Did I break my steering rack yesterday?

[Emission]

Yesterday, I went for a drive to “exercise” my 138,000-mile 930. I cruised across the farmland in Oxnard at high speed (cleaning out the carbon), then headed south down PCH towards Malibu. At Mulholland, I climbed over the mountains into Westlake. Lots of fast corners, really working the car – I was having a blast.

Anyway, as I was pulling on the freeway at the end of the drive (spirited left turn at 40 mph), I heard a “clunk” noise from the front end. Not really loud, just subtle. Then, I noticed the steering wheel wasn’t completely straight on the freeway, and the steering was now “loose” (like a Suburban). I used to be able to switch lanes with a slight turn of the wheel, now I could turn it 1/8 of a turn, and it barely moved over. Something was wrong.

I drove home (10 miles) like that, and jacked the front of the car up (no, not by the engine – ha ha!). When there is no load on the front wheels, turning the steering wheel elicits a mild “clunk” from the front end as I turn back and forth. I rock the wheels in my hand – they are solid (new bearings).

The steering column bushing is new (<1,000 miles). The front shocks are new (<5,000 miles). The front tires are new (<800 miles). The car was corner balanced/aligned by TRE less than 1,500 miles ago. The vehicle has NEVER had any work done on the steering rack, or tie rods (I have all the history).

Looking back, the car was rock solid at 120 mph, and solid in the corners at the start of the drive. Something happened that messed it up quickly – this was not a slow failure.

Do you think it is my steering rack? Doing a search, I read about the bearing wear issues (Tim Hancock’s post) – can that be it? Can I just replace the bearings?

I appreciate any (and all) answers – thanks everyone.

- Mike

[widebody911]

BTDT - You broke either the steering rack, or a control arm mount.

[Tim Hancock]

FWIW, the failed lower brg issue I had, appeared to have taken time to wear to the point that it was at (guessing maybe 3-5 degrees of free play before the wheels actually started to turn). You situation sounds like something suddenly let go. Get the wheels up in the air and have someone manipulate the steering wheel while observing the corresponding rack motion. Maybe a rack attach bolt or u-joint etc gave up the ghost.

[Emission]

I haven't done any exploratory work yet. Tonight, I will get the car up in the air and start pulling parts.

Can I view stuff through the smugglers box, or do I have to go from the bottom? Also, can I use ramps, or do I need to have the front wheels free (I assume I need them free)?

[Tim Hancock]

If memory serves me, I think you can get an eyeball on one of the u-joints by looking in the smugglers box (to remove the rack you have to diconect the joint here along with removal of the rubber support bushing below it). Just observing the the movment of the tie rods where they attach under the boots at the rack will let you know whether they instantly move in relation to the steering wheel movement. It might be benifical to check with some weight on the tires when looking for "free play".

[Elombard]

Pretty sure in my 73 you cant see the rack in the smugglers. Long shot, I wonder if the bolts that hold one of the strut tops to the chassis were not tight enough and the strut top slipped and is moving around??

[Emission]

Originally posted by Elombard
Pretty sure in my 73 you cant see the rack in the smugglers. Long shot, I wonder if the bolts that hold one of the strut tops to the chassis were not tight enough and the strut top slipped and is moving around??

Good idea, but I checked that first. Both the strut towers, and strut tower brace, are solid right now.

[na2ub]

My steering would clunk with the front end jacked up, once, everytime I passed center wheel (turning the wheels back and forth). I never figured out what it was, but rebuilt my rack (i.e. new lower bearing in the rack, and a new one in the rubber sleeve in the smugglers box), and the problem went away.

Doug

[Jeremy Cottrell]

Any word what happened yet?

[unclebilly]

Having owned a Jaguar (where the rack mounts fail on every single car and allow the rack to float back and forth), I'd suggest you do the following check if you can't get someone to move the wheel back and forth while you watch the rack.

If you drive slowly, turn the wheel to the left until the car starts to turn, see where it centers. Next turn the wheel to the right until the car starts to turn, see where it centers. If it centers at a different spot from each direction, your rack is moving and your problem is with the mounts.

[Emission]

Originally posted by Jeremy Cottrell
Any word what happened yet?

Yeah, an update...

I talked to my mechanic who doesn't think it is the rack - rather something came loose or broke (u-joint maybe). He wanted me to have someone turn the wheel back and forth while I checked it out with a flashlight from the top, then the bottom.

I had my wife sit in the car while I looked in the smuggler's box with a light. She cranked it right and left and I could hear the "click" but it isn't coming from up top. Everything was perfectly tight up there.

When you hear it in a perfectly quiet garage, it sounds like a piece of metal is tapping another piece of metal - like something is loose or broken - not something inside the rack. I am feeling better about this.

Tonight, I will get the front end up on jacks and check out the lower assembly.

(I'll post an update tomorrow.)

[araine901]

Can you see/feel any play in the ujoints or coupler? The coupler will not last forever.

[Emission]

Originally posted by araine901
Can you see/feel any play in the ujoints or coupler? The coupler will not last forever.

I can feel something, but I have yet to see it. The top couplers look good. I suspect the bottom.

[widebody911]

I had something similar a year or so ago - my control arm mount broke:

[Emission]

My rack, and I really don't know what I am looking at... or what to check.

Where are the U-joints?

When the car is up in the air, the steering moves back and forth smoothly without any noise. Seems it doesn't like a load.

[unclebilly]

OK, with it jacked up let the steering lock come on. Climb underneath (with it well blocked up) and have someone turn the front wheels back and forth. You should be able to figure out what is loose.

[Tim Hancock]

Even my trashed lower bearing rack appeared to work smoothly back and forth. You need to find the "free play". Lower your front wheels down on some blocking and THEN have someone rock the wheel back in forth to check for free play in the system. Watch the tie rods to see if they instantly move accordingly and also watch the u-joints that drive the rack input shaft (these are viewable under the cover coming into the corner of the smugglers box nearest the steering wheel). If no slop is noted in these areas, look for broken suspension parts as Thom noted above.

[Emission]

Good idea about blocking the wheels.

There is a big rubber boot "cover" over some of the u-joints (from just above the rack into the smugglers box). How do I remove that? Is it just pushed out of the way (doesn't seem like any place for it to go)?

[safe]

You need to disconnect the lower u-joint to get it of.

[safe]

Remove that boot and check the rubber block and the red bolts (in my picture).

You need to remove those by the way if you want to remove the steering rack.