Steering Rack/Wheel issues.

[SHOspazz92]

Well, I just finished my first Auto-X with the 275's Race tires up front...and WOW! Insane grip! However all that grip came at a price. Once I leaved the venue and got down the road, I noticed my steering wheel is cocked pretty far to the right! However, the car itself was not pulling in any direction, Just tracking straight like it should.

Now, Before you say a strut rod went bad (Because this happened with a strut rod, messing my the toe on my alignment) keep in mind, This car has a Gen III Subframe. So, no strut rods. It was suggested to me by a former SHO Auto-X'er that one of the nuts/bolts on the steering rack itself may have vibrated loose enough to let the rack shift a bit (He said it's happened to him before, So I will check that). Has this happened to anyone else? Any other idea's on what to check, and what could have caused this?

-Sam

 

[Ishodu]

Jack it up check Wheel bearings, make sure everything is tight. If everything is tight as well as the rack bolts an alignment will tell you fast if the rack shifted.

 

[NORMAN]

Check the subframe mount bolts for tightness when you check your steering rack.

 

[zach44102]

Take a tape measure and measure the front and back side of the front tires to see if you are toe in/out on one or both sides that might help

 

[220ksho]

Check the subframe mount bolts for tightness when you check your steering rack.

Yep, this happened to me. Hard driving shifted the entire subframe. New s/f bushings solved it.

 

[St Louis SHO]

Yup, the SF probably moved. The rack cannot move in the G3 frame, the bolt is captured in a tube.

- James

 

[Shoaz]

Lots of grip always stresses suspension stuff harder, so expect stuff to break more.

As has been said, check the subframe looseness/alignment, also check that the steering rack is still bolted down tight.

I had the rack come loose on the Focus after flogging it on Hoosiers and it behaved like that. There's a lot more that can do that on a Taurus, though, so check around until you figure it out.

Figure out a quick way to check toe. Either get a couple of tape measures and some toe plates, or make a string setup with some conduit and bungee cords. Or go totally ghetto and just use jack stands and string (which is the most annoying way to do it).

That'll tell you pretty quickly whether it's one side or both or whatever.