Cloud9...68

It took me three tries to re-seal my steering rack to get it to work (kept breaking the fragile teflon seals as I was jamming the tight-fighting sleeves back around them), but I finally got it together with no leaks, and the power assist is now working. But all is not yet quite well. When I turn the wheel to the right, it feels normal. But when I turn it to the left, I'm immediately met with some resistance, as if something is binding or sticking. Then once I turn past this sticking point, it feels fine, then sometimes sticks again, then feels normal again, as I keep turning left. It's definitely happening when turning the wheel to the left from a straight-ahead position, but I'm not as sure about the behavior if I turn it to the left after having just turned it to the right.

Any ideas on what could be causing the left-turn binding? Something inside the steering rack? Tie rod ends? Steering knuckle (although I don't see why a problem with the knuckle would be directional)? Thanks.

mikew968

is all the air bleed out. Are you good on fluid?

Cloud9...68

I've heard the steering systems are somehow "self-bleeding". Not sure how this works, but I did turn the wheel to both extremes several times with the engine running when I got it back together, which is what I had heard ensures that the air is out. And the fluid level is fine, and of course the fluid is brand new, since I re-sealed both the pump and the rack as part of my 2-1/2 yearlong project.

But it doesn't quite feel like an issue with the power assist - it really feels like something is somehow mechanically binding somewhere in the steering assembly, but only when turning to the left.

Paul Waterloo

How did you bleed the air out of the system? I don't know how you are supposed to do it on a 968, but on other cars I have worked on, you jack up the front end so the wheels are off the ground, and then you rotate the steering wheel left to right and back again about 5 times.

However, I don't know if what you describe is air in the system, but this is easy and free to do.

mbardeen

Is it just that it takes a little more force to turn left than it does to turn right? Or does it refuse to turn for a bit then eventually turn? Does it happen after you've been driving a while or all the time?

I ask because I've had something similar but not quite identical happen on my car with a resealed pump/rack. Last time I had the car out it would turn okay when I was driving at normal speeds, but when I went to make a sharp turn (90 degrees or more) at slow speeds it would "bind up". By bind up I mean that I couldn't get the wheel to turn any more and the pump sounded like it was straining. I was able to reproduce the behavior, while stationary, immediately after it happened the second time. When I found time to check it more closely the next weekend, I couldn't reproduce the behavior.

I have a couple suspects as to the reason for my problem -- #1 being a mangled roller bearing. However, given that I couldn't reproduce the problem when cold, I'm now thinking maybe it has something to do with fluid temp.

ryan@usaimage.com

Check out the "U" joint in the steering column just for fun.

Cloud9...68

mbardeen,

It's more the latter - it sticks momentarily, requiring more force than normal to turn it, then it turns OK for a maybe half a rotation of the wheel, then sticks again, etc. It doesn't matter what position the wheel is when I start turning it to the left - it can be fully turned to the right, or pointing straight ahead. It seems to be a little better when warm, and doesn't do it on every single left turn, but it does it most of the time. Your theory of the circular needle bearing that the steering gear assembly rides on inside the tower casting has some merit, but it's actually new (I lost a couple of the rollers out of my original one, so I had to buy a replacement), but I don't understand why this would cause a problem only in one direction.

ryan,

I think the steering coupler is in good shape - there's very little play in my steering, and I don't understand why a problem with the coupler would only cause a problem in one direction.

Thanks for all the inputs - I'll take a close look at it over the weekend, and report back on what I find.

mikew968

my race car does that once in a while at slow speed and then it's fine. seems like it's to the left but not sure about that.

Cloud9...68

My issue is easier to feel at low speed, but it's present at higher speeds as well. All of the instructors who's driven the car have commented on it; I'd kind of gotten used to it, so it doesn't bother me all that much, but I will definitely do some tests on it this weekend to at least make sure it's not a safety issue.

mbardeen

If it's a come-and-go feeling that happens with a fairly regular frequency, as you suggested, I'd think it would be related to something along the steering shaft as well. Ball-joints and tie-rods with flat spots should only do that once as you turn the wheel.

There may be some weird geometry thing going on with the shaft and a worn/damaged coupling. Alternatively, have you replaced your steering wheel? Maybe something is catching along that?

Also, where did you get a replacement for that bearing? I've got a rebuilt steering rack on the way, but if I could recover my old one as well I'd be happier.

User 41221

I'll throw another "check the steering knuckle" suggestion in the ring. I had that issue in the past on a 944 and it only happened in one direction as well. Replacing it fixed the problem and when I looked at the old one, you could definitely tell where it was binding at.

Cloud9...68

More votes for the steering knuckle - I actually like that (anything but having to tear into that wretched rack again!). I've taken the rack off and on several times, and for some reason, I had ten times more trouble on this latest go-around getting the coupler engaged than all the other times, so maybe I have something out of alignment. I'll take a close look, and snap some pictures. Thanks again for all the inputs - they've been very helpful.

MB968

Just a thought on the u-joint, which I could see causing this issue. If it is the joint, I expect the issue to occur at roughly the same alignment of the members in the u-joint each time. So I might suggest you mark or take a photo of the alignment of the coupling at each point where the steering is tending to bind to see if there is any correlation between the two. Might help you troubleshoot the issue easier.

Cloud9...68

That's a good idea - I'll try to do that.

MB968

I don't know if there is a gear reduction in the box on the steering rack. If it is straight through, the gear that engages with the rack will also be in the same engagement as the u-joints. If there is a reduction going into the rack, it will be at a different location. Not sure if I made this clear, but simply said, you should be looking for engagements/alignments that are always the same when you get the tightness. For instance it is not likely to be a tie rod end, as the angle of alignment will be different for each instance when you feel the tightness. And, it is likely not the rack teeth, as you will always be engaging with different teeth on the rack, yet it could be the pinion that engages with the rack, if the tightness coincides with once per revolution of the pinion.