Steering wheel seized up

[Clive Norton]

1928 Austin Chummy - Car was steering normally but suddenly locked/seized up. Any advice on causes and steps to identify problem before dismantling everything!?

[Steve Jones]

You need to identify where the problem is. First move unless a visual inspection shows the cause to be obvious would be to disconnect the drag link at the steering arm to identify if it's in the steering box/column or the axle assembly.

Steve

[Clive Norton]

thanks will start there!

[Stuart Giles]

If the problem is in the steering box, a sudden seizure could well be caused by the staked on thrust washer at the base of the steering column's worm having broken up or come adrift resulting in bits of metal getting jammed between the worm and the wheel. I was "lucky" to have this occur as I reversed out of my garage a few decades ago rather than being out on the open road. Although this isn't a common failure, it's far from unknown.

[Chris KC]

Clive, did it seize and stay seized? Or are you talking about a momentary event?

I would eliminate causes outside the steering box before going too far, as stripping the box is not something you want to do if it isn't the steering box!

Have you tried jacking up the front axle and moving the wheels by hand?

[spannerman]

Just disconnect drop arm , is steering wheel
Now free or not if not its in the steering
box if free it's more than likely to be a kingpin
When did they get oiled last has it been
Stood for a long time , lack of servicing
And standing for a few months will course
Something to seize up!

[Reckless Rat]

I recently had a problem on the RP where the steering kept going stiff. It was fine when turning but would go really stiff in the straight ahead position, which is a bit arse about face. I thought it was either an internal problem in the box, or a king pin. I finally found the cause after returning from Santiago de Compostella after having had to put up with it for 2000 miles. I had inadvertently installed the through bolt on the drag link ball end cap the wrong way round and the exposed length of thread was catching on the foot brake pivot mounting bolt...
OMG.

[RichardC]

Restless Rat  What refreshing honesty. Someone who has done something wrong and is prepared to publish it. The reward was that you got away with  it for so long !

[Reckless Rat]

It was a by product of a refurbishment of the drag link pins and the retaining bolts for the spring caps. I did the job on the bench and never thought about the orientation of the rear spring cap bolt until the problem manifested itself. It was also intermittent due to the rotation of the drag link around the ball joint, and all down to the replacement bolt being about 1/4" longer than the old one. It was only just catching, but enough for me to tear out what little hair I had left.