Steering Rack Adjustment

[Hawkeye1922]

Bit of play in the steering. Gonna have a go at adjusting the rack. Here's the adjuster (1998 4.2)



Questions:
1. I assume the hex nut is a locking nut (I have to undo it) - correct?

2. the torx screw in the middle - I assume that's the adjuster - can i assume righty tighty lefty loosey?

Thanks as always...

[pmessling]

Tighten your ujs first.

Last resort is adjusting the rack.

You may feel that it feels better in the dead ahead position but will go tight once turning.

It's safe to take the adjust out and check the colour of the grease. Loosen the lock nut. Remove the plate, under it will be a disk, the small spring then a shaped nylon guide.

My own original rack with around 20k on it somehow got water in it which resulted in rust and premature wear of the pinion the teeth were like razors.

The pinions are available, but the torsion bar I've yet to find.

[Byker28i]

If you've play in your steering, before anything else check the plastic triangular bush in the in/out adjustment in the steering column inside the car. Mine was worn which gave quite a bit of movement ont he steering wheel before anything happened...



You can just see the white plastic bush here



So I thought it was a Ford Sierra column and managed to find a new old stock plastic bush, but it was even looser when I swapped it. I ended up using the old one and shimming the gap with really thin metal I had glued to the plastic bush.

[ukkid35]

Finding where the play originates is essential, and best done with two people

Ask your assistant to apply a little force to the steering wheel, left and right, and watch each component from the steering wheel, down through the top UJ, steering shaft, bottom UJ, pinion, track rods, hubs, wheel bearings

It took me a while to understdand that all the play on my car was coming from where the lower UJ attaches to the splined pinion shaft, no amount of clamping force removed all the play because of the oversize flat that was machined on the pinion shaft

[Hawkeye1922]

Byker28i said:

If you've play in your steering, before anything else check the plastic triangular bush in the in/out adjustment in the steering column inside the car. Mine was worn which gave quite a bit of movement ont he steering wheel before anything happened...

You can just see the white plastic bush here

So I thought it was a Ford Sierra column and managed to find a new old stock plastic bush, but it was even looser when I swapped it. I ended up using the old one and shimming the gap with really thin metal I had glued to the plastic bush.

So my steering column is held together by a Toblerone wrapper

[Byker28i]

Hawkeye1922 said:

Byker28i said:

If you've play in your steering, before anything else check the plastic triangular bush in the in/out adjustment in the steering column inside the car. Mine was worn which gave quite a bit of movement ont he steering wheel before anything happened...

You can just see the white plastic bush here

So I thought it was a Ford Sierra column and managed to find a new old stock plastic bush, but it was even looser when I swapped it. I ended up using the old one and shimming the gap with really thin metal I had glued to the plastic bush.

So my steering column is held together by a Toblerone wrapper

It's a triangular shaft, sliding into another with a shaped long plastic bush. Designed for in/out adjustment and so it has movement if you crash, so it's not a fixed spear... As said, very similar to Fords and other cars

[Hawkeye1922]

ukkid35 said:

Finding where the play originates is essential, and best done with two people

Ask your assistant to apply a little force to the steering wheel, left and right, and watch each component from the steering wheel, down through the top UJ, steering shaft, bottom UJ, pinion, track rods, hubs, wheel bearings

It took me a while to understdand that all the play on my car was coming from where the lower UJ attaches to the splined pinion shaft, no amount of clamping force removed all the play because of the oversize flat that was machined on the pinion shaft

Good shout. Did all that from steering wheel down to the rack. I think there's some opportunity for improvement in UJs (I've ordered some nice 12.9 cap screws per your other thread), but almost all the movement translates down to the rack input shaft. Need to double check track rod ends tomorrow when its light...

[Hawkeye1922]

pmessling said:

Tighten your ujs first.

Last resort is adjusting the rack.

You may feel that it feels better in the dead ahead position but will go tight once turning.

It's safe to take the adjust out and check the colour of the grease. Loosen the lock nut. Remove the plate, under it will be a disk, the small spring then a shaped nylon guide.

My own original rack with around 20k on it somehow got water in it which resulted in rust and premature wear of the pinion the teeth were like razors.

The pinions are available, but the torsion bar I've yet to find.

Thanks for this. Took the adjust out per your suggestion, following the application of a lake of penetrating oil, and the acquisition of a new t-bar wrench (this was a "one new tool" job ). All looks clean, but the nylon guide was a bit dry. Greased it and replaced. It seems that the adjuster is already wound down most of the way though. I've tightened it a bit more - doesn't seem to have done much - still about 6-8mm play at the rim of the wheel. Assuming my TRE/hub checks tomorrow don't yield anything, it may well be refurb time (I've read your sticky...) or time to turn my cerb into a Scooby Frankenstein

[Byker28i]

Did you check the triangular 'bush' on the steering coulum, easy to see in the drivers footwell if you remove the covering panel. It's where I found all my play and was a quick and easy fix. You can watch both parts of the column as you move the steering wheel

[Basil Brush]

You can also get play in the pinion valve assembly, where the ends of the torsion bar are rivetted or pinned.

[ridds]

pmessling said:

Tighten your ujs first. .

This.

[Byker28i]

Did you sort this?