Heavy steering and rock hard ride

on the steering box, there is a adjuster nut with a screw.
slacken of the screw quarter of a turn, and see if it makes a difference. there is also a preloader on the end of the steering box, (big locking nut/ring) but id try adjusting the top screw first.

the steering, should be better with low profiles. is the sway bar tight? shockers properly seated? wheel bearings loose? dos steering wheel wobble or shake under brakes?

how wide are the tyres? when was the last wheel alignment?

my only thought is wheel alignment?

could be the wheels and tyres if they are wide and low profile, My Daughter purchased a car brand new a few years ago I wont mention the brand of car but it came with a rally kit version with all the spoilers,low bumper bits etc and 17" rims and very low profile tyres the worst problem was it drove and handeled like a bag of sh't the thing had a mind of it's own when driving it went back plenty of times to the dealer nothing wrong every time then i convinced her to get standard rims and tyres and it drove perfect no more problems. So if you can try and borrow some standard wheels from someone to see if that is the problem.

moo

sounds like the bearings on the worm shaft in steering box ar worn out . check your wheel bearing and or brake drage .

The steering wheel pulls slightly to the left under braking, but I'm pretty sure that is down to one of the front discs, as there is an intermitant whine from the brakes when braking, and I think one is warped. I had a wheel alignment about two months ago, and the shocks and everything were done professionally, so I'm pretty sure they are in properly. The tire dimensions are 235/45R 17. Just rolled my ankle wandering out to the car, so I'm laid up on the couch, will have to get to that screw later... Just my luck.

The 45 profile tyres will make the ride quite a bit harsher - you would be better off going back to standard 14" & 65 profile tyres. The tyre brand can make quite a difference to the steering effort - my HX was very heavy when I got it, and changing the crap brand 235 front tyres over to 225 Bridgestones made a massive improvement.

On that topic, anyone got 4 14 hj wheels and tires in drivable nick that I could borrow to see what it does for the ride and steering in brisbane or surrounds?

jack it up,remove the pitman arm and run the wheels left and right by hand,water can get into a ball joint and seize it up

Is this another case of a Power Steering Box with non-functioning hydraulics?

That would be a workout even for Arnie.

No, no power steering I'm afraid

What brand of ball joints did you use?
Are they greaseable?

Jeff.

i'd try different tyres and if that doesnt help then possinbly worn or faulty front spings which could also have to do with the car pulling to one side. Also a bad wheel alignment can cause heavey steering

Thanks fellas I'll have a fiddle and see how I go. I sprayed a bit of wd on the column, seemed to help a bit, might spray a bit more in and go for another drive, see if it helps.
Cheers

Todd