Replacing steering rack - what is this?

[dn010]

Just so I understand the problem: with your wheels pointing straight ahead, your left hand turn until lock is a different steering wheel turns than when the wheels are straight and you turn right until you hit lock?

Or is the problem that your wheels are straight and your steering wheel isn't "straight"?

[Redsquall]

As Dave said, you are not turning the rod end, you are turning the rod. You do not need to break the rod end loose from the knuckle for this. All you have to do is loosen the jam nut (and the boot clamp) and rotate the rod in order to increase or decrease the length.

Don't worry about the steering wheel. The column and wheel have nothing to do with the alignment or the rack. Once the rack is set up properly and aligned, pull the wheel off and center it and you're good to go.

Nick, what do you think about my last comment today? I turned them in opposite directions 2 full rotations but the steering wheel doesn't seem to have changed at all
And as long as I've turned them exactly opposite each other the same amount – my alignment should still be good right?

[Redsquall]

Just so I understand the problem: with your wheels pointing straight ahead, your left hand turn until lock is a different steering wheel turns than when the wheels are straight and you turn right until you hit lock?

Or is the problem that your wheels are straight and your steering wheel isn't "straight"?

Yes, the problem is that when I turn The steering wheel to the right I get a little bit more than one turn – like an inch. And when I turn to the left I get 1.25 turns

[dn010]

It may take more than two full turns, try to go more. If you look at how much distance you move with two turns, it isn't much. When you're turning them, you should see the wheel actually moving inwards or outwards and when you do the other side in the opposite direction, it should move the same way as the other wheel did. As long as you keep the numbers the same, your alignment will not be off and you can go back if necessary.

[Redsquall]

It may take more than two full turns, try to go more. If you look at how much distance you move with two turns, it isn't much. When you're turning them, you should see the wheel actually moving inwards or outwards and when you do the other side in the opposite direction, it should move the same way as the other wheel did. As long as you keep the numbers the same, your alignment will not be off and you can go back if necessary.

So I just did another full turn of the tie rod doing each tire rod in opposite turns from each other and the steering wheel sew seam has not moved at all - I was expecting the steering wheel to turn in at least a little bit. Background info: I put in a new PJ Grady rack recently and had it aligned in the past couple months. The problem was that I did not send her the rack before getting it aligned

[dn010]

And when you're turning the rods, one side should be gaining threads and the other should be losing, correct? And once you've done this, you've pointed the wheels straight ahead by hand? Try going something like 5 turns, as long as you have threads left on the tie rod.

[Redsquall]

And when you're turning the rods, one side should be gaining threads and the other should be losing, correct? And once you've done this, you've pointed the wheels straight ahead by hand? Try going something like 5 turns, as long as you have threads left on the tie rod.

Here's a short video showing exactly what I am doing. At this point I have rotated them in opposite directions for four complete rotations and the steering wheel does not seem to have moved. When I snug the bolts up I only have three visible threads on one side and about eight on the other currently. If the steering wheel is not supposed to rotate as you rotate the tires – how do I know when I've got the rack centered?

https://youtu.be/3em-I1taDd4

[dn010]

What you're doing by rotating the tie rods, is moving the front wheels either left, or right. The steering wheel doesn't move. So, if you turn the rods so many turns that you move the tires so they're now pointing 1/2 to the left (it seems you've done so judging by the threads in your video), once you're done turning the rods you have to physically push the front of the tire to make them as straight as you can by looking down the side of the car. This will then make your steering wheel seam off center. It is from this point that you turn the wheel lock to lock in order to see what progress you're making, returning the seam to it's now off center orientation making the wheels straight.

At the end, once you've got the turns equal from lock to lock, you'll pull the off center steering wheel off and re-center just the steering wheel.

[dn010]

Best I can do to describe this while at work. LOL!
Steering.jpg

Once the steering wheel is off center, it helps to put a piece of masking tape on the top of the wheel where the seam would be if it was center, making it easier to count the lock to lock turns.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Best I can do to describe this while at work. LOL!
Steering.jpg

Once the steering wheel is off center, it helps to put a piece of masking tape on the top of the wheel where the seam would be if it was center, making it easier to count the lock to lock turns.

Use a wire tie. Tape can pull some color off the wheel. Ask me how I know.