In response to Steve Lovelocks post, I am currently building a Viento (sorry Steve, as the dimensions will be different I cannot help you with your measurement question)

Progress is being made, albeit slowly, with recent work consisting on getting one of the steel side panels on and then the front near side hub.

By the way, how hard should it be to turn the hub on the ball joints (like you are steering)? Mine seems very stiff, but I don't know how difficult it should be as I guess that actually using the steering wheel gives a lot of mechanical advantage.

Sorry, cannot post pictures at the moment.

Difficult to describe but, reasonably easy with obvious resistance.

I'd say as if you were lifting a 10-20lb weight. It'll be stiffer if all joints are new
and yes there is mechanical advantage at the wheel.

I wouldn't say you should need much force to turn the hub. I have new balljoints on my ford ones and they turn pretty easy. They can be swung backwards and forwards with the wheel on quite easily.

Much more leverage wit the wheel on.
And are we discussing turning just one hub alone or the whole steering set up, rack and all ?

[Edited on 31/7/10 by NigeEss]

If they are not reasonably free running the self centering will be marginal at best.
The other thing to watch out for is the steering mech (rack and shaft) runs free as this will give you a horrible vague feel to the steering.

I think that the wishbones have the same bushes on both the Viento and Velocity, it's the lenght of the wishbones that is different, so the dimensions would be a great help if possible?

My hubs turn reasonably easy on there own but require a strong shove if they are connected to the rack, s/wheel etc. I wouldn't loose sleep on that as everybody who drives a Luego that I have met just loves the steering.

You may find that with use the hub will get easier to turn as some ball joints can be a little tight when new. If your still not happy with it slacken off each ball joint and separate the taper without disconnecting it, then turn the hub to identify which ball joint is causing the problem. Don't know if the Viento is the same as the Luego Locost but on my car the "wedge" that supports the steering coulm bush isn't at the correct angle to the steering column, this also made the steering feel dead. Mr Henderson posted about a bearing to take the place of the bush some time ago , made a huge difference to my car