How would describe what normal delorean steering feels like?

[Redsquall]

Mine feels kinda floaty. Compared to any modern car it's feels like there's more play and you have to correct more on a country road. Just had new control arms, ball points, eibach done and steering checked out by DMC - they say nothing seems to wrong. Maybe this is partially just how non power steering is? No wonder every 80s show has people constantly moving the steering wheel back and forth...

[Iznodmad]

I would suspect the rack is bad. Has it ever been replaced?

[Redsquall]

I would suspect the rack is bad. Has it ever been replaced?

nope. How much play is normal when driving? There's no play when sitting still. What's the test to know for sure if it's the rack?

[john 05141]

I had my steering rack replaced by a brand new one 6 years ago. Last year it began to make cracking noises. These new ones are not a very good qualiy obviously, I had again a new one built in. He steering was ok, but these noises were kunda loud especially et the end when making a stop.
jan

[eseethal]

Mine does not feel "floaty" at all. It really feels planted, it is in completely stock configuration. No corrections while driving are needed at all, even on not so good roads. If you got no play in the steering it has to be some other issue.

Eugen

[Bitsyncmaster]

If your toe alignment (less toe) is wrong it can feel light when driving.

[SS Spoiler]

Check for loose u-jolnts below steering column.

[David T]

Check for loose u-jolnts below steering column.

You can also check your tires. Check pressures and maybe you have bad (old) tires. The steering should be tight and very responsive with no looseness or play.

[Ratrace427]

A bad tire can make the car pull..idk about float. If there is no slop in the wheel with the car sitting then everything should be ok.

Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk

[Redsquall]

Lower link, lowerball joints, new aluminum control arms , alignment was just done at DMC. They checked steering and found nothing wrong. This is video of looseness. I was wrong: there IS play when car is sitting. I'd really like they to be no play. Something also causes shimmying at 65-70. Is that normal? http://youtu.be/mDKWJfC-v0A

to be clear, the wobble and looseness was there before DMC did their work. Nothing they did. Just trying to figure this out

[Redsquall]

Tires are new and balanced...
is there a simple way to test bearings?
my rims have some scrapes on them- could that be throwing it off?

[kings1527]

Tires are new and balanced...
is there a simple way to test bearings?
my rims have some scrapes on them- could that be throwing it off?

Bad bearings, particularly in the front where you can hear them better, give off a pretty strong "whirring" sound that becomes more pronounced at speed. Probably not causing your issue.

[Redsquall]

Bad bearings, particularly in the front where you can hear them better, give off a pretty strong "whirring" sound that becomes more pronounced at speed. Probably not causing your issue.

Nope not that.

[Time Machine]

Mine felt floaty too... I guess many would consider that "normal" steering for a 30 year old D. :histerical1:

[cdrusn]

The front suspension was designed by LOTUS so it is well made for handling. The bigger problem is that the entire weight distribution is off for the Delorean to be a decent handling car. If you have ever driven a Corvair that is the closest you'll come to a comparable handling car. If you want to get the D to hug the road better you would need to load several bags of sand in the trunk to get the suspension active. You'll notice the best handling cars in the world are all close to a 50/50 weight distribution notably Porsches like the 928 and 944. Your car is fine it does what it was designed to do. :race:

[Redsquall]

The front suspension was designed by LOTUS so it is well made for handling. The bigger problem is that the entire weight distribution is off for the Delorean to be a decent handling car. If you have ever driven a Corvair that is the closest you'll come to a comparable handling car. If you want to get the D to hug the road better you would need to load several bags of sand in the trunk to get the suspension active. You'll notice the best handling cars in the world are all close to a 50/50 weight distribution notably Porsches like the 928 and 944. Your car is fine it does what it was designed to do. :race:

What did you think of the video?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDKWJfC-v0A&feature=youtu.be

[dn010]

That is definitely not how steering should be...

Open the access panel for the master cylinder (the whole panel, not the rubber plug). Have someone turn the wheel side to side while you watch the steering u-joints. If those joints are original then they're certainly going to have play by now and even the littlest amount of play will translate to a lot of slop in the steering. You can also do the same while laying in front of the car to see any movement in the steering rack and tie rod ends.

The steering in mine used to be exactly like that, it was the damn u-joints. After u-joints, ball joints, new steering rack, bearings, and just about everything else you could replace, my car steers great - no slop/play, no floating, no noise!

[PJ Grady Inc.]

What did you think of the video?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDKWJfC-v0A&feature=youtu.be
Your rack is most likely worn and due for a rebuild. Our rebuilt racks use new bearings and bushings designed to make them last longer than both NOS and the reproduction racks by a large margin. I have personnally rebuilt several hundred over the years. We've sold quite a few to members of this forum so perhaps someone might chime in on thier experience with rebuilt versus replacement racks. You can confirm my diagnosis by having someone move the steering back and forth while you check the rack and steering ujoints to see where the play is coming from.
Rob

[Redsquall]

Your rack is most likely worn and due for a rebuild. Our rebuilt racks use new bearings and bushings designed to make them last longer than both NOS and the reproduction racks by a large margin. I have personnally rebuilt several hundred over the years. We've sold quite a few to members of this forum so perhaps someone might chime in on thier experience with rebuilt versus replacement racks. You can confirm my diagnosis by having someone move the steering back and forth while you check the rack and steering ujoints to see where the play is coming from.
Rob

Thank you. I'll try this and report back. What amount of work is this for a capable, but non-expert? Is this something a good local non speciality shop can do? Does it require alignment again?

[dn010]

I'm actually still on one of your rebuilt steering racks going on about 12 years now, issue free...



I have personnally rebuilt several hundred over the years. We've sold quite a few to members of this forum so perhaps someone might chime in on thier experience with rebuilt versus replacement racks.
Rob

[dn010]

Replacing the steering rack is pretty simple, it's held down by two brackets with two studs each. The biggest issues are getting the tie rod to drop out of the knuckle, and then sometimes getting the rubber bushings that are on the rack in place to bolt the rack down. If you're going to replace the rack, I'd suggest buying the rubber bushings 108151 & 105843 along with new brackets. If yours are rusty the studs can snap and they're cheap enough to just replace. Get new tie rod ends. You will need an alignment after replacing tie rod ends. Before you begin, spray some penetrant on the steering u joints so it can slide off the rack without trouble. It can be made easier by removing the bolt pinching the u joint closed, and wedging in a flat head screwdriver to open the divide up. Also, you should check the condition of the steering column bushing.


Thank you. I'll try this and report back. What amount of work is this for a capable, but non-expert? Is this something a good local non speciality shop can do? Does it require alignment again?

[Redsquall]

Thanks! How much time do you think this takes consider the normal crap that happens?



Replacing the steering rack is pretty simple, it's held down by two brackets with two studs each. The biggest issues are getting the tie rod to drop out of the knuckle, and then sometimes getting the rubber bushings that are on the rack in place to bolt the rack down. If you're going to replace the rack, I'd suggest buying the rubber bushings 108151 & 105843 along with new brackets. If yours are rusty the studs can snap and they're cheap enough to just replace. Get new tie rod ends. You will need an alignment after replacing tie rod ends. Before you begin, spray some penetrant on the steering u joints so it can slide off the rack without trouble. It can be made easier by removing the bolt pinching the u joint closed, and wedging in a flat head screwdriver to open the divide up. Also, you should check the condition of the steering column bushing.

[Mark D]

If you're interested I've got a few photos from my steering rack rebuild in an album here:

http://dmctalk.org/album.php?albumid=160

The photos show the passenger side plastic bushing (grey nylatron cylinder shape) that tends to fail and can also contribute to slop. As others have already said inspecting the steering shaft u-joints is probably the best place to start though. From there I'd check the upper and lower ball joints on the front suspension for play. You can do this just by jacking up the front of the car and trying to wiggle each wheel with your hands. They should not be free to move around at all. If your U-joints are OK and the front suspension is not to blame then it's probably the rack. If you're not comfortable rebuilding it yourself I'd send it to Rob to have it rebuilt. I rebuilt mine using his reproduction nylon bushings (white in the photos above) and so far so good.

To rebuild it yourself there is this PDF which is helpful
http://www.dmcnews.com/Techsection/Steering%20Rack%20Rebuild/Steering%20Rack.pdf

or this youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffLRDUxevPA

Just swapping the rack can be done in a couple of hours if you've got all the parts on hand. To remove the rack it's just four nuts that hold the rack brackets in place and two nuts on the tie rod ends. You'll have to remove the steering shaft too which is just two pinch bolts a the U-joints on the ends.

To rebuild the rack is probably another couple of hours if you're slow and methodical like I was.

[SamHill]

Like warm apple pie.

[Mike Griese]

Work your way from the steering wheel to the front tires before you start throwing parts at the car. The parts catalog on the DMC website is a handy reference for sorting stuff like this out. As mentioned earlier, remove the access panel under the carpet in the front compartment. If you can work a screwdriver, you can handle this. The panel may be held down by some weatherstrip/selaant, so you may need to pry it off. You should see the end of the steering column, the lower steering shaft and associated u-joints, and the top of the steering rack. Observe the mechanism as an assistant works the steering wheel. Look for any movement in parts between the steering column and the steering rack.

If the lower shaft doesn't move, you have a problem in the steering column. Check the nut and splines holding the steering wheel to the steering shaft. You need to remove the center pad to see this.

If the lower shaft moves but the steering rack shaft does not, you have a lower shaft issue. There are splines at three places if you have an original rack - at the end of the steering column/top of the lower shaft u-joint, at the 2nd u-joint, and at the steering rack shaft. The splines allow for some adjustment between the steering column and the rack, but they should not be free to move up and down once adjusted properly. The bits are held together by pinch bolts. If the shafts have rusted and the bolts worked loose, there could be slop in the splined joints. Try tightening everything up and see if that makes any improvements. If that doesn't help, you will need a new lower shaft. The new ones are stainless and eliminate the middle splines. Nice parts.

If you see the short shaft on the steering rack rotating but the tires not moving, you need to have your rack rebuilt or replaced. They should be lubricated every now and then, and if the lubricant has leaked out or solidified over the years, you can wear the rack and or pinion. There is some adjustment to take up some of the slack, but not much.

[Redsquall]

Thanks guys! Excited to get this fixed. If I only replace the rack and don't need new tie rod ends- would I need alignment? (Just got alignment)

[kings1527]

Thanks guys! Excited to get this fixed. If I only replace the rack and don't need new tie rod ends- would I need alignment? (Just got alignment)

Yes, you would because you'd have to swap out the new tie rod ends onto the new rack. It doesn't take much to have improper alignment and toe in.

[DaraSue]

Aside from its SR-71 turning radius, it feels pretty much like my other car (87 CRX, no power steering). There isn't a noticeable amount of play or looseness in it. I just had my steering rack replaced last year and it was before I picked up the car so IDK how it was before but Dave @ MW said it was pretty bad.

[Rich_NYS]

Like warm apple pie.

Yes!

[Josh]

The front suspension was designed by LOTUS so it is well made for handling.:

That is a bit of an assumption to make.

[dn010]

I can tell you that going from worn steering ujoints & worn steering rack to brand new was a night/day difference.