Power steering on a 340?

[S10NPH]

I have just come across this car on eBay, which is advertised as having power steering. I know it's a Special Edition, but I didn't think any 340s came with PAS, especially not 1.4s. Can anyone shed any light on the matter?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI. ... EF:GB:1123

To be honest, I don't think that 1.4 340s need power steering, as the steering on both of mine are perfectly acceptable. I only notice the non-assistance if I'm trying to get out of a really tight spot. The 1.7 I used to have was much heavier though.

[nvdw]

PAS was also an option on the 1.4s, at least on the later examples.

[macplaxton]

The only RHD 1.4s I've come across with PAS are aftermarket Motability conversions.

LHD models are a different kettle of fish.

[Chris_C]

Yup, it was aftermarket only.

It's possible to convert a 1.4 to PAS with a 360 rack, but I've only ever seen 2 done and wouldn't trust it without seeing it myself!

[Hell Driver]

Maybe it's so light he assumed it was PAS?

[Attack2001]

While were on the subject, the steering in my 340 is really heavy, its only a 1.4 so not like theres huge amounts of engine under the bonnet. Are they naturally heavy or is there something wrong? I've got all the polybushes to replace the front bushes incase there worn, but if its naturally heavy i'll see about putting on/taking off some caster to change it. Any idea's? Just so i know what to expect Thomas...............

[L14MNP]

Maybe you're just a bitch Thomas.

Personally, I have never found the 360 steering heavy without PAS either, but have heard others moaning. Anyone ever converted to EPAS?

[macplaxton]

Top strut bearings might be gone.

Under inflated tyres don't help. Fat tyres don't help. Lowering it might not help. Being weedy don't help. Dry steering (turning the steering whilst not moving at all) don't help.

Or all of the above.

I've never found mine heavy, but then again out of all the cars I've owned over the last 20 years, I've only had one car with PAS and that was a 1973 Austin 1800. (The owner of that car before me had a 10" Mountney wheel fitted and made a mockery of modern machines round the roundabouts of Milton Keynes - I took it off as I preferred the original massive bus one.)

[Chris_C]

I'd say it's likely top mount bearings.

I've got 195's on the front, stretched over a 7j 15 so not much flex at all on the sidewalls, yet mine is still light as anything.

There's a topmount rebuild sesh in the last few pages of Fakes thread.

[SteveP]

Agreed - I"ve never had a non-PAS 300 that felt overly heavy, even the 360 GLS without PAS was absolutely fine. I'm with Chris and Liam on this one (not the bit about Thomas being a bitch)!

[jtbo]

Bearings might be ok, but they don't do much good if instead bearing spring is turning, that is the case when that top mount rubber fails, which is more likely to happen when you lower the car or when you have no bump stop rubbers on place, which again might be gone missing when shocks have been replaced.

My french crap has PAS, when on move it is bit heavier than steering of my 343, but my 360 is bit heavy but reason is that top mount fail, should get better when I get mine replaced with, maybe even to test on road too.

Even PAS makes it possible to turn wheels when not moving, that is not really a good idea, tires wear and there is rather large forces to steering components, which will then cause more wear to them, that way non PAS is good as one really don't like to turn wheels without car moving.

Anyway tires are huge factor, sticky sporty rubber is going to be bit of annoyance when parking, anything that changes original geometry will have effect, like change in ET, that changes scrub radius, which has part in whole thing, as you change ET your track width changes, scrub radius changes etc etc.

Trail is then result of caster which defines steering centering, well, partly, trail is effect of caster, scrub radius defines steering response, but also how heavy or light steering is, again partly, there are other things that affect this of course, but when changing wheels it is easy to get different ET and not to know how it will affect to steering and such. If I'm not horribly mistaken, increasing track width (tire center lines come more outside) is what makes steering heavier and steering feedback can become stronger, it has other effects too, but those are related to heavy steering.

I believe that generally people are horrified from wheel moving by itself or that if driving on cobblestones one have to hold wheel with both hands, which has lead cars to become rather dead on that department, however one that likes to feel what is under the tires is then left cold by modern stuff, different ET wheels might bring some of that back, but it is possible to go too far, making car beat your hands with steering wheel

[Attack2001]

I am a very manly bitch i'll have you know! I can open a can of bake beans with out my mum helping!!

I like the idea of the top mount bearing collapsing, because that would then mean the top mount is resting on the spring top cup wouldn't it? Making it a b*tch to turn... I've got new-ish ones going on with the coilovers. they've been machined into the spring top cup like so:



So hopefully that'l sort out this problem then The cars completley standard btw, its got standard steels with mahoosive 155 tyres or something skinny like that not lowered, no mods at all. Thomas...............

[L14MNP]

Sell me your coilovers.

[jtbo]

Yeah, when spring acts as bearing, it is not very light anymore, also top cup can be rotted, bent and thus not being separate from the body, which makes again same effect of bearing not being in effect.

Strut top mounts are however easy to spot, from engine bay those black triangle shaped things that are strut top mounts, look at center of them and it should become apparent if rubber has cracked as there are few mm gap between mount body and center piece.

My 343 has bit different types, but as can be seen, they are gone quite well already and that is only 133 000km:


There is not much more than 1mm clearance from top cup to body, even bearing is not much more than 2mm high, so anyone can imagine what happens when that part gives away by 2mm which is has done with my 360, then add to top cup fail and there is what Chris found out when he fixed issue which ultra rare original and new genuine Volvo part, which of course we all are soughing after.
http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... 29#p149329

One way to cure might be putting washers between top and body, such diameter that it would be rather tight fit inside, so that it is not moving around, but enough large to keep top cup separated from the top mount, then bearing would act correctly. That however reduces ride quality, well compared to original, hardly difference to worse as there is no acting rubber to cushion suspension movements anyway.

I think that I need to take my struts apart and see if there is anything left from top cups, there were not very good to begin with at 2004...

[Attack2001]

I think i best take a look at the top mounts then, see if there knackered. Not a big deal if they are, but my dad keeps going on about how if the problems persists how we need to think of a way to fix it.

Liam, im afraid i worked my ar*e off for these so best stay away, i'll defend them with my life! And a spoon... But! I do have another set that just need putting together, i've figured out how to do it all, just need to buy some springs and get them welded together. They'll be for sale soonish Thomas................