Re: Is my rack stuffed?

["John Wiltshire" <John.Wiltshire@domain.elided>]

Dave, Michael and Tim,

Thanks for your thoughts on the steering rack problem.  You have all given
me some direction, and to help track down the problem, here is a little
more detail.

As Tim describes, there is a few inches of "dead space" in the steering
wheel.

When I'm talking about fore-and-aft movement in the front wheels, this is
detectable when grabbing the wheels in the "quarter to three" position and
rocking them.  There is more movement in the RHS wheel than the LHS.  When
the wheel rocks, the tie rod moves with it, but the steering rack doesn't
seem to.  I asked my wife to move the wheel while I was under the car
watching, and again the rack didn't appear to move (this was with the front
jacked up - I didn't try it with the wheels on the gound).  This movement
is identical both before and after the ball joint and A-arm bushing
replacement.

If the rack itself is loose, should it be visibly loose from underneath?

My other thought is that I was recently rear-ended.  I was pointing
slightly uphill with my foot on the brake when I was hit - is it possible
that the impact has jolted something out of place in the steering rack?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated!  (particularly thoughts that say that I
can just tighten the bolts for zero $$$!!)

Regards,
John Wiltshire




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