Re: Steering wheel play

["jtrealtywebspannet" <jtrealty@xxxx>]

Jack the front wheels up off the ground. Have someone hold the 
steering wheel still and while you shake the front wheel side to side 
look for where the movement is "lost". You could also have the person 
sitting in the car rock the steering wheel back and forth while you 
hod the front wheel looking for the play and lost motion. If the 
steering and suspension is tight then the only thing left is a loose 
rack. Make sure all of the mounting bolts holding the rack in are 
tight. Check all of the bushings on the control arms. I have also seen 
where tires can also cause a loose feeling in the steering. If the 
sidewalls are too flexible it causes a loss of "road feel" and 
sloppiness. Check the sizes of the tires and air pressure. You are 
right that when the steering is working right the car has a very tight 
feel. Going over bumps and loosing conrtol is called "bump steer" and 
you may also need an alignment to get that fixed if it still happens 
after getting out all of the play. Do a 4 wheel alignment, it is a 
good investment in the longevity of your tires and driving comfort.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757



--- In dmcnews@xxxx, "ryanjm10014" <ryanjm@xxxx> wrote:
> Hey everyone,
> 
> I've gotten settled down here in the Bay Area after my move from 
> Arizona and I've got a question to run by you all (searches in the 
> archive were inconclusive).
> 
> I just had my steering rack replaced. It was confirmed to be bad, as 
> it was leaking, and there was a definite improvement in the 
> handling, but there's still a lot of play in the wheel when you turn 
> it left and right (it's not the column, but the wheel itself--my 
> column bushing is relatively new). I did the tie rod ends while the 
> rack was being done, but something still isn't right in there. It's 
> not tight, and over a nasty bump there's a slight loss of control 
> (those of you who've experienced this know what I mean).
> 
> I know how the car should handle, as I've driven a tight-steering D. 
> Is there something I'm missing? Oh, and the mechanic seemed to think 
> the u-joints were okay.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Ryan McCaffrey
> #10014