Slight play in steering - inner tie rods?

[Cup_Phil]

I've got a bit of a weird "clunk" happening on the Cup when I brake - so last weekend I jacked it up and swung on everything to see if there's anything loose from the winter rebuild - couldn't find anything but I did stumble across the front wheels having a bit of play when you grab them at quarter to 3 and try to move them
Almost like the track rod ends have play in them

But I did new track rod ends last year, and bottom ball joints and all the bushes are powerflex jobbies - it's done about 2k since then at the most
I'm wondering could it be inner tie rods - or steering rack?

The car is on 120k now

How can I check to see if its inner tie rods or steering rack related?

 

[Chip-mk1]

Peel back the inner track rod end boot and you can get your hand onto the balljoint for the track rod, then get someone else to wiggle the steering and you should be able to feel the play that WILL be there after its done 120K miles unless they have already been replaced.

Ive just changed the ones on our 172, both had a small amount of play in them, and TBH pretty much any clio with 100K miles or more is likely to have enough to be worth changing unless its lived its whole life on the motorway and never been parellel parked anywhere (parellel parking works them the hardest of anything you do with a car really)

 

[Chip-mk1]

PS

If you lie down in front of the car and put one hand on each front tyre and get a mate to grab one road wheel and wiggle it slightly as if applying steering lock and they move together with no play its the rack that has the play, if there is some slop between them then its external to the rack.

These cars do tend to have a bit of a clunk from the rack or column when stationary if you rock the steering side to side once they have done a few miles too, but thats quite a lot more hassle to change than just whipping the track rods out.

By the way, if you buy aftermarket track rods they are the wrong size for the 28-35mm rod end tool that fits the original equipment ones, so you will need either the next size up too, or to use a butchered 32mm spanner on the hex section instead.

 

[Cup_Phil]

It's done 60k on motorway drives, 6k on nurburgring trips lol - last 2 owners did 30k a year on motorways - but still it's had a hard track life with me so they probably need replacing

I just read a thread where Fred said he charges 1.5hrs labour to do them - mine needs cambelt doing soon too so I think I might just ask him to swap them all at the same time
Read a few threads on doing it myself and without the tool it looks an absolute pain to do

 

[Chip-mk1]

If you buy a 32mm spanner, grind the end down narrow, and then chop it off short enough to allow you to use it, its very easy TBH and doesnt require any specialist tools other than the one you just made, although I have the proper tool so tend to use them unless doing the swap with pattern parts as I havent got the larger one to do them up with only the 35mm one for undoing the original ones.


But that said, its a crucial component that you dont want working loose, so if in doubt using Fred to do it properly seems a good idea.

 

[Cup_Phil]

It's one of those jobs where I think as I'm already going to be at Fred's having my cambelt done - I'd rather have a bacon sandwich and a cup of coffee and let someone do it who's done it before

Plus he can look over all the winter work I've done and tell me if I've cocked anything up before I go hooning it on track again lol

 

[Chip-mk1]

Sensible choice mate, Im sure Fred will see you right.

 

[Martin_172]

mine were done after 40k on my old ph2 172, i changed everything bar them trying to cure the play, as i never knew they had a joint on them, felt brand new once i had changed them

 

[Cup_Phil]

Bloody hell - 40k? Seems early for something like that to go

I'll get mine booked in to have them done

 

[Jonff]

Changed mine a few weeks ago as I had play in one of them. Not a particularly hard job to do it's just the lack of access that can make it a pain.

 

[Chip-mk1]

They are so poorly specced on the 172 relative to the size of tyre etc that really they should be part of a 72K miles service or similar.

 

[Jonff]

The difference between an old one and new one is unbelievable. One of them didn't have any play or show any signs of wear but when I took it off and compared it to the new one the difference in the resistance in the joint was massive.

 

[Chip-mk1]

When new they actually have a little too much resistance in them, they actually are at their best when almost new, after a few hundred miles.

Its the PLAY that is the issue on the older ones, not the lack of resistance.

 

[imprezaworks]

Are they expensive? Just curious.

 

[Chip-mk1]

If you buy non genuine, which are still perfectly acceptable quality TBH, they are about 20 quid a side, so no not really mate.

 

[imprezaworks]

Cheers. Getting some work done on Thursday so may ask if they can replace them as I've had the car two years and have no idea when they have been replaced. Time wise to replace both sides? Cars done 91 btw

 

[Chip-mk1]

Fred charges 1.5 hours IIRC for both sides.

Took me less than that, but ours were seized or anything, and it all came apart easily, so probably not representative of how bad some are, and depends if they are including tracking it after etc too.

 

[imprezaworks]

Ah okay cheers. Will ask the question when I go there.

 

[Martin_172]

Bloody hell - 40k? Seems early for something like that to go

I'll get mine booked in to have them done

the car had done a lot of hard miles, launches in first gear etc cant do them much good!!

 

[Jonff]

Are they expensive? Just curious.

I paid £11.40 per side from GSF.

 

[imprezaworks]

Ordered some, £9 each.