When driving in Turkey I sometimes have problems with Milady Landy’s steering wheel. There is a vibration when I drive about 90 km/h, the famous “Death Wobble”.
In this blog I describe the steps I took to fix this “Death Wobble”. At Ölüdeniz Aydede Camping, an initial approach to the problem has been undertaken, without sufficient results. In Alanya, at Çinar 4×4 Garaj, the steering system has once again been extensively examined and addressed. I took a test drive, now the problem seems to be solved.
Ölüdeniz Aydede Camping
At Ölüdeniz Aydede Camping I had Milady Landy’s steering gear checked. At the campsite they organize “Jeep safaris” with Land Rover Defenders, they have 12. The campsite’s own mechanic inspected Milady and came to a number of defects that needed to be fixed.
The steering rack drop arm was loose and there was play in the wheel bearings. The rubbers of the left radius arm must also be replaced.
All these jobs have been tackled with some bolts tightened here and there and the car has been thoroughly cleaned.
On the way to Alanya
On the way to Alanya the vibration was back again, on the highway at a speed of approx. 90 km/h. The vibration was quite severe, the whole car shook! Braking and steering tight solved the shaking. But we were pretty shocked, this is what the famous “Death Wobble” feels like.
In the meantime we have moved on to Turkey, no longer near the garage where the car was serviced.
Driving further is an option, we have agreed at a garage in Alanya for regular maintenance. I can also have this problem taken care of there.
Land Rover Prikkers
On the Facebook page of the Land Rover Prikkers I presented the problem with the steering wheel vibration. From that I distilled the following answer:
Death wobble is actually always the swivel balls that are too loose and that causes the panhard bushes / rubbers to break. Swivel gets play first and then panhard rod bushings wear out. Put correct tension on the swivels, remove one or more shims: 4kg. Panhard rod rubbers replaced.
Çinar 4×4 Garaj in Alanya
In Alanya we have booked an apartment for a few days, which gives us and the garage space to tackle the problem calmly. After checking in to the apartment and getting our stuff from Milady, we drive to Çinar 4×4 Garaj. The owner, Hüseyin Çınar, greets us with a broad welcome gesture.
We communicate with Google Translate and that works fine.
Immediately the mechanics pull over 3 cars to clear the bridge and drive Milady onto the bridge.
I show the answer (in Turkish) to my question in the Land Rover Prikkers and ask Hüseyin to look at it. Together with his mechanic YılmaZeynep Yolcu, he inspects the car and concludes that the swivels are good and there is no play on the panhard rod. However, there is considerable play in the steering rack and the mechanic sees that the bushes of the left drop arm, which have recently been renewed, are too short. There is also play in the rear wheel bearings, the rear brake pads are worn and the bearing rubbers of the gearbox must be replaced. The rubbers of the shock absorbers all around have also dried up.
They propose to overhaul the entire steering system again, replace the necessary rubbers and carry out maintenance on the rear brakes and bearings. I also ask them to give the engine a turn and to check all fluids. So major maintenance.
Today is Thursday (approx. 3.30 pm), the car will be ready on Saturday. Hüseyin takes us to our apartment, which is near his house, and I wish him and his men success with the repairs and maintenance.
I will be kept informed of the progress via WhatsApp.
Late on Saturday evening, Hüseyin delivers the car to our apartment with the request to take it for a long test drive on Sunday.
No sooner said than done, the next day we take Milady for a spin on the motorway and through the mountains and we find that the steering is without problems, no more vibrations or shaking of the car. The other noises we heard have also disappeared, sometimes a knocking sound when we went through the bend (the rubbers of the gearbox). I am very satisfied.
The Cost
On Monday I go back to give my approval and pay the bill.
70% of the bill is parts and fluids, the rest is labor.
In total I paid 10,500 Turkish Lira at the two garages, about € 550 at the current exchange rate. And everything was arranged within a few days, an excellent service for a good price.