Inner tie rod or steering rack (bushings) ???

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:20 am

The 1st pic is from the drivers side,there is no seal due to the gear from the steering shaft.

The 2nd pic you see a seal and behind that is a bushing,then the pressure chamber,piston(mounted on the rack,the metal bar that slides side to side),then another bushing and seal.

jdumont · **Posted:** Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:43 am

Both pics are from the drivers side. The first is from the rear side of the assy looking forward, the second is from the front end looking back. There is no bushing that I can see.

Where are you seeing that stuff in the second picture? There is the ball joint at the end of the inner tie rod and then the rack shaft thats all. There is nothing else from that ball joint all the way into the rack...

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:49 am

jdumont wrote:

Both pics are from the drivers side. The first is from the rear side of the assy looking forward, the second is from the front end looking back. There is no bushing that I can see.

Where are you seeing that stuff in the second picture? There is the ball joint at the end of the inner tie rod and then the rack shaft thats all. There is nothing else from that ball joint all the way into the rack...

Okay,it's early and the pics small,the other side has the seals and bushings,the pressure chamber and seals/bushings are all on the passenger side due to the input shaft.It's kinda hard to try and seal(and have a bushing) with those gear teeth that are mainly on the drivers side of the rack.

jdumont · **Posted:** Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:52 am

No prob, hey i appreciate any info at all! LOL

So what keeps the rack gear shaft centered in the housing? Is it the bushing on the other side of the gear box?

Something inside the gear box is now allowing this end of the shaft to go where it shouldnt? Or could it still be the tie rod thats connected on this side thats bent and forcing the rack gear to go where it doesnt want to?

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Fri Apr 11, 2008 4:49 pm

This is interesting me, because I'm going to replace my inners and the rack mount bushings soon in hopes that it will allow me to hold an alignment. My rack itself isn't leaking so I hope I won't have to replace it.
Did jdumont need to lock his steering wheel to do this? Clockspring...?

jdumont · **Posted:** Fri Apr 11, 2008 5:08 pm

Hello, no locking the steering wheel. I only turned the wheel all the way to the right then removed the dust boot...

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:13 pm

Looking through a different thread, you would need to lock the steering wheel if you disconnect the steering shaft, which you have not done. None of us have a 'locking steering wheel' per se, IIRC (maybe manual trannies do?), but you need to secure it with something if you plan on removing the rack if you were to replace it or the mount bushings. I was just wondering about correct procedures. Hello to you, too! :roll:

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:43 pm

jdumont wrote:

No prob, hey i appreciate any info at all! LOL

So what keeps the rack gear shaft centered in the housing? Is it the bushing on the other side of the gear box?

Something inside the gear box is now allowing this end of the shaft to go where it shouldnt? Or could it still be the tie rod thats connected on this side thats bent and forcing the rack gear to go where it doesnt want to?

Just imagine a hydraulic cylinder with the shafts coming out of both ends(like used in hydro steering),that is bassically what your rack and pinion is except it has only hydrualic assistance.The rack is kept centered in the bore by 2 bushings/seals that are both located on the long tube side of the housing due to you can't seal the rack where the teeth are cut into it.Just look at the ling tube side and you will see 2 PS lines running into the long side tube,at the outside edges of those lines are the bushings/seals that hold the rack centered.

jdumont · **Posted:** Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:58 pm

Thanks for the posts. So it looks like the bushings are whats bad on the other side then. Ill have to investigate tomorrow if no rain. Perhaps I can make something up....

cmohr · **Posted:** Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:25 am

I'm getting this exact same thing happening!!! Had this "clunk" in the front end and reading this thread, found exactly the same types of play in and around the steering rack. On right hand side, found that the rack mounting bushing seemed worn, the mounting bolts were perfectly tight, but, as you pulled and pushed the tyre left and right, you could clearly see the rack itself moving upwards on the bushing/mounting bolt, "Clunking". I don't have any new rack bushes yet,but, I did make two nolathane "washers" about 3/16th thick and the size of the retaining washer in diametre and placed them at the top of the rack mounting bolts, then retightened the bolts down so as the crush tubes were held tight again, and now have no play in the rack, the sound is definately greatly reduced, but, I can still see a slight bit of play in the tie-rod where it connects to the rack, and suspect it is as yours, the geared end of the innerrack moving up and down in the housing. I also have noticed not as much bumpsteer now that the play is gone from the rack, so thats a good thing too.

jdumont · **Posted:** Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:15 am

NICE!!! Thanks for the post buddy. I have noticed mine seems to be getting a little worse the past few days. Ill have to do a search on bump steer but i think what that is is a wallowing in the front end when hitting a bump while cornering? It feels like a boat in the front end sometimes....

So where do you access the bolts that hold the rack in and go through the bushings. The engine compartment or the passenger side?

So you think its actually the rack moving up and down and not the shaft itself moving? Ill have to get in there wednesday and take a better look.

Thanks again!

KJ04 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:53 pm

jdumont wrote:

NICE!!! Thanks for the post buddy. I have noticed mine seems to be getting a little worse the past few days. Ill have to do a search on bump steer but i think what that is is a wallowing in the front end when hitting a bump while cornering? It feels like a boat in the front end sometimes....

So where do you access the bolts that hold the rack in and go through the bushings. The engine compartment or the passenger side?

So you think its actually the rack moving up and down and not the shaft itself moving? Ill have to get in there wednesday and take a better look.

Thanks again!

Have someone turn the steering wheel while you look down between the radiator, you should be able to see movement in the rack if the bushings are bad.

jdumont · **Posted:** Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:06 pm

Nice, will do that tonight. THanks...

cmohr · **Posted:** Tue Apr 22, 2008 12:29 am

I had to take of the engine skid plate, and you can clearly see the rack and the two mounting bolts that go thru the rack and front chassis rail. 24mm required top and bottom. It was easy access for me as I have the ARB bumper that makes it easy to see and do. I'll try to take a couple of pics. (I'm on the other side of the planet...so give me a little time

). Yes... I could clearly see the rack moving up and down on the right hand side mounting bolt, note, the bolt was not loose, its just that the bush had obviously given out. I am still trying to source steering rack bushes down here in Australia.

I jacked up the right side and turned the steering full-lock right before I undid the mounting bolts, as well, I only did one side at a time, so as to keep the rack (hopefully) in the same place and not affect wheel alignment. That did seem to work as car still tracks beautifully no pull left or right.

cmohr

jdumont · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:13 pm

Looked from above like you suggested with a friend on the wheel. Dont think the rack was moving though. Ill have to get way under there this weekend and do it again.

Is there any other way the pinion shaft could be moving or seem like it was moving? I gotta also take the inner boot off the passenger side of the rack and see what i can see in there. Thats pretty much the only other possibility other than the rack internals which would blow!

cmohr · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:21 am

I took a couple of pics of the "Nolathane washers" I made and put in to the steering rack mounts. Sorry, poor quality, but, they are the blue you can see under the retaining washers. There is supposed to be rubber there, but, that had cracked and burst out from under the retaining washers on both sides, Left hand the rubber had completely gone, Right hand side it was just half hanging out. Now, I have the nolathane there and all is good no movement in the rack.

On a side note, I did not see movement in the rack where I had someone turn the steering, it was only when I jacked up the right hand wheel and ytryed to turn the right wheel against the steering, then, you could see the rack move up and down. That way I was recreating the affects of bumps whilst driving.

Right Side

Left Side

cmohr

jdumont · **Posted:** Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:50 am

Beautiful!!!! I will def get under there and look this weekend. I just got a new 3 ton jack and stands from the GF for my b-day yesterday. Good idea about jacking it up on the right. Did you just jack under the LCA? And when you say you turned the wheel against the steering you mean by hand you grabbed the tire?

cmohr · **Posted:** Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:20 pm

jdumont wrote:

Beautiful!!!! I will def get under there and look this weekend. I just got a new 3 ton jack and stands from the GF for my b-day yesterday. Good idea about jacking it up on the right. Did you just jack under the LCA? And when you say you turned the wheel against the steering you mean by hand you grabbed the tire?

Yes....and by Yes I mean NO. I jacked the car up at the chassis rail so as the LCA could drop all the way down, and Yes, just by grabbing the tyres with my hands and trying to pull it left or right ( Kind of like if your checking for wheel bearing play).

Even though I now have much less clunking there and the rack is now not moving, I still reckon I have some play in those darn tie-rods as there is still a little noise I can hear. Will get back into it again soon to see whats going on.

cmohr

jdumont · **Posted:** Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:17 am

I jacked under the skid this weekend so the driver side was off the ground. Moved the wheel back and forth with my hands and feet while watching and didnt see the rack budge. Still only the rack shaft that is moving within the rack thats making the noise. Gotta just be the worn rack internals allowing the rack gear shaft to have play?

cmohr · **Posted:** Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:17 am

Yep, I'm still getting a slight knock coming from the rack itself, I'm going down to the stealership in the morning to get them to have a quick look. I know their answer already..."you have to buy the whole rack, you can;t buy parts" so if they say its the rack, I'll look at getting tie-rods from there in the States, if thats the problem.

Inner tie rod or steering rack (bushings) ???

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