can the steering rack shift?

dburdick

doug b
My steering wheel is suddenly no longer centered, and the car is pulling slightly to the left. i read somewhere that there are bolts running through the floor which connect to the rack and can work loose. Before I pull up the carpet to try and find them, has anyone else experienced this?
 
Sounds dangerous

Better check the linkages in the front. (underneath the car) Make sure nothing's loose under there.
If all looks tight, it might be your rack/pinion assembly.
Could be your steering linkage underneath the dash as well.
Be sure the clamp at the base of your steering shaft (to the steering box) is tight.

Most of all, be careful until you know that your steering is safe and secure.
 
will do,

Yeah, not happy about this. Going out to check everyting. I just don't want to pull up the carpet if I dont have to.
 
You don't have to pull the carpet very far down...

Yeah, not happy about this. Going out to check everyting. I just don't want to pull up the carpet if I dont have to.

to get to the bolts. They are pretty high up in the footwell.

Pull both the front wheels and look down the tunnel that the rack resides in. If it has shifted, I would think you would see evidence of that on the rack where the u-bolts go around it.

Pete
 
Skip a tooth ?

Hello dburdick,

I agree with all.....very dangerous sitiation.

How about the preload on the pinion gear in the rack assembly ?


lezesig
'72 X 1/18
 
This happened to me after an auto-x with my X1/9. It turned out that the front strut to knuckle bolts weren't tight enough causing the camber to change affecting the toe.
 
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