hello,
 I just test drove a samurai and I love everything about it but the suspension (SPOA on stock springs), and the steering. The steering at 45 becomes very hard. The vehicle travels left and right and its hard to reign in. I read a thread that said to check a nut in the steering box but I'm not sure that this is the problem with this one. The stock steering stabilizer looks stock, and original.

Thoughts?
I am going to buy this samurai, but want to fix the steering before i have to drive it home (its a ways)

I the symptom I described cause of this problem?

* Steering correction
Re-locating the axles in the suspension changes the geometry of the steering system - making it difficult to control the vehicle. At minimum, a Z-link bar should be used. Over The Top (OTT) steering re-locates steering components up and out of the way of things like rocks (which tend to bend / break steering components).

You might want to check your tie rod ends.  When mine started shaking around that speed it was a combination of the tires being slightly out of balance and the tie rod ends being shot.

Ah, the death wabble. This could be because of stock steering bits wearing out (as Drone pointed out), or it could be because whoever did the SPOA did it poorly. IF it's because the SPOA was done improperly, I'd pass on the vehicle. If they didn't research enough to account for steering geometry correction... what else didn't the research / do properly? There's a lot that can go wrong with a SPOA install - I don't want to chase someone else's botched job. I learned that lesson the hard way...

That is probably good advice. I wasn't really prepared to have a car that you couldn't drive over 40. I am going to rethink this thing.

I wasn't really prepared to have a car that you couldn't drive over 40. I am going to rethink this thing.

I agree, that's why all my suzukis go at least 80MPH.

Check your alignment first, then check your tie rod ends and make sure they don't have any slop.

When you built the SPOA did you get rid of the steering stabilizer?

What tires are you currently running on the Sammy?

The steering gearbox is not as much a factor in steering problems as you might think.

There is the possibility that the caster angle has been changed on the front axle when the SPOA was installed.  This will affect steering.

Take a look at the front differential.  If it looks like it has been tilted up so that it points at the transfer case, you most likely have a caster problem.  If the original spring perches are still on the front axle, the spring mounting surfaces should be exactly parallel to the mounting surfaces on the new SPOA perches.   If this is the case, the U-joints on the front driveshaft are also wearing out fast.

A properly-installed SPOA that provides LESS than 6 inches of lift should have no major adverse effects on Samurai handling under reasonable driving conditions  - no matter what BS you may have heard!  With proper front end maintenence and some form of draglink geometry correction (OTT system or drop pinion - NOT a Z-link!) I drive my 4.5" SPOAed Samurai on a daily basis with no handling problems.

Useful links at Ack's FAQ:

http://www.acksfaq.com/sixinchrule.htm

http://www.acksfaq.com/caster.htm

http://www.acksfaq.com/bumpsteer_explained.htm

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/driveline/

http://www.4xshaft.com/driveline101.html


I hope that this helps!

The steering gearbox is not as much a factor in steering problems as you might think.

There is the possibility that the caster angle has been changed on the front axle when the SPOA was installed.  This will affect steering.

Take a look at the front differential.  If it looks like it has been tilted up so that it points at the transfer case, you most likely have a caster problem.  If the original spring perches are still on the front axle, the spring mounting surfaces should be exactly parallel to the mounting surfaces on the new SPOA perches.   If this is the case, the U-joints on the front driveshaft are also wearing out fast.

A properly-installed SPOA that provides LESS than 6 inches of lift should have no major adverse effects on Samurai handling under reasonable driving conditions  - no matter what BS you may have heard!  With proper front end maintenence and some form of draglink geometry correction (OTT system or drop pinion - NOT a Z-link!) I drive my 4.5" SPOAed Samurai on a daily basis with no handling problems.

Useful links at Ack's FAQ:

http://www.acksfaq.com/sixinchrule.htm

http://www.acksfaq.com/caster.htm

http://www.acksfaq.com/bumpsteer_explained.htm

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/driveline/

http://www.4xshaft.com/driveline101.html


I hope that this helps!

WOW, it does help, I have to fix a big problem today. thanks for the tips. GREAT QUESTION.

Assuming the lift was done correctly another wear part that will cause "death wobble" is the king pins that hold the knuckles on. They can get worn and if a tire has an imbalance or you hit a bump the rig will go into death wobble. Easily replaced part.

-Eric