lots of play in steering wheel in my 172 cup?

[Gez08]

As above i seem to have quite a bit of play in my steering. When im going straight i can turn the wheel right and left over an inch each way maybe more, can feel a bit unsettling at speed when you need control over the wheel, any ideas what it could be?

 

[The Boosh!]

Could be track rod ends/top mounts.

These are easiest things to start out checking.

 

[Gaz_]

My cup needed a new rack a few year ago, not cheap either...

Felt proper lairy

 

[shiyan]

start with the track rod ends, those are cheap to replace and probably the first items to fail

 

[davebem]

Get someone to rock the wheel left and right and then look underneath with a torch, if theres play at the end its the track rods, if theres play with the whole rack moving its the rack mounts, if its neither of them the rack is buggered somewhere.

 

[W111ALG]

Seems to be a few people had inner track rods go as well!

 

[JD]

Rack is not too expensive to fit, but more expensive than other items mentioned.

 

[Gaz_]

Obviously check the easy stuff first, but a RS rack is around £400 for the part itself . The RS Clios have hydraulic racks. Non RS Clios have electric, and cheaper to buy/fit

 

[Gez08]

where can i get track rod ends from?

 

[barnesautos]

Get ur mate to hold on to the rack arms and to tell you the (feel) feed back when you rock the steering, if the movement feels one too one then the play would be in the ends.
If it does'nt feel one too one when rocking the steering the play is in the rack and quite poss the axial ball joints located behind the rack gaitors one each side and can be changed as a seperate part.
Also as a last suggestion the final part in the rack to have play is the rack and pinion and normaly can be adjusted.

 

[alex-avfc]

Had the track rod ends changed on my non RS and theres still more 'play' than a kids playground in my steering !

 

[Martin_172]

why do people change the racks instead of the inner track rods, thats what solved my problem when i had it