Steering wear

[G60rob 0]

There's clonky rotational play in the steering which was picked up as an advisory on last May's MOT. It feels a bit worse now so I'm concerned it might fail next time.

A while ago a local garage tried replacing the rack, twice, both times with the wrong one, so I asked them to give up. The problem at the time turned out to be a noisy power steering pump anyway, as I had thought, but they said it was a noisy rack. A new pump cured it anyway.

If I put my car's reg no. into the GSF website it comes up with steering rack Part No : 430VG0140, 22 splines, but I wonder if mine is 36 splines?

I'm not convinced the rack itself is faulty anyway, because if I take the footwell panel off I can feel play in the lower UJ.

It's four years since the offside balljoint was replaced, and I think the wheel bearing on that side is a bit noisy. Maybe just fixing those would reduce the play to an acceptable level?

Is the lower UJ available separately? If so, which one is it, 22 or 36 splines? Part number?

My VIN is ...50zNK010364. 1992 G60. It seems to be from round about a time when VW made a few changes, because the exhaust back box isn't as suppliers expect it to be either, I've recently found.

[jekel 10]

I'd deffo change both balljoints, track rod ends, and droplinks aswell as the lower UJ, all fairly easy jobs, and both wheel bearings (that'll need a garage with a very large press and heat, don't try yourself) and see where you are probs be OK.

Why was only one balljoint replaced, the "new one" will be past it's best now, god knows what old ones like, the balljoints don't show up wear easily, on MOT test etc. but you'll notice when change.

Fact it past MOT means it's not imminently going to fail, not that it wouldn't benefit from changing.

[davidwort 0]

I'd be inclined to change the track rods as the inner joints that screw into the rack ends get play in them, to check get someone to hold the track rod as you turn the steering from side to side, yoiu can feel a knock if the track rods are worn

[G60rob 0]

...as well as the lower UJ

That's the main point of my post, really: is the lower UJ available? Some of the parts you mention have been replaced recently, but if I can't get a UJ it might not be worth changing the parts that are easily available such as balljoints etc.

Edited February 12, 2017 by G60rob
spelling

[VEEDUBBED 0]

Rob, i've Got a spare steering uj. No play in it.

Let me Know if you need it mate.

[G60rob 0]

Thanks Veedubbed. Definitely interested if it's the right one. How many splines does it have?

[VEEDUBBED 0]

I'll count them Tomorrow morning rob, came off a late vr6 'raddo.

[VEEDUBBED 0]

Right, 18 spleen/teeth on the top uj that connects to the steering coloumn shaft and 38 on the lower uj that has the finer cut teeth that connect onto the steering rack.

Send me your email and i'll snap a few photos, if it's suitable for your g60's rack.

Cheers.