Steering rack issues solutions and swaps....

[dr_mat 0]

Hold both ends, you can tell whether they're firmly connected or not.. erm ..

[VRTrickster 0]

Cheers thats helped me no end ! :wink:

[24V Renshaw 0]

Basically aside from the wishbones and the some of the section of the subframe all the parts are identical (bush, bolts) As such why is the torque figure for the VR only 70nm plus 90 degress as oppossed to the 16v/G60 which is 130nm?

 

Because the VR wishbones have locating 'horse shoes' for the bushes, the valver/G60 platform doesn't.

 

Mine's been completely clonk free for nearly a month now, pretty sure that was down to the natty GSF tie rods.

 

Who have thought the front bolts could cause a clonk? Strange! Glad it's sorted tho.... I think Jay is fussier than me, so I can guess how frustrating that must have been.

 

Mike, I've been that man too. Easily done :-) The first clue if you don't spot it straight away is a nice vibration in the floor as the ARB chews it's way through the front pipes, LOL! I hope you fitted the bushes the right way round too ;-)

 

Interestingly mine is completely clunk free now and I have GSF Trackrods (the only non OE part on the car now) and its perfect. Not a single knock or clunk on the whole car. Absolutely loving the drive now, the steering is accurate, tight and consistant.

Unfortunately for everyone else, every single component of the running gear is now brand new..... sorry guys. :roll:

 

Jay

[corradophil 3]

Because the VR wishbones have locating 'horse shoes' for the bushes, the valver/G60 platform doesn't.

 

My 16v has the horseshoes. All my bolts are torqued to 130NM and still knocks, and it is getting worse. I think I'll wait until it becomes very regular, then hopefully I may find where it is coming from.

[billinjah 0]

well my wishbone bolts were loose ill roadtest tomorrow, if no joy ill put nw track rod ends on not looking foward to freeing those up!

[dr_mat 0]

I've had GSF rtack rods, VW track rods, more VW track rods, and it's not changed the clunking one bit. Bear in mind that Kev also changed the entire front hub assembly, wheel bearings, and so on at the same time as he changed the track rods, so in truth it could be any of those components that was actually causing his problems....

[Kevin Bacon 5]

You specified VW Tie rods, turned up to Stealth and then said you wanted GSF rods, which they duly fitted and then failed a few weeks later.

 

The wheel bearings, hubs and CVs I had changed are rotational and therefore not able to cause a clunk.

 

The old wishbone bushes were OK visually, as were the BJs....so it definitely was the tie rods in my case as they were loose and floppy as hell.

[VRTrickster 0]

I'm thinking of taking my rack out and sending the it and the UJ to Driveshaftuk.com and let them have a look and if need be a refurb it'll cost me £140. Just thinking about getting a second hand column though. I shall replace these with poly rack mount and roll bars.

Ive already replaced the wishbones,track rod ends and ball joints. Hopefully this will stop the play ?

[dr_mat 0]

You specified VW Tie rods, turned up to Stealth and then said you wanted GSF rods, which they duly fitted and then failed a few weeks later.

 

Not that this is relevant to this discussion at all, but since you brought it up.. Actually Stealth fitted some *used* track rods, that turned up already fitted on the steering rack they got from GSF, whose inbound BJs turned out to have seized BEFORE they ever went on my car.

 

When I discovered the fault (by driving away from Stealth when I picked the car up) it was too late to swap them the same day, so I had to drive home on them. Vince reckoned they might loosen up (still under the impression they were new) .. They never did, so eventually he agreed to swap 'em, at which point we found out where they'd come from..

 

We had an honest misunderstanding about the track rods, I'd never actually specified VW ones, but Vince thought I had (I had specified VW *ends*, which I supplied). Then he thought they'd ordered GSF ones, and they hadn't...

 

It's a long and complex story ...

 

Anyway, it may well have been your track rods causing your clunks, I dunno. But as we've seen so many times in the past, what's the cause of problems on one car doesn't necessarily help other cars.

 

All I was helpfully pointing out is that my car has been through three sets of track rods and ends and the clunking has not changed one jot.

[VRTrickster 0]

Oh well you was right dr mat it was the column! After fiddling around with it at the weekend I located the play at the column adjusting mechanism! I normally have the steering set at one notch down from the highest setting ,but taking it up to the top........no more play hurray!!

I just have to get use to the wheel being slightly higher.The car has never clunked or given me other problems,noises etc. So I Im happy with this cheap quick and easy fix!

[kvwloon 0]

Can I just jump in and say the below again, because bugger me if just weeks after sorting the lower pipe the top one gave up the ghost this week too, just got in from fixing it, luckily had a spare pipe to hand!

 

Next time you go under your C, check and rustproof the short pipes that start with two 'banjo' type connections just below the rubber gaitor where the rack joins the bottom of the steering wheel shaft. The pipes run from there down and across and back in to the rack. The banjo connections on mine were corroded to buggery, result this weekend (again) was a small pin prick hole spraying fluid on to the exhaust heat shield = lots of worrying smoke from under bonnet and loss of steering oil/steering. Waxoyl them if there in good nick, otherwise source some good second hand ones, otherwise it'll be a new rack, all for the sake of two small pipes and a bit of corrosion!

 

Can I just jump in and say - CHECK THE PIPES ON YOUR RACK FOR CORROSION!

After my recent experiences of corroded to buggery pipes (on the rack itself) which resulted in me losing all the fluid very quickly, I would highly recommend Waxoyl coating them.

[N_TaG 0]

does anyone wanna buy an 80,000 rack from a 1989 1.8 16v corrado?

[2_Door_fun 0]

Having my rack replaced at Awesome next week.

 

Its been leaking from the centre telescopic joint now for a year. Only leaks on full lock so not to bad.

 

Full fluid change and alllignment for £230 all in... Thought that was a good price. I would do the work myself but can't be arsed. To wet now. Plus £140 for a rack £100 down as deposit which I get back and then I would have to pay for an allignment again so let the guys at Awesome do it.

 

I will at last have green fluid in teh system Yay.. My red is the wrong stuff :roll:

[Shaggy 0]

I have just started to notice that i can feel i "click" type sound / sensation through the pedals when i turn the wheel to the left.. its not noticable whilst moving tho.. only when i turn the wheel whilst stationary (engine on) any ideas? i thought it maybe could be the rack as i am approaching 100k now but could it be something else like ball joints??

[dr_mat 0]

Could just be the column UJs hitting something under the dash as you turn the wheel.

[Shaggy 0]

hmmm... very good point! ;-)

[Garry 0]

Garry wrote up a step by step guide to do it and I found it was pretty much accurate without following it

 

Cheers - I thought I'd write the guide because it was such a c**t of a job to do.

[_leon_ 0]

access was awful as the car was on axle stands and made the job a nightmare - but had I have had a ramp - reckon it'd have been relatively simple

[Garry 0]

I would have killed for a ramp when I was doing mine. Unfortunately I don't have access to one so I suffered big time.

[_leon_ 0]

same here! i had all sorts of issues with the pipes too - had to run them round the engine bay to get them out - as I couldn't get them off the rack column. it was a nightmare.

[CoxyLaad 0]

i now have in my possession a mk4 golf rack, and more importantly a mk5 electric power steering rack.

I am going to attempt to fit the electric servo one when I get the chance. Anyone who wants to know what they are like, drive a mk5 golf, or one of the latest audis, they are awesome.

[Astrasteve 0]

Is anyone breaking a corrado g60 coz im after one of the hoses that runs to the power steering pump???

[dr_mat 0]

The actual rack doesn't have *that* much to do with the steering feel, by all accounts - they use the same parts on Audis and everybody says they have rubbish steering. The feel comes from suspension bushing and geometry.

The servo ones are interesting though, because they can do the magic assist thing ..

[vwsam20 0]

Just to add to the list. I have a problem where, when i drive along the road the steering wheel will site with a touch of left hand down then as the camber of the road changes i will have to steer right to stop running of the road. In M.O.T's of previous years (1994) there is a note saying small amount of play in rack. However i dont see how by just conducting an M.O.T they can be so spesiffic as to where the play is coming from and it has never be re-noted in more reasent M.O.T's.

As many of you seem very experianced in this topic, what are the possible causes for this. Rack, Column, track rod ends ?

sorry for any spelling mistakes.

[Jim 1]

I suffer from similar behaviour on my car (amongst other things) and have yet to get a concrete answer on exactly what I need to change... but the three things you've said have all been mentioned so its just been a case of trying to find the money to get work as expensive as that done!