Steering a bit hard in 1997 80 series

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

nashqadri

nashqadri

Joined
Jul 18, 2024
Threads
41
Messages
172
Location
Lake Forest CA
Hi All,

I am new here and looking for some guidance buying an 80 series. I am mostly inclined towards getting a 1997 model year only since that would be the latest with the solid axles.

One thing i am noticing in my test drives is that the steering doesnt really feel like power steering. Its hard so much so that its not very comfortable to turn it with one hand. Specially when making U turns at very slow speeds. Is that normal? So I learned that its not a rack and pinion steering system its something different. Just looking for confirmation if that hardness is normal. Thanks
 
How many have you driven?

Parking, or slow speed tight turns will take a little more effort than the average Kia, but it shouldn't be hard.

Normal driving should be comfortable with just a light grip, or two fingers on the wheel.

I regularly park mine steering with just the base of my palm pressed on the rim of the steering wheel to rotate the wheel, not actually gripping the steering wheel.
 
For reference - which vehicles are you familiar with driving?
 
Last edited:
Ok, I'll play.
Is this a specific truck you are looking at or are you saying that you have driven several and they all feel this way? If the latter, then an 80 might not be for you as I would be extremely surprised if you found more than one with steering issues. Now, if it is one specific truck then I would ask - Was it in 4 Hi or 4 Lo when you experienced these conditions?
 
mudgudgeon said:
How many have you driven?

Parking, or slow speed tight turns will take a little more effort than the average Kia, but it shouldn't be hard.

Normal driving should be comfortable with just a light grip, or two fingers on the wheel.

I regularly park mine steering with just the base of my palm pressed on the rim of the steering wheel to rotate the wheel, not actually gripping the steering wheel.
Click to expand...
I have driven three and two of them had a hard steering wheel. First i thought it must be the specific vehicle but the second test drive felt like its normal for an 80 series. The last one i drove was 97 40th edition and was pretty good in terms of the overall condition. Perhaps, i should ensure that the tire pressures are at the recommended level. Low pressure can make the drive smooth but turns will be harder i imagine. I also felt the play was little more than i had expected. Is that also normal?
 
SpenserAK said:
For reference - which vehicles are you familiar with driving?
Click to expand...
just got rid of the 2021 Wrangler 4XE and have a Model S and a Model 3. I drive an Infiniti QX60 as well sometimes
 
Brindleboxer said:
Ok, I'll play.
Is this a specific truck you are looking at or are you saying that you have driven several and they all feel this way? If the latter, then an 80 might not be for you as I would be extremely surprised if you found more than one with steering issues. Now, if it is one specific truck then I would ask - Was it in 4 Hi or 4 Lo when you experienced these conditions?
Click to expand...
It was in Lo and i was just making a left U turn on a light on the street.
 
mudgudgeon said:
What I describe ^^^ is in a vehicle with 305 wide tires
Click to expand...
dont know what the factory tire size is. Is that a bigger size or OEM size?
 
nashqadri said:
It was in Lo and i was just making a left U turn on a light on the street.
Click to expand...
You should not drive an 80 in Lo on pavement as it tends to bind - your description was what made me ask as that is tell tale of what Lo does on pavement. In the future, if you want to test the 4wd system find an off pavement option (could even be a grass field).

If you are still looking at this vehicle, take it out (follow the procedure) of 4Lo and see if it still does it. Honestly, if the owner was with you and let you do this then they really don't know how the 80 works -- shame!
 
Brindleboxer said:
You should not drive an 80 in Lo on pavement as it tends to bind - your description was what made me ask as that is tell tale of what Lo does on pavement. In the future, if you want to test the 4wd system find an off pavement option (could even be a grass field).

If you are still looking at this vehicle, take it out (follow the procedure) of 4Lo and see if it still does it. Honestly, if the owner was with you and let you do this then they really don't know how the 80 works -- shame!
Click to expand...
Sorry my bad. I know that LOL. meant to write High.
 
Please allow me to interject some reality into this thread.
The youngest 80 Series Land Cruiser is now 27 years old.
To make a comparison to any vehicle manufactured within the current decade is just foolish.

Land Cruisers are designed to be driven to death in the harshest environments on the planet with little to no maintenance. Many specimens have not had regular maintenance for the last 30 years and are still in decent shape because they were over engineered at the factory. This is why you will find many threads with the term "baseline" along with thousands of dollars in parts and hundreds of hours in time to bring the neglected vehicle back to OEM spec.

When I purchased my 97 LX450, I was given stacks of receipts with a regular maintenance history, and I still had to go through EVERY SINGLE SYSTEM on the vehicle to bring it back to what I consider to be a reliable daily driver.

"Hard steering" is a sign of neglect or lack of maintenance. As previously stated, I can palm the wheel with no issues and drive at 70 MPH with 2 fingers on the wheel. BUT, I maintain my vehicle because it's 27 years old.
 
jonheld said:
Please allow me to interject some reality into this thread.
The youngest 80 Series Land Cruiser is now 27 years old.
To make a comparison to any vehicle manufactured within the current decade is just foolish.

Land Cruisers are designed to be driven to death in the harshest environments on the planet with little to no maintenance. Many specimens have not had regular maintenance for the last 30 years and are still in decent shape because they were over engineered at the factory. This is why you will find many threads with the term "baseline" along with thousands of dollars in parts and hundreds of hours in time to bring the neglected vehicle back to OEM spec.

When I purchased my 97 LX450, I was given stacks of receipts with a regular maintenance history, and I still had to go through EVERY SINGLE SYSTEM on the vehicle to bring it back to what I consider to be a reliable daily driver.

"Hard steering" is a sign of neglect or lack of maintenance. As previously stated, I can palm the wheel with no issues and drive at 70 MPH with 2 fingers on the wheel. BUT, I maintain my vehicle because it's 27 years old.
Click to expand...
You put it so much more eloquently than I can.

I was just going to tell him to harden the fork up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom