Steering rack play - new NOS rack..

[Jeff K]

I installed a new NOS DMC rack on my 83. Here is a video of the play in the wheel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FTrhmpOBtg

Is this acceptable? My 81 with a 6 year old rack has less play.

Thanks
Jeff

[todd1561]

Are you sure it's the rack and not the steering shaft U-joint or the tie rod ends, or a combination of the two? If it is indeed the rack I wouldn't say that's acceptable. Where did you get it?

Todd

[opethmike]

Holy crap, Todd makes an appearance on here!

I agree with him; I recently observed a similar issue on a different car entirely (a friend's Elise). We at first suspected the steering rack, but it turned out to be the tie rods.

[David T]

There are many parts that can cause play (looseness) in the steering. What I saw in the video is excessive. Check the u-joints, steering bushing, tie rod ends, ball joints, etc and try to see where you are losing motion. Have someone rock the steering wheel while you go looking underneath.
David Teitelbaum

[todd1561]

Holy crap, Todd makes an appearance on here!

I agree with him; I recently observed a similar issue on a different car entirely (a friend's Elise). We at first suspected the steering rack, but it turned out to be the tie rods.

I'm on fire, this is my 3rd post today!

OK, back on topic...

[Jeff K]

There are many parts that can cause play (looseness) in the steering. What I saw in the video is excessive. Check the u-joints, steering bushing, tie rod ends, ball joints, etc and try to see where you are losing motion. Have someone rock the steering wheel while you go looking underneath.
David Teitelbaum

Thanks for the input everyone.

The rack came from DMC CA. I also replaced the u-joint set with a new one. The bushing is new, and I also installed a fender washer because the steering rack bushing hole was reamed out. That bushing is very tight for sure. It's the rack I'm pretty certain. I had someone move it that much and I was looking underneath. The tie rods didn't move and the u joints did.

I will double check again.

Uugghh, I don't enjoy the though of removing and replacing.. but that's the breaks!

[Mark D]

Sorry to hear of of your steering rack woes... It sounds like you've narrowed the problem down to the rack itself and not the tie rod ends or U-joints.

I'm in the middle of rebuilding my steering rack at the moment which isn't too difficult if you don't want to completely replace it. I had a cracked steering arm shoe that lead to one of the steering arms being loose and having excessive play. PJ Grady still sells these replacement parts for $25 each. Kind of steep for a little plastic part, but better than replacing the whole steering rack. They also still sell replacement bushings for the passenger side of the rack assembly (also $25)... that could potentially be the reason for the play you're seeing.

Here are a few pics of what the little plastic shoes look like. They fit in the ends of the center bar and the springs provide pressure to keep the outer arms under compression so they are firmly held in place but can still pivot. The little round tab on the back broke off on mine and there is a large crack through the center of the cupped part.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=14694&d=1352218153
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=14695&d=1352218158
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=14696&d=1352218163


You have quite a bit of play so a more likely culprit is probably the end bushing that keeps the center bar concentric in the steering tube. If this bushing is worn or has failed completely then there will be lots of play. The one shown here is still original... replacements are typically white if the rack has been rebuilt before.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=14693&d=1352218148

(With center bar removed)
http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=14697&d=1352218167