donnieknoxville

A few weeks ago, I noticed that the usual very tight steering suddenly developed about 1/2 play. The steering column tracks the movement of the steering wheel all the way to the rack.

I also jacked up the front end and tried to move each wheel laterally and was no able to detect any slop. Even jacked up, I still have 1/2 play.

I upgraded to turbo tie rods at 150,000 miles and now have 250,000 miles.

Am I looking at a new rack or could it still be the inner tie rods ends?

theiceman

What is 1/2 play ?

Ed Hughes

I'd pull the rack cover, get under the car and have someone turn the wheel, for starters. If you refer to 1/2 a turn of play, the problem should be pretty evident.

wildcat077

Check if your two steering rack bolts have become loose ... happened to me after i installed bump steer spacers,i reinstalled the bolts with Loctite 271 thread locker !

Cheers !
Phil

ron mcatee

Is the steering wheel bearing sleeve still intact. Many times the aging plastic sleeve breaks and you get a lot of wobble from it. Easy to fix.

theiceman

thats what i was thinking too ,thats why i asked about what he meant by 1/2 if its play in the wheel up and down his bearing is toast and needs a collar.

Marc Gelefsky

I think this is probbaly your issue

Ed Hughes

1/2 play and the description sounds like rotation to me.

brokentoy

I had a similar issue on an 86, found that the steering rack spider clip that holds the bushings into the rack body had popped out, allowing the bushing to follow the shaft out of the body, and then wobble around within the rack.

This created a dilemma, in that the replacement rack was outrageously expensive(like a grand) but the car still drove fine, just poor steering wheel response.

Due to my neurosis when it comes to drivability, I could not live with it for more that about 40 miles. I removed the rack from the car, no tiny job, but doable, and took the rack apart. I had some new rubber bushings custom made, and installed them, along with an internal snap ring to back up the spider washer that had let go (I could not find replacements anywhere). Steering is now as new, and that car has 311K on it.

Hope this helps

donnieknoxville

I meant 1/2" of play left to right in the steering. Its NOT the bushing. I've done that job the hard way - by replacing the whole bushing, and then that one wore out and I opted for the metal sleeve - the much preferred solution.

The wheel column its self is tight but when I turn the steering wheel, I don't even feel resistance until I've turned the wheel about 1/2" inch either way.

Don

brokentoy

When you say it is not the bushing, are you referring to the steering column bushing or the bushing inside the rack?
The bushing inside the rack was my problem, and exactly the same symptoms you describe.

A quick way to confirm would be to get the car in the air and pull a tie rod boot back to have a look. It will be obvious the side that is the problem.

Ed Hughes

So, have you gotten under, and inspected?

rusnak

You've got to pull the steering rack skid plate off, and have a look at the input shaft rotation, and whether the rack moves back and forth with the wheel. Also check the rack mounting bolts. It's the only way you can isolate the problem.

donnieknoxville

Got under the car last night and determined that the problem is in the rack itself as moving the steering wheel slightly from side to side produces no movement of the shaft on either side of the rack.

Hello new steering rack...