New steering rack
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
New steering rack
My steering had been degrading for a while. It started out as sometimes hard to turn left. Like I could turn the wheel 35 degrees with a load on the front and the wheel would go to a manual feeling. If I turned harder, it would go normal and I could turn in more with power. After a while it started to become impossible to take any turn with speed without steering lockup. Then I got slow steering response immediately off center. Meaning, I could turn the steering wheel a little off center in either direction and it wouldn't steer the car much. It was loose.
I didn't diagnose properly and blamed the electric motor, so I swapped that out and the condition persisted. Before I even installed the motor, I knew it was probably not the cause. I just didn't pay much mind to the steering play until then. For the last couple of months, I have not enjoyed driving the car tremendously. Today, it has all been restored. The steering is perfect now. It drives straight as an arrow, too.
My diagnosis on the rack? Something wore out. For whatever reason, the driver side tie rod can move out of the rack without resistance from the pinion. I peeled back the boot and watched it. It was not the ball joint on the tie rod. I thought steering racks were a single bar running the length of the rack housing with threaded ends. Are the threaded ends of the rack rod fastened on somehow? How does the driver side move independently of the rest of the rack assembly?
Really easy job.
I didn't diagnose properly and blamed the electric motor, so I swapped that out and the condition persisted. Before I even installed the motor, I knew it was probably not the cause. I just didn't pay much mind to the steering play until then. For the last couple of months, I have not enjoyed driving the car tremendously. Today, it has all been restored. The steering is perfect now. It drives straight as an arrow, too.
My diagnosis on the rack? Something wore out. For whatever reason, the driver side tie rod can move out of the rack without resistance from the pinion. I peeled back the boot and watched it. It was not the ball joint on the tie rod. I thought steering racks were a single bar running the length of the rack housing with threaded ends. Are the threaded ends of the rack rod fastened on somehow? How does the driver side move independently of the rest of the rack assembly?
Really easy job.
Last edited by Solaris99; 09-26-2015 at 09:22 PM. Reason: spelling
The following 2 users liked this post by Powell Race Parts:
double clutch (10-09-2015),
DSLaBuda (10-09-2015)
#8
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#10
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#12
Junior Member
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#14
Junior Member
Thread Starter
For the steering rack, I replaced it after it had started feeling loose. It was the original rack and the problem developed slowly. It was hard to turn the wheel well before it was noticeably loose.
#16
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Could just be the tie rods in your case. When checking for play, I would slide the boot away from where the tie rod connects to the rack. That way you can see if the play is in the ball joint or coming from within the rack.
#19
Junior Member
Thread Starter
No subframe drop needed. After disconnecting the column, disconnect the ends at the spindles, remove the 2 bolts that mount it to the subframe, and slide the rack out of the driver side wheel well. Very easy.
The following users liked this post:
Powell Race Parts (03-14-2016)
#23
help me
My steering had been degrading for a while. It started out as sometimes hard to turn left. Like I could turn the wheel 35 degrees with a load on the front and the wheel would go to a manual feeling. If I turned harder, it would go normal and I could turn in more with power. After a while it started to become impossible to take any turn with speed without steering lockup. Then I got slow steering response immediately off center. Meaning, I could turn the steering wheel a little off center in either direction and it wouldn't steer the car much. It was loose.
I didn't diagnose properly and blamed the electric motor, so I swapped that out and the condition persisted. Before I even installed the motor, I knew it was probably not the cause. I just didn't pay much mind to the steering play until then. For the last couple of months, I have not enjoyed driving the car tremendously. Today, it has all been restored. The steering is perfect now. It drives straight as an arrow, too.
My diagnosis on the rack? Something wore out. For whatever reason, the driver side tie rod can move out of the rack without resistance from the pinion. I peeled back the boot and watched it. It was not the ball joint on the tie rod. I thought steering racks were a single bar running the length of the rack housing with threaded ends. Are the threaded ends of the rack rod fastened on somehow? How does the driver side move independently of the rest of the rack assembly?
Really easy job.
I didn't diagnose properly and blamed the electric motor, so I swapped that out and the condition persisted. Before I even installed the motor, I knew it was probably not the cause. I just didn't pay much mind to the steering play until then. For the last couple of months, I have not enjoyed driving the car tremendously. Today, it has all been restored. The steering is perfect now. It drives straight as an arrow, too.
My diagnosis on the rack? Something wore out. For whatever reason, the driver side tie rod can move out of the rack without resistance from the pinion. I peeled back the boot and watched it. It was not the ball joint on the tie rod. I thought steering racks were a single bar running the length of the rack housing with threaded ends. Are the threaded ends of the rack rod fastened on somehow? How does the driver side move independently of the rest of the rack assembly?
Really easy job.
#25