steering rack slop

[dlb]

now that ron is back from the body shop i am back on the front end job again. i got the inner and outer tie rods off but have found that when i put a wrench on the flats of the rack (which the inner tie rods screw into), there is a small amount of play--the rack will rotate maybe 1/8". is this normal, or does this point to something else i need to investigate? the steering system is something i've never delved into before so i'm pretty ignorant here.

[takza]

If you are talking about the rack (with the gear teeth cut on it) rotating within the housing...doubt if this is an serious issue...though I think you can adjust the pinion to rack lash or clearance (how well the gears mate)...just don't oversnug them...cause you can ruin the bushings that way. Other issue might be the rack bushing on the pass side of the rack? With PS...I guess you also have a seal? I've only worked on manual racks.

[dlb]

you're correct about the rack that i''m talking about, takza. the teeth are visible on the driver's side after removing the inner tie rod.

at first i thought the play might just mean i needed new rack bushings but i realized that the rack is encased in the rack housing, so something must be loose inside of the housing. but is it normal to have this amount of play in there? the steering feels fine on the car, it's only been going over bumps when i could feel something rattling and you're supposed to be able to turn the wheel a certain amount without any resistance so i wonder if this is where that free play in the steering wheel comes from. i'd like to figure it out before i go putting it all back together because it would suck hard to get it together and find i just have to take it apart again.

[Petros]

I doubt the rotation of the rack will cause any issues with steering. In and out play, or side to side slop would be the critical issue.

You might see if you can trighten the pinion gear adjustment. they are not meant to be field adjustable, but if you remove the lock washer it can be adjusted (a screw on the end of the gear moves it in and out relative to the rack, changing the lash). If there is not too much slop at the streering wheel (should be about an inch or 2 of free play at the steering wheel) I would just leave it.

There is a link to another Toyota forum where it shows how to do this on the corrola rack, which should be identical to ours.

http://www.hachiroku.net/forums/showthread.php?t=696

[dlb]

that's what i was hoping someone would say, petros. the free play in the steering wheel is within the parameters outlined in the owner's manual so i will leave it.

thanks!

[rer233]

you might want to check for play in the steering shaft u-joints. i've had two tercels with exactly the symptoms you describe (one p. s. and one manual)- steering shaft fixed both. think the p. s. one cost around $130 from the dlr. that was 10 or 11 years ago, so it may now be NLA. hope this helps.

[dlb]

negative on the u-joint slop, rer, but thanks for the suggestion. i'll put it all together with the new rack ends and tie rods and see how it is.

[rer233]

the u- joints are on the shaft that goes from the steering column to the input shaft of the steering rack. the lower joint is easily visible from under the hood, (there are 2) but as i recall, the upper one is somewhat concealed by a shield. i've seen steering racks mistakenly replaced when these joints start to go bad (initally they tend to bind before they wear out and get sloppy.) that's why whenever i change the oil and filter on my tercels, i give the joints a healthy squrit of gel- lube. good luck!

[dlb]

just for future reference, i've got it all back together and went for a test drive today. the steering felt great, no clunks, shudders, or rattles so i think it's safe to say a small amount of play in the rack is ok.