I have a manual steering rack and manual steering shaft. I finally got my alignment done today (cost me $520 bc the mechanic had to struggle for 4 and half hours to get the rears aligned).

anyways he told me my steering column or steering shaft has lots of play at both ends of the u-joints.

i think it has had play since I bought the shaft a few years ago, it came off a parts car.

so I have looked online and it seism like they don't make them anymore. there is a guy online that rebuilds shafts but I don't know if I trust a rebuild. it is obviously an important part if it breaks on highway i'm dead.

so what can I do? sucks that porsche pretty much makes any part for the 944 but they stopped selling the steering shafts and I bet almost all used 944 shafts have some play by now.

 

944 online says they sell modified steering shafts from another porsche that fit both the manual and power racks.

price is 295. I'll call them on monday and see if they can send one to me in Canada.

would a modified steering shaft be as safe as the original? not sure what modifying involves.

 

You can make on for a little cheaper than that. Search on here and you can find the brand of U-joints to purchase. Not that your mechanic is wrong but have you checked the tension screw on the steering rack?

 

you need to find a new mechanic that knows how to do alignments - no idea where to look in BC, but there may be someone there who does this for a living

 

I need to make a 400km trip tomorrow and now i'm a bit nervous about the play in the steering shaft joints. what are the chances of a steering shaft breaking while you're driving?

i don't know if it's safe to drive. the mechanic just said change that steering shaft as soon as possible. and I can definitely feel play at the joints at both the rack and steering side.

 

I'm wondering if the steering rack is ok but the joints at the ends of the tie rods are just the problem areas. I'd pull the tie rods off at the wheels and see it there's play in the shafts while they're pulled and pushed away from the steering rack. If not, then you may be able to keep the rack and just replace the tie rod ends....much cheaper. In any case, it looks like you're facing replacing the tie rod ends anyhow, so I'd start there first.

 

both inner and outer tie rods were replaced two years ago. they are still pretty much new.

the rack is a used manual rack.

I have play in the steering shaft u-joints not at the tie rods.