What are the(hidden) sympthoms of a worn steering rack ?

[CA Cruisin]

@CA Cruisin
FWIW, those look pretty much exactly like most of my bushings before I replaced them. It has made all the difference in the world. Things are way tighter and more precise, squeaking - gone, metal on metal sounds -gone.
Replacing bushings/ball joints is pretty dull work, but it's way less frustrating than chasing sounds.

When I got most of mine out, they looked pretty bad all the way through. But then again I'm at 270k miles, and between South Dakota and DFW, not the best combination of environments for rubber.

When I say most bushings, here's my running list:
All front control arm bushings - right/left, upper/lower, upper and lower ball joints.
All sway bars - front/rear, both frame and links
Steering rack bushings - the big D grommet, and the two round driver side.

Currently tackling the rear control arms, pressing the existing bushings out is an absolute b!tch, so still working on those. Planning on both lowers, both uppers, and the panhard rod.

Thanks much, that's a great list right there.
I'm sure it made a huge difference in the ride and overall feel!
After all, they've seen 16 years of use plus miles and weather conditions.

 

[CA Cruisin]

Update : i got the rear LCA bushings out and new ones in. I used the threaded rod (16mm) and socket method. one came out easy ,on the other i striped the threads on the rod , but welding a few nuts together , gave me the leverage I needed. I think It is very Important to have a heavy duty socket that is the right size too. They all went in easy . I also threw out the poly bushings that I had put in the front Lca. The LC feels tight and the squeaking is gone. . .it's better, But the lc still is puls somewhat to the left and right ,depending on surface, and I feel bumps in the road in the steering wheel. I see she is 1 cm (3/8 ") to low in the front and 2 cm (3/4") to low in the rear. I haven't adjusted the AHC pressure yet, other than tighting the TB's one turn at a time on each side "til she feels right". Also tried inflating the tires to f 35 and r 40 psi - there might be something there to. So - I'm still puzzled by why I getting all this feedback from the road right into the steering wheel. When I hear worn rack -I think of "play" somewhere. There isen't any. Wheel bearings are tight. I'll get back when height i adjusted.

Which poly did you pull, were they the Superpro by any chance?
Did you go back to rubber / OEM all around?

 

[Cruisera100]

Yes ,they where Superpro. I've also put them on the rear lower arms and the panard . They didn't go on easy .They work well on the steering rack

 

[CA Cruisin]

Great thx. Why did you remove the Superpro from the front LCA?

 

[Cruisera100]

They started sqeeking over speed bumps after a short time. They didn't go on well /The fit didn't look good-on one side the bushing was sort of coming out a few mm. When getting a front end alinement , they told me the front right wheel was 5mm further back than the left. Not uncommon i guess, but I think it had something to do with fighting these bushings in place.(the originals went on smooth ). The polys are known to have a shorter life.