How to tell if your steering rack is worn out.

[Bert]

My car does not want to track straight during acceleration and during shifts. My buddy and I can find no obvious play anywhere (balls joints/LCA/tie rods/sway bar) and are now becoming suspicious that the steering rack may be at fault. Nothing really moves when you apply hand pressure nor does the rack wobble when up on the hoist but something ain't right.
Anyone familiar with what the obvious symptoms of a worn rack (bushings?) are?

[bhazard]

Just cause you can't get a wiggle with your hands doesn't mean the sway bar bushings aren't bad. Your engine puts a lot more load on them than your hands can.

[Bert]

Just cause you can't get a wiggle with your hands doesn't mean the sway bar bushings aren't bad. Your engine puts a lot more load on them than your hands can.

Replaced those last week. Were Festy bushings on there (on Aspire sway bar) for past 2 years without any problems and I put in clean used Aspire bushings this time. Made no difference.

[Movin]

The rubber boots on the end of the rack hide the bushings for the rack gear itself. To test them grab the left one and wiggle up and down firmly, like a real hefty push and pull. The left one for USA wears much faster than the end without the steering column-shaft on it. There are details somewhere on how to make and install new bushings. Somebody was rebuilding racks at one time.

[zoom zoom]

my car treks straight, but the steering wheel goes sideways! a full 90* right and I'm still going in a straight line! I just rebuilt this rack, and this is the same issue. there's virtually NO play in this thing, well maybe a little but it's not nearly as much as the old one, possibly half a mm up and down on each side, no more. i'm gonna try a ball joint next, thats about the only other part i hvent replaced.

[Movin]

Wow!!! do your tie rod ends look like they have about the same thread? showing on each side

[zoom zoom]

No..every time I try to align it I end up with too many threads on one side, so run the side back in that's out furthest and the other side runs out a lot ...just back and forth.

[Bert]

my car treks straight, but the steering wheel goes sideways! a full 90* right and I'm still going in a straight line! I just rebuilt this rack, and this is the same issue. there's virtually NO play in this thing, well maybe a little but it's not nearly as much as the old one, possibly half a mm up and down on each side, no more. i'm gonna try a ball joint next, thats about the only other part i hvent replaced.

We are in much the same boat. I've only got 45 degree movement in the steering wheel in between shifts but (you and me both) aren't used to that kind of 'play' with rack and pinion steering. Thanks for the advice Movin. My buddy is no slouch (been fixing cars for 40 years and 20 for a living) and in between swapping parts and installing new ones (inner tie rod, LCA, pinch bolt, sway bar bushings) I (we) are still coming up empty. I have a good spare steering rack (and spare everything else) but I don't want to tangle with that degree of work just on a whim.

[nitrofarm]

We are in much the same boat. I've only got 45 degree movement in the steering wheel in between shifts but (you and me both) aren't used to that kind of 'play' with rack and pinion steering. Thanks for the advice Movin. My buddy is no slouch (been fixing cars for 40 years and 20 for a living) and in between swapping parts and installing new ones (inner tie rod, LCA, pinch bolt, sway bar bushings) I (we) are still coming up empty. I have a good spare steering rack (and spare everything else) but I don't want to tangle with that degree of work just on a whim.

I changed a rack last week and I noticed that when the rack is in the perfect "Centered" position. You can turn the input(Pinion) shaft left or right and physically see the Pinion shaft deflect before the actual rack starts to move. But it will only do this when its at exact center.Almost like the rack gears are worn at "Center". The "New" used rack I put in helped my wandering at 65 in windy conditions.But I still have a little nagging wander.I think its the cheap Nylon ball joints. I'm gonna bite the bullet & get the "Dorman" from Rock Auto. They are @ $200 for the pair for the Aspire but this is my DD Bread & Butter car. Not happy about that much cash but I'm not happy with the eBay pieces.
FYI Bert these racks are super easy especially if you a have a friend. You wont even change your toe settings. Leave your column bolts tight and remove the 10mm shaft pinch bolt from inside the car.Then pull the rack out and transfer the universal onto the new rack (if the new one doesnt have it).Then pull the 2 bolts and 2 nuts both 14mm for the column.And thread the new rack and universal back through the firewall grommet.Just remember to tighten the rack bolts and lower the car down then install the column into the universal. By lowering the weight of the car it will keep the tires centered so all you have to do is keep the steering wheel centered as you lower onto the Pinion Shaft. I did it with my 13 yr old and didnt even cuss in front of him. I think I spent a total of 1.5 hrs and it two 2 or 3 times before I got i right because my son was having a hard time keeping the wheel centered.I didnt want to pull the steering because of the air bag.

[Bert]

I changed a rack last week and I noticed that when the rack is in the perfect "Centered" position. You can turn the input(Pinion) shaft left or right and physically see the Pinion shaft deflect before the actual rack starts to move. But it will only do this when its at exact center.Almost like the rack gears are worn at "Center". The "New" used rack I put in helped my wandering at 65 in windy conditions.But I still have a little nagging wander.I think its the cheap Nylon ball joints. I'm gonna bite the bullet & get the "Dorman" from Rock Auto. They are @ $200 for the pair for the Aspire but this is my DD Bread & Butter car. Not happy about that much cash but I'm not happy with the eBay pieces.
FYI Bert these racks are super easy especially if you a have a friend. You wont even change your toe settings. Leave your column bolts tight and remove the 10mm shaft pinch bolt from inside the car.Then pull the rack out and transfer the universal onto the new rack (if the new one doesnt have it).Then pull the 2 bolts and 2 nuts both 14mm for the column.And thread the new rack and universal back through the firewall grommet.Just remember to tighten the rack bolts and lower the car down then install the column into the universal. By lowering the weight of the car it will keep the tires centered so all you have to do is keep the steering wheel centered as you lower onto the Pinion Shaft. I did it with my 13 yr old and didnt even cuss in front of him. I think I spent a total of 1.5 hrs and it two 2 or 3 times before I got i right because my son was having a hard time keeping the wheel centered.I didnt want to pull the steering because of the air bag.

Holy cow! I've still got to wrap my head around your advice but if I tangle with the rack I'll sure be looking more closely at the paper printout of this conversation. Last time I replaced a rack was in 75 when I spun my 69 Mini Cooper into a curb and kinked it. Driving home was a real chore. Same as now I did have a good parts car but having to drop the engine and remove the subframe (isn't one on a Festy, thank G) on both vehicles was not my idea of a fun weekend. Some ornery things you do not forget.

[Movin]

Okay, lets beat this horse to death!! If Bert has the same problem as zoom, the rack is probably just off center. The rack gear itself is not ground on the machine the same all the way from end to end. They are ground tightest ( when new ) in the middle and have more clearance anywhere but the center. This is so that it will be tight going straight ahead but will have no binding and easy steering when not dead straight. so...

The rack must be turned from lock to lock, counting the turns, then divided exactly so that you are sure you have found dead center of the rack gear.
Next the steering wheel must be removed and centered to this position so that it is dead straight.
Next you tie the steering wheel down with the seat belt tight so that it cannot move. We have tools but... Oh, a willing and patient body can work just as well .

Now its alignment time. At home you can mark each tire at the same place the same distance from the ground. Tie a string tight around all four tires. Make sure the string intersects these marks. The side walls of the front tires will show the alignment and also allow you to measure it. Set the tires pretty close to dead straight, no gap on either side wall.

Before bruski test drive to verify all is well!!!

[M3NTAL]

I know someone who makes rack bushings

[XFSE71]

have you looked at putting the rear tires on the front of the car and go drive? I doubt it is a rack concern. If there is no excessive play (>30mm) nothing loose and turns w/ 1 to 4# effort look @ tire pressure first. Torque steer is what you are describing.

[Bert]

That amount of torque steer, with only 60 hp! I've driven 3 Festys for well over 150,000 miles now (I put 40,000 on this particular car in one year when I was a courier) so I do have a fair idea of how they're supposed to handle on the road. Feels just like a really loose ball joint at the moment. Checked the alignment and tire pressure the other day and all that is good.
There is a forum member in Florida (?) that rebuilds racks (new bushings) and I'm wondering what it is that prompts people to realize their steering rack is worn in the first place. You wouldn't think a bit of slop at either end of the rack would mess up tracking that badly but I'm fishing for ideas at the moment since I do not wish to swap racks just for a lark.

[zoom zoom]

I have the rack bushings in this rack, and I installed grease zerts and greased the crap out of it. Also centered the steering wheel and sort of eyeballed the alignment. I know what it should feel like if its not aligned right, the wheel will go off a little, but this is extremely excessive. I've definately checked tire pressure, multiple times, and put in a new passenger lca. I'm buying a brand new driver side ball joint today, so hopefully.that will fix it if I'm really really easy on the throttle it doesnt happen.