Significant Steering Play

[jrice612]

In June I replaced the front suspension - struts, springs, mounts, ball joints, tie rod ends, rack, bearings, bushings. About a month ago I noticed that it was out of alignment again...so I took it in. I also noticed that there was some play in the wheel. The shop said that my upper strut mounts must be bad - that when you replace springs without mounts, the springs can get "spring memory" and the car won't align...which will be noticeable by play in the wheel. They offered to remove and re-seat my strut/spring assembly for $400. The strut mounts were replaced at the time with the struts and springs. I used OEM-spec parts.

This is the third set of spring/struts I've replaced (in general, not on this car lol) and never had this problem before...anybody know if they might be right?

What's the problem feel like? While driving at 30 mph, it's inconvenient. I'll turn left and my steering wheel will still be pointing at 10 o'clock when I'm driving straight. At 60 mph, it's scary - let's say the road S-curves. I turn left first, no problem...when I go to turn back right, there's play from 10 to 1 o'clock before the car begins turning back right.

The only other thing I can imagine is if my rack is actually moving a bit. When I replaced the rack, I couldn't get the bolts out of the old rack, so I just used some grade 8 bolts. They didn't fit completely snug in diameter, but I figured that wouldn't matter if I wrenched the thing down tight to the subframe. The bolts are still tight...I would think that they'd have broken by now if that was the problem.

 

[SASHO91]

I'd check the "u-joint" at the firewall under the black bellow. There is 3 11mm nuts holding the bellow on. Once you get in, there is a 10mm nut that needs to be backed off a bit then re-tightend. It's around the steering shaft. It's a bit complicated to explain, but once your'e down there, it's pretty much self-explanatory.

 

[itwonder]

Subframe bushings in good shape?

 

[projectSHO89]

Just work the steering wheel back and forth and see where the slop is. Shouldn't take more than five minutes to identify where the play is at.

Just remember, if you have motion "in" but no motion "out", you've found your problem.

I'd focus on the steering column sliding joint and the aforementioned pinch joint at the input shaft to the rack. Both are common problems.

I also have used grade 8 bolts to fasten a rack to the subframe (forgot to remove old bolts from core before turning it in...). Never had a problem with them.

Steve

 

[93rev2sev]

$400

You have to find out where the play is. Steve is right...15 minutes tops...including raising and securing the car. With the engine OFF, but the key in the on position(don't start it), get a buddy to try to move the wheel.

Ramps are your friend here. Drive up the ramps AND(don't forget this SAFETY step) put jackstands underneath the unibody...not the subframe...let some air out of the tires to get the jackstands to contact the unibody.

The jackstands are needed because you will be under the car while someone is trying to turn the wheel. If a crazy fluke happens and the ramps fail or the car starts to walk off the edge of them, the jackstands will be there to "catch" the car(instead of your head).

Have your buddy move the steering wheel back and forth(not hard enough to turn the wheels, just hard enough to show you where the play is)...crawl underneath and find the movement.

 

[shomesomesho]

I'd focus on the . . . pinch joint at the input shaft to the rack.

x2. I've owned 9 SHO's, and every single one of them had loose steering due to a loose pinch bolt.

Odds are your pinch bolt needs tightening. That may not be the only problem causing the looseness, but I'll bet it's at least part of the problem.

 

[jrice612]

Thanks...I'll look at that pinch bolt tomorrow.

Today I took the spring/strut assembly off. I took it in to the shop and asked the tech if he'd re-seat the springs (one of them was almost two inches away from the seated position on the lower strut seat! I don't know how it turned...unless I'm that blind originally! The tech recognized my SHO and said, "Yeah, I love your car, man. I'll do it for nothing since you come in here for your tires." Sweet!

Although...after getting the strut/spring assembly back in, it still acted up.

I climbed under the steering column and nothing on the inside is loose. I didn't have anyone to help me turn the wheel while under the engine, and I couldn't see any visible looseness anywhere on the rack. It's either got to be in the rack itself, or that pinch bolt just on the engine side of the firewall. Again...I'll update you tomorrow.

I appreciate your help!
JRice

 

[93rev2sev]

In your first post, you mentioned that you changed some bearings. Please clarify...did you change the wheel bearings or the strut bearings or both?

 

[jrice612]

I had replaced both sets of bearings - wheel and strut.

The problem is solved! *chuckle* After all of the searching and wondering, it was the rack moving. With no weight on the tires the rack wouldn't move at all. I tried 93rev2sev's method of ramps and jackstands, letting air out of the tires. With some of the weight on the wheels, the rack would shift with the steering wheel turned. Just slipped a lock washer on (didn't have one in the garage at 3am when I originally put the rack in), cranked her down, got her aligned and the blue beast is back at it!

JRice

'93 MTX
142,500 mi

 

[Dedragonknight]

someone care to explain this pinch bolt thing? i have a bunch of play, like a 4" "neutral zone" at the top of the wheel going straight....

 

[platoribs]

someone care to explain this pinch bolt thing? i have a bunch of play, like a 4" "neutral zone" at the top of the wheel going straight....

X2

Sounds like what my 92 has, seems to wander around a little.:woohoo:

 

[JEM]

X2

Sounds like what my 92 has, seems to wander around a little.:woohoo:

You can check the pinch bolts at the top and bottom of the steering intermediate shaft where the universal joints clamp to the steering-wheel shaft (at the top) and the rack (at the bottom) - if the pinch bolt loosens you'll get some obvious looseness - but...

...all non-VAPS SHO racks (I haven't driven enough VAPS cars to make a blanket statement about them) are crap, they all have a big sloppy spot.

That's one reason I'm doing the Gen 3 rack conversion.

The engine's on the subframe, the subframe's in the car, all the Servotronic wiring is in, the pressure line is done, but there's still a bunch of little things to do before it's runnable.

 

[jrice612]

someone care to explain this pinch bolt thing? i have a bunch of play, like a 4" "neutral zone" at the top of the wheel going straight....

Inside your car below the steering wheel, take off the lower kick panel - it's fastened with four star-head bolts.
If you climb under the steering wheel by the pedals, you'll see a rubber boot that covers the steering shaft against the firewall. There are three nuts holding that boot to the firewall...I believe that they're 11 mm (maybe it was 7/16). After you remove those nuts, you can lift the rubber boot up the steering shaft toward the steering wheel. Right at the firewall, you'll see a sleeve and a bolt - this is where the steering shaft meets the rack and pinion. Check to see if the bolt is loose.

JRice