Play in steering wheel

[vortex2450]

My steering wheel has had play in it ever since I've owned the car.

I never really gave it much thought but the wheel will have slack when changing steering directions, so for example.

If I'm turning right and go to straighten out the wheel will move without any response for about 20 degress of rotation. The steering wheel feels loose during this transition from right to left and the steering rack in new anyways.. You can feel the the wheel get tight again after this loose spot which leads me to believe maybe the u-joint on the steering column is bad.

the turn would look like this in arrows:

>>>>>>>>>>> - - - - - <<<<<<<<<<<<<<
turning right, begin turning left with dead space, pressure returns, you turn left like normal

Suggestions??

-Josh

 

[kevinspann]

Steering shaft might be worn, or that u joint...how tight is your pinch bolt that holds the steering shaft to the rack.

 

[sperold]

Look at your outer tie rod ends to see if they are OK, jack up each side and yank on the tire to see if you can detect any movement at the joint.
If they turn out to be OK, I would start pricing a new steering rack, they usually come with new inner tie rod ends (your other source of play, other than the rack itself).
The rack of your rack and pinion steering spends most of its life in the center position, so if there was wear on your rack, it would be there.

 

[kevinspann]

He just replaced the rack when he did a motor swap a couple months ago...

 

[rubydist]

yeah, the pinch bolts on those u-joints need to be tightened VERY tight to make sure there is no play there. also the slip joint is notorious for getting play in it.

 

[Leo(209)(707)]

I had similar conditions when i first got my SHO last summer. The problem got fixed by replacing a hand full of parts. Inner and outer tie rods and wheel bearings. when i jacked up my the front end i could slightly wiggle my tire. About a half inch movement on the outer edge of the tire. After i replaced all that steering was tight as a drum.

 

[shonuffmine]

I millwright tighten the bolts on the slip joint and that took almost all the slack out of mine ! Where is the u joints everyone keeps mentioning?I don't see any in the ford shop manual.

 

[kevinspann]

There are two u-joints muffin...one down at the rack, and another at the other end of the steering shaft at the dash - this one is removable/replaceable.

 

[shonuffmine]

Oh Ok you are talking about the joints on the intermediate shaft between the column and rack.

 

[vortex2450]

The steering rack, tie rods, sway bar, sway bar bushings, and end links are all new, along with the pass side LCA.

The steering rack bolts aren't the factory bolts, That's a problem in itself with a different symptom, I'm looking for a set of the factory bolts.

This play in the steering wheel was there before I changed out the factory steering rack.

I tightened the pinch bolt on the column considerably tight, I was already ****** at it because of how long it took to get it to fit into the rack.. haha

I have my money on the u-joint but I wanted opinions..

-Josh