Loose Steering Rack. Pulls to the Right (1 Viewer)

[perk]

2000 lifted with Slee mediums and reindexed factory torsion bars (no diff drop and little to no rake) on 255s with 1 1/4" spacers since 2010. Uneven tire wear (more on the outside) and substantial pull to the right. Alignment done, but doesn't help. Alignment shop showed me about 1/2" play in rack (while holding/moving tire at 3 and 9 oclock positions) and recommended new rack. Can't afford a new rack at this time. Is there anything less $ to try first? I read about some who benefited by replacing bushings with poly. Can i fix my pull to the right and extend the life of my rack or do I just need to start saving for a new rack? Thanks!

 

[jLB]

If your rack isn't leaking, it might be worth trying one of the bushing kits, but you may want to start saving for a steering rack replacement too.

We had similar symptoms on my son's 2000 TLC. Play in the steering wheel, pull to the right under acceleration from a stop, and the play in the rack with the front wheels off the ground. The dealer quoted ~$1725 parts and labor to replace the rack. The Whiteline W13210 kit took care of all of the issues that we were having with my son's steering, for about ~$40 parts and ~$180 for our local independent mechanic to install. There are a number of write ups on this site on swapping out the bushings yourself, if you have the time and inclination to do it yourself.

Do some searches on this site for "Whiteline" and/or "Superpro" to find more information from others that have done this swap.

If/when you get to a rack replacement, you may want to exercise some caution in trying to save money here, as some have had issues with aftermarket steering racks. There is also at least one of thread (and I believe more) on this site for doing this swap yourself.

 

[newbtrayback]

Ditto....I replaced my bushings with above mentioned parts for $40 and no issues. Much improved.

 

[ton504]

Before you go throwing money around, jack it up and inspect it for yourself. While moving the tire from 3-9 o'clock, keep an eye on the steering rack body. If it does't move with the tire, it could be something else. In my case it was my inner tie rods.

 

[Sandroad]

I haven't thought this through yet, but I assume the above "jack it up and wiggle it test" is done by jacking just one front tire at a time?

 

[ton504]

Jack it the front, as in both front tires off the ground.

Lets just say your inner tie rods is good, if you jacked up one side, your rack isn't going to move...

 

[perk]

Thanks all! I'll check the play relative to the rack when i return home tomorrow. the driver side boot does have a light covering of oil/grime. I'm hoping it's from a past leaking valve cover and not a leak in the rack. I'll clean it up and try to determine if the rack is leaking. Thanks again

 

[ntsaint]

If your rack isn't leaking, it might be worth trying one of the bushing kits, but you may want to start saving for a steering rack replacement too.

We had similar symptoms on my son's 2000 TLC. Play in the steering wheel, pull to the right under acceleration from a stop, and the play in the rack with the front wheels off the ground. The dealer quoted ~$1725 parts and labor to replace the rack. The Whiteline W13210 kit took care of all of the issues that we were having with my son's steering, for about ~$40 parts and ~$180 for our local independent mechanic to install. There are a number of write ups on this site on swapping out the bushings yourself, if you have the time and inclination to do it yourself.

Do some searches on this site for "Whiteline" and/or "Superpro" to find more information from others that have done this swap.

If/when you get to a rack replacement, you may want to exercise some caution in trying to save money here, as some have had issues with aftermarket steering racks. There is also at least one of thread (and I believe more) on this site for doing this swap yourself.

About to try this since I have the same issues. Is it necessary to also do the 13208 kit?

 

[jLB]

About to try this since I have the same issues. Is it necessary to also do the 13208 kit?

The W13210 (or SPF2470K) is for LC/LX up to 08/2002.

I believe the W13208 (or SPF2987K) is for the 09/2002 and later vehicles.

 

[re_guderian]

If you have no rake, you might still get some pull to the right on acceleration only, known as torque steer, even when aligned with tight steering. Very common. Solution is to drop the front end until you have ~1" of rake. I had this issue. Some don't, not sure why.

 

[ton504]

If you have no rake, you might still get some pull to the right on acceleration only, known as torque steer, even when aligned with tight steering. Very common. Solution is to drop the front end until you have ~1" of rake. I had this issue. Some don't, not sure why.

Its not the rake itself but due to the height change, there may have more positive camber on one side. Vehicles pulls to the side with more positive camber. Even worst when you accel hard since the rear squats while the fronts lift causing even more positive camber.

 

[perk]

Good news...got dealer inspection for free. Bad news...need upper control arms, outer tie rod ends, and inner tie rod ends. Going with SPC UCAs and OEM outer tie rod ends, but not sure what to do about the inners. Tech said that the rack might be bad altogether but might be just the inners. From what I can tell, two OEM inner tie rods are about the same price as a rack. So it comes down to the extra labor for replacing the whole rack (tech quoted 8 hours, seems high). Aftermarket inners are available for much less, but don't know if high quality. Is it worth it to try just replacing the inners, and if so, are there any less expensive, but suitable for offroading?

 

[duggy]

I would replace the whole rack.

 

[perk]

Unfortunately money is an object for me right now, so Ive decided to keep my rack and replace the inners. I'm going with Moog; made in Japan and appear as stout as OEM. Significant savings, $69 each vs $192 each(after 25% discount off msrp). Inners and outers is a straightforward diy. It's currently disassembled waiting for parts. Now that it is disassembled, I've got a clear look at the large passenger side steering rack bushing. Can i loosen the two bolts and easily r&r that bushing? I would rather not attempt the smaller rack bushings right now.

 

[perk]

I removed the inner tie rods with a crescent wrench. I got a loaner tool for the job but the attachments are all too small. I'm not sure how I can torque it without the special tool that allows for a socket wrench. Any suggestions?

 

[CharlieS]

Crows foot wrench? Or just use the German spec of "gutentight".

 

[perk]

Went for "gutentight" with a pipe wrench. Worked well. It was nice to find little to no leakage from the rack when i pulled the boots. I replaced the large D shaped grommet (very easy) with OEM; no more wiggle/play fom that area of the rack; nice and solid. I decided not to attempt replacing the smaller bushings; driver side felt solid anyway. SPC UCAs went on without too much trouble. Inner and outer tie rods went on easily. I replaced my OME nitro sports front shocks with OEM ($38 each). I adjusted the torsion bars to proper rake and droop. Had it aligned at an offroad tire shop.

It aligned well; all numbers near the middle of green. All of my steering problems are solved. Holds a near straight line with a minimal drift to the left (hoping follow up alignment will further correct). It handles/corners better than it has in years. Just finished a weekend trail ride from the desert to the NE San Bernardino Mountains that included some minor rock crawling with substantial articulation. It did great!

I'm very pleased with the switch to OEM front shocks (still OME in the rear) to go along with my 2.5" medium lift (stock bumper). The ride is noticeably smoother. I saved a lot of $ doing the repairs myself and really appreciate the advice given here to help me through it. Thanks,
perk