Popping/Bumping/Thumping Steering

[zdaxxy]

I took the rack out, cleaned it up, put it back in. Now when I turn the wheel left or right I get a thumping, popping, bumping noise.

I tracked the noise to the top of the rack shaft with the gearing on it that connects to the steering coupler.

The noise is coming from under the rubber that has the needle bearings.

If I loosen the two allen bolts on the u-shaped bracket, the noise goes away and the wheel turns smooth and very quiet.

If I tighten the u-shaped bracket bracket down to where the allen bolts hit their stop mark, then bang bang bang left, bang bang bang right.

When I took the rack out, they were tightened all the way down.

I spun it by hand after I cleaned the rack and everything felt good, not sure if there is a way to move the needle bearings up or down, if maybe I have them in the wrong place or what.

Any clues? Anyone else have this problem??

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

IIRC, if you get the couplers on the wrong orientation, the column can bind up. Is it possible that this is what you're hearing/feeling?

--DD

[zdaxxy]

Couplers are quiet, smooth, no vibration. Listening with screwdriver, noise and vibration gets louder when you get to the rubber with the bracket. Fainter as you move away from that area.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Maybe a bearing on the pinion shaft, then? That's all I can think of off the top of my head. The couplers being tight may be moving the shaft out of axis and pushing a bearing out of alignment or something?

--DD

[John Rogers]

In all the years I was around 914's including knowing a few hard core concour weenies only one had pulled a steering rack for "cleaning and that was mainly because the rubber boots had rotted since he never drove the car and it sat in his garage in MD. If it were me.....I would find a Porsche or VW shop that can work on something as old as this and have them do the fixen! The steering is a fairly important item.......

Oh yeah the concours guy lost a Porsche Parade 1st place by 1 point since the replacement boots were not exactly the same as original and the cover sheet metal had poor paint touch up from the sockets tightening the retaining bolts leaving marks!

[zdaxxy]

Worked fine, smooth, no noise, but leaking oil at bottom plate. Took it off, cleaned, boots, grease, new seal, reinstalled, pop pop pop... sigh