Topic: hard steering wheel (Read 9535 times)

shadow · « **on:** March 25, 2009, 03:58:23 PM »

ok nogs. damn people on the z sites are no damn help. so i replaced the front right suspension on the z. car is on the ground, and well the damn steering wheel is stiff as fuck. i lifted the front and it turns fine. ok, put passenger side on ground with the driver side in the air and the steering is hard again. now putting the driver side on the ground and the passenger side in the air and its all fine.

idunno what the hell is wrong. everything looks fine. it just doesnt fuckin turn smoothly. wtf!!!?!?!?

Jorsher · « **Reply #1 on:** March 25, 2009, 04:30:25 PM »

Looks like this.

Good luck.

j.h.christ · « **Reply #2 on:** March 25, 2009, 06:30:41 PM »

you didn't end up with an "extra" strut bearing, did you?

shadow · « **Reply #3 on:** March 25, 2009, 07:41:49 PM »

nah.

so im thinking it has to do with the rack and pinion? or the power steering? bah. ok so i turn the wheel to the right and for like 1/8 of a turn it will be smooth, then it gets all hard again. once driving it feels alright, but going slow or stopped shits hard to turn except for that 1/8 turn.

thoughts?

bryantaylor · « **Reply #4 on:** March 25, 2009, 07:43:38 PM »

weak pump maybee?

shadow · « **Reply #5 on:** March 25, 2009, 08:08:35 PM »

yup plenty of fluid. and the car drives straight.

the tie rod on the passenger side seems to have a lot more play than the driver side. im guessing one side is busted and thats causing the whole issue?

glustic · « **Reply #6 on:** March 25, 2009, 08:20:53 PM »

Quote from: shadow on March 25, 2009, 08:08:35 PM

yup plenty of fluid. and the car drives straight.

the tie rod on the passenger side seems to have a lot more play than the driver side. im guessing one side is busted and thats causing the whole issue?

Damn I didn't know you actually bought it? Ballin

Conceptz-X · « **Reply #7 on:** March 25, 2009, 08:26:07 PM »

Tie rod shouldnt. The tophat he is referring to would be the strut mount. If its binding up, it can do that. It would have to be locked up for what your describing.

shadow · « **Reply #8 on:** March 25, 2009, 08:33:26 PM »

Quote from: glustic on March 25, 2009, 08:20:53 PM

Quote from: shadow on March 25, 2009, 08:08:35 PM
yup plenty of fluid. and the car drives straight.

the tie rod on the passenger side seems to have a lot more play than the driver side. im guessing one side is busted and thats causing the whole issue?

Damn I didn't know you actually bought it? Ballin

yeah, drives great, except for the hard steering $:-\$

concept-x: the tie rod shouldnt what? have too much play?

Conceptz-X · « **Reply #9 on:** March 25, 2009, 09:17:34 PM »

Cause your ard steering issue,

sorry if I misread, I was cooking dinner, trying to install Win 7 on the wife's computer, and read a thread

Conceptz-X · « **Reply #10 on:** March 25, 2009, 09:18:53 PM »

Is anything bent?, could be causing it to bind up. or is the suspension all new?

glustic · « **Reply #11 on:** March 25, 2009, 09:20:30 PM »

Quote from: Conceptz-X on March 25, 2009, 09:17:34 PM

Cause your ard steering issue,

sorry if I misread, I was cooking dinner, trying to install Win 7 on the wife's computer, and read a thread

Pshh... Should be able to multi task more than that!

BTW: Congrats Shadow. Keep us updated man, none of this you say yeah ill keep you updated, and then dont. Pics?

!@!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Conceptz-X · « **Reply #12 on:** March 25, 2009, 09:21:49 PM »

I know, sorry

glustic · « **Reply #13 on:** March 25, 2009, 09:22:55 PM »

Quote from: Conceptz-X on March 25, 2009, 09:21:49 PM

I know, sorry

Why isn't your wife cooking dinner? WTF?

Conceptz-X · « **Reply #14 on:** March 25, 2009, 09:30:08 PM »

Cuz I'm a better cook most of the time

And I usually get a good BJ when I make dinner

glustic · « **Reply #15 on:** March 25, 2009, 09:46:41 PM »

Quote from: Conceptz-X on March 25, 2009, 09:30:08 PM

Cuz I'm a better cook most of the time And I usually get a good BJ when I make dinner

True, maybe I should start making dinner and shit.. LOL

Conceptz-X · « **Reply #16 on:** March 25, 2009, 10:06:38 PM »

Trying to get the BJ while cooking, now thats the trick

shadow · « **Reply #17 on:** March 26, 2009, 03:13:04 AM »

lol.

concept-x: so the rack and pinion wouldnt cause the steering issue, is what youre sayiing?

the power steering goes connected to that. from what i read sometimes the steering rack goes bad and this is what happens, i figure it might have been damaged in the accident?

i found a place that will rebuild the rack for 80 bucks, i dunno what else could be the problem.

the suspension parts i used are not new, but they all look to be in good condition. help!!! lol i want to get this running already.

t_cel_t · « **Reply #18 on:** March 26, 2009, 03:20:42 AM »

i had a bearing plate/top hat go bad and it held so stiff that it wouldnt straiten out when i let go of the wheel

shadow · « **Reply #19 on:** March 26, 2009, 01:49:09 PM »

anybody have input on this? dont wanna spend money on something that isnt gonna fix it. $:-\$

Tim · « **Reply #20 on:** March 26, 2009, 02:20:29 PM »

Quote from: shadow on March 26, 2009, 01:49:09 PM

anybody have input on this? dont wanna spend money on something that isnt gonna fix it. $:-\$

try to disconnect shit and see if you can isolate what is causing the binding.

I would vote no to the rack as the suspension being compressed on the passanger side changes it. That has nothing really to do with the rack but that's just my gut. Maybe set the car down and disconnect that side tie rod, but hold it at the compressed suspension angle?

shadow · « **Reply #21 on:** March 26, 2009, 02:26:25 PM »

see i keep thinking it might be the rack bc it might have been damaged in the impact, nothing seems to be catching. at least i cannot see anything that would make it hard. the tie rod on the pass. side is rather wobbly when compared to the driver side, so thats why i also thought that might be the issue? but then again i know nothing about steering, rack and pinions

Conceptz-X · « **Reply #22 on:** March 26, 2009, 07:52:08 PM »

With the car not running, is one direction harder to turn? if so, the rack is likely not at fault.

glustic · « **Reply #23 on:** March 26, 2009, 08:38:39 PM »

It deffinately sounds like something is binding. I would have to agree that it sounds like the top hat is binding on the strut or strut tower. Can you take down the strut assembly and visually inspect if any metal is being scraped?

HiProfile · « **Reply #24 on:** March 26, 2009, 11:37:18 PM »

I got a Ford Probe for almost nothing, and the upper strut bushing was shot. It would pull towards that side hardcore, even with the alignment perfect. I can't recall if it made it harder to turn though.

If the car was in a wreck, it could be something broke/bent in the strut assembly, or the rack could be bent. Its most likely in the strut, since it works fine with no weight on the strut. To check it out, I'd suggest you put it on jack stands, then have someone move the wheel back & forth as you slowly jack one LCA up. Then do the same wiht the other side. BTW unhook one side of the swaw bar when you try that, otherwise it won't compress the strut as far.

97Econobox · « **Reply #25 on:** March 27, 2009, 12:11:27 PM »

Id go find another that was popped from teh other side or has an intact passengerside setup and then go rob it of basicly all teh passenger suspension setup.

If it was that Z we are talking about that looked like it had half its suspension ripped out, it could have tweaked something. You'll play hell trying to track down that sorta shit, id try to replace teh whole strut assembly on that side.

shadow · « **Reply #26 on:** March 27, 2009, 02:39:27 PM »

ok problem solved me thinks.

steering is back to how it should. took the old one to get rebuilt and it turned out it was bent, thats why is was hard to turn to one side. so instead of being 80 to fix it, guy wanted 240 or someshit. so i looked around and found a rack and pinion for 130. yay

glustic · « **Reply #27 on:** March 27, 2009, 02:45:07 PM »

Quote from: shadow on March 27, 2009, 02:39:27 PM

ok problem solved me thinks.

steering is back to how it should. took the old one to get rebuilt and it turned out it was bent, thats why is was hard to turn to one side. so instead of being 80 to fix it, guy wanted 240 or someshit. so i looked around and found a rack and pinion for 130. yay

Awesome man, I am glad this is coming together for you. Did you replace the bumper cover, and fender yet?

shadow · « **Reply #28 on:** March 27, 2009, 05:54:00 PM »

not yet, i know where i can get a fender for 150, dunno the condition of it tho. i might go check it out. i scored a bumper for 50 bucks. its not in bad shape at all either, just scratches. i put in ~500 so far, so its working out tits so far.

ill post some pics later.

shadow · « **Reply #29 on:** March 27, 2009, 06:28:44 PM »

its a lil dirty since it rained the other day. and i havent cleaned the inside.

thats its good side, lol, i need to find a fender.

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Author Topic: hard steering wheel (Read 9535 times)