeling when it starts to get blown around and pull gently against it but not panicky jerks as i`ve seen some people do. If the shocks are green they`re probably original , i took 2 green rears off mine in 2018 and they were still damping ! Easy enough to take off a shock (2 bolts) and check , if you get that far you can try the set i`ve taken off which are fine I`m not into healthfoods , i am into Champagne ...
It's an indication that the camber may be incorrectly set. Even a garage is unlikely to correctly set it after changing say ball joints or boots, many won't know how or be equipped, it's an old car thing.
Very windy conditions will affect any vehicle ..regardless of how old or new a vehicle is . Up may way in the Peak District when windy it will have you ...if it can knock over a truck on snake pass it will have you in a bay in imac condition . Check all the things Mike has detailed but i would say there won't be much up with yours . You have it MOT'd and looked after by someone don't you .
