What Would Be Involved In Bringing Back The Tight Feel To My Steering?

[2013 Geee T]

I'm starting to notice my steering feeling more and more loose or sloppy. I also get a slight wobble in the steering wheel. I thought maybe the tires were out of balance so I had them balanced and that didn't help. I also had warped brake rotors but just turned them and that fixed the wobbling on braking but not all together.

Whats involved in a front end rebuild such as bushings and ball joints etc cost and time wise? What would need to be replaced?

My Tokico struts may be getting a little old too since they may have 75k miles on them and I don't know how long they are good for. Would that even be a cause? It still handles well.

 

[Rusty67]

Did they rotate your tires when they ballanced them ? When is the last time they were rotated ?

Check your steering rack bushings, tie rod ends and ball joints. Get your alignment checked after you verify those parts are good. Also check your sway bar bushings and end links.

Struts and shocks don't have a built in expiration date, its more how hard you have been on them. I'm not a fan of the Tokicos.

 

[68stang351]

The first thing I would do is change to some good steering rack bushings. I put some Energy Suspension poly bushings in mine even when it was still low mileage, and it seemed like it tightened it quite a bit.

Of course, that's assuming your tie rod ends are still good too. Basically what Rusty said.

 

[flstang65]

Check the joint in the steering shaft as well.

 

[2013 Geee T]

The tires are a different size in the back (staggered) so I cant rotate them. I did steering rack bushings years ago but I guess they may be shot again. Maybe I will do them again and have the rest looked at.

 

[Brute03]

i actually have a few degrees of play in the steering to either side before any movement happens at the wheels and i hate it. i'm thinking it could be the rack itself

 

[Rusty67]

That could either be the rack bushings or it could be the steering shaft. It could also be REALLY bad tie rods.

 

[2013 Geee T]

I'm thinking of doing the steering rack bushings but there seems to be many part numbers for them. Some also say 2 degrees and some say 0 degrees.
http://www.summitracing.com/search/...ergy-Suspension-Rack-and-Pinion-Bushing-Sets/

 

[Winters98GT]

I agree with the above.

 

[Rusty67]

Get the zero offset. The 2 degree offset bushings are for people who have dramatically modified suspension setups. I would get a set of energy suspension poly bushings.

 

[BurningRubber]

x2 for zero offset.

I changed my stock rubber rack bushings (or what was left of them) with some poly bushings and it made a nice difference. Definitely noticeable but didn't totally cure my steering complaints either.

 

[2013 Geee T]

FYI I put in the Energy Suspension steering rack bushings and they also noticed my car was out of alignment so they did that too. The bushings make a nice difference and it feels tighter over all. Either worn bushings or the alignment was the cause of the steering wheel shake too since it is gone so far.

 

[lonestar1]

FYI I put in the Energy Suspension steering rack bushings and they also noticed my car was out of alignment so they did that too. The bushings make a nice difference and it feels tighter over all. Either worn bushings or the alignment was the cause of the steering wheel shake too since it is gone so far.

 

[lonestar1]

FYI I put in the Energy Suspension steering rack bushings and they also noticed my car was out of alignment so they did that too. The bushings make a nice difference and it feels tighter over all. Either worn bushings or the alignment was the cause of the steering wheel shake too since it is gone so far.

Sounds like a great idea for my 2002. Took a quick look and couldn't see where the bushings are located. I must be missing something.

Thanks,

Lonestar

 

[40oz]

If the vibration doesn't seem to be speed-related then it's probably worn struts. A still-good strut will also dampen vibrations from slightly out of balance wheel/tires and you've eliminated the rotors as a cause.

As struts wear out they let more minor vibrations affect the steering wheel. I don't know how they will affect steering, but there should be no lag between touching the wheel and the car changing direction.

I do know that replacing the struts eliminated a vibration I had previously associated with worn tires.

I don't know that it matters if you replace your steering rack bushings with stock rubber or polyurethane. Like headlights, the new pieces are just so much better than the worn out old pieces that replacing old with new isn't a reliable indicator regarding polyurethane vs. rubber.

 

[joshjwc9]

Yes, replacing never been touched stock rubber bushings with the correct poly rack bushings was an amazing feeling when I got my car back from the shop. Although they had installed rack bushings, a MM steering shaft and a Terminator steering wheel (thicker leather). Car drove perfectly straight without any issue. Oh yeah, and steering response got 1000% better.