Steering rack issue

[Jonz]

I'm having an issue with the car wandering around the road when I hit bumps, even if it is just the white markers in between lanes the car pulls to the side when the wheels pass over them. The problem started when I replaced the trackrod on the drivers side and it's not been right since.

I've searched for play in just about everything I can think of and have replaced both front wheelbearings as they had slightl play but didn't fix it, both control arm balljoints as they had slight play(this temporarily fixed the issue for about 2 weeks until they started losening up and then the issue came back). The only play I can detect now is about 2mm of radial play in the steering rack but I don't know if this could be causing the issue or if it was there before I replaced the trackrod. Has anyone else had this issue or managed to cause radial play in the steering rack from replacing the trackrods?

 

[JamesBryan]

What's your tracking like?

 

[Jonz]

I had it put on a hunter after replacing the balljoints and TRE's. Unfortunately it didn't fix the issue either. The car has also just gone through it's MOT just yesterday with no advisories, no play detected

 

[leeds2592]

I've got this on mine at the moment. I replaced track rods and ends on both sides and it's been like it since. Any little imperfection in the road and it's tramlining left or right.

I had mine aligned after and it made no difference. I'm going to be replacing wishbones, ball joints and top mounts, purely cos they also knackered and then get it aligned again.

How much camber you running? Did you replace the track rods both sides?

 

[Jonz]

I've got this on mine at the moment. I replaced track rods and ends on both sides and it's been like it since. Any little imperfection in the road and it's tramlining left or right.

I had mine aligned after and it made no difference. I'm going to be replacing wishbones, ball joints and top mounts, purely cos they also knackered and then get it aligned again.

How much camber you running? Did you replace the track rods both sides?

Yes I replaced both sides, I replaced them because one had slight movement in it making it pointless for me to track it after getting new tyres. However, it was handling spot on before I replaced them even with that slight movement in the drivers side trackrod balljoint. Once I replaced them it's been all over the road since and I can't for the life of me work out why.

 

[midge]

Ill guarantee your problem is rack bushes.

 

[Jonz]

Ill guarantee your problem is rack bushes.

I;ve had a look at the rack bushes, while there is very slight movement there, it's only the movement of the bushes squashing.

 

[adamlstr]

I;ve had a look at the rack bushes, while there is very slight movement there, it's only the movement of the bushes squashing.

I'd get some nylons in there tbh.

 

[leeds2592]

Yes I replaced both sides, I replaced them because one had slight movement in it making it pointless for me to track it after getting new tyres. However, it was handling spot on before I replaced them even with that slight movement in the drivers side trackrod balljoint. Once I replaced them it's been all over the road since and I can't for the life of me work out why.

Sounds a lot like mine. I checked my rack bushes and no movement what so ever in them.

Will keep an eye on this thread I think.

 

[midge]

If you've changed your ball joints then it will be the rack bushes.

 

[Jonz]

If you've changed your ball joints then it will be the rack bushes.

As in the rack mounting bushes to the subframe? Tbh the amount of movement in it is what I would expect from a car coming off the factory floor, theres not much at all. The fact that the car was fine before changing the trackrod, and then immediately after I dropped it back down and took it out of the garage it had the problem leads me to suspect I've upset something, but I can't see how I could have upset the rack bushes.

 

[oVerboost.]

Double check the trackrod supplied is correct... Also if it was fine before, can I ask why did you replace it? Fitted correctly?

I would fit the old one back and see if there's any improvement, if so then the track rod is your problem if not - 100% something else. However if it's pulling that badly it shouldn't have passed an MOT as even with the car in the brake tester it would have been pulling to one side I would of thought.

If the track rod is correct etc - get the TOE adjusted, TOE being out front/rear can make a car feel horrible if it's even out a small amount, depends on the other corner settings tbh.

 

[Jonz]

Double check the trackrod supplied is correct... Also if it was fine before, can I ask why did you replace it? Fitted correctly?

I would fit the old one back and see if there's any improvement, if so then the track rod is your problem if not - 100% something else. However if it's pulling that badly it shouldn't have passed an MOT as even with the car in the brake tester it would have been pulling to one side I would of thought.

If the track rod is correct etc - get the TOE adjusted, TOE being out front/rear can make a car feel horrible if it's even out a small amount, depends on the other corner settings tbh.

I actually had the wrong one to start with, but didn't notice until I had the old rod out, so I put the old one back on and went back to eurcarparts to get the right one for the SMI rack and the trouble started then, I assumed it was because the tracking would be badly out now that I had messed about with the TRE's but it didn't go away after tracking was done.

I replaced it because I needed tracking done and the wheel had play at 3 and 6 o'clock. While the car did pull to the left then due to the tracking being out, it is not how it is now. Now I could be driving with a slighlt pressure on the wheel and if I hit a bump, or even a road marking, the pressure I had on the wheel dissapears, feels as though the geometry of the suspension is changing.

Also, the car is fine when cornering. As soon as the wheels are loaded up it holds a corner line fine. It's only when the wheels are straight such as on a motorway that it wanders about, or if changing the load from side to side down cambered streets.

 

[bloke]

sounds like tracking. are you 100% the track rod is tight on the rack and the bump stop was seated properly?

 

[Jonz]

sounds like tracking. are you 100% the track rod is tight on the rack and the bump stop was seated properly?

It's 100% tight and seated. I think I will get it tracked again just to be sure. Do you know if some amount of radial play in the rack itself is normal when wiggling the steering wheel around the neutral position?

 

[bloke]

shouldn't have any play. uj on the shaft ok?

 

[Jonz]

Quick update, I checked the uj there is no play, the steering is immediate and has no play at all. I had the front tyres changed last week and the problem went away. However, over 200 miles it gradually returned just as it did when I changed the control arm balljoints. I am baffled.