Re: Is my rack stuffed?

[Jerry Ecklund <jre2100@domain.elided>]

I've not followed this entire post but I saw the
inquiry about a loose steering rack.

I once had a '91 164 with a loose rack.  I diagnosed
the problem by keeping the front wheels on the ground
and looking at the rack from above while someone else
moved the steering wheel.  For easier visibility
remove the air cleaner and air flow meter assemblies
as a unit.  This is if you're dealing with a V-6
model.  When viewing, look at the rack right where the
steering wheel input shaft goes into it.  If the rack
is loose it probably needs new bracket bushings and
possibly new brackets too.  It's a very tight fit to
get wrenches on the bracket bolts, (sub-frame is in
the way) so I took mine in for replacement.  It cost
me $160 U.S. parts and labor.

Good luck,
Jerry Ecklund, San Francisco
'91 164S

Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 17:30:10 +1100
From: "John Wiltshire"
<John.Wiltshire@domain.elided>
Subject: Re: Is my rack stuffed?

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
Find the one for you at Yahoo! Personals
http://personals.yahoo.com

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