20 replies to this topic

[Big Rob]

I had a very scary experience yesterday afternoon, one that I've never had and I hope I don't have again.

I took my LX for a drive to town (50km round trip) after not having driven it for about 2 months and as I made a left, then right turn into a side road, my steering wouldn't centralise and kept steering to the right. It was solidly jammed and I thought I'd dropped a tie rod end, but after stopping safely I had a look and found nothing strange looking in the steering.

I got the wife to turn the steering wheel a bit and then it freed up, but made a squeaking sound as it did.
I got the car home with no further issues, but am more than worried about it happening again.
In all my years I've never had this happen to any Torana I've owned.

I haven't done anything yet, so I thought I'd ask the question here first.

What the hell happened?

Have I broken a tooth in the rack and it's floating around inside?
Am I out of oil (thus the squeaking sound)?

HELP!!!!!

Edited by Big Rob, 18 February 2012 - 12:13 AM.

[NOBALLSUC]

That is scary,if it was a broken tooth you would feel a real bad spot when steering was turned.
Jack her up with both fronts off the ground and check it out.
Could be one of the lower ball joints dried out and cusing greif?

[S pack]

Also check the problem doesn't lay in the steering wheel lock mechanism at the top of the steering column and check the steering shaft couplings are in good condition.

[rexy]

Nothing near the coupling bolts like a clutch cable to get snagged?

[Viper]

Is the lower bearing on the rack rooted?

[Big Rob]

Hi Guys, I jacked it up today and turned the steering from lock to lock and it felt a bit tight, but not bad.
I got under and had the wife turn the wheel and everything seemed OK, so I pulled the boots off and checked for a dry shaft. Left side was a bit dry, but certainly not bone dry, so I smothered the shaft in moly grease, squirted a bit of oil in the end and re-installed the boot.
On the right, I again smothered the shaft/gear with moly grease and a squirt of oil and reinstalled the boot.

The wife said it felt easier to turn the wheel straight away, so I put it back on the ground and did a couple of 3 point turns in the driveway and it felt a lot better.
So I think the problem may have been a dry rack/bushes because it had sat for a couple of months. Hopefully I've solved the problem, but the next few drives are going to be interesting.

Thanks for offering your sugestions everyone.

[rodomo]

I dont think you've fixed it.

[GML-31]

had the same problem once, then it got better .. a month later the end broke off the rack and locked up scared the shit out of me... nothing a new rack didnt fix

[Viper]

Did you check the lower bearing in the steering column, grab the shaft just after it comes out of the column and see if it can move up/down/left/right

[Big Rob]

OK......Now I'm worried.


THE END BROKE OFF THE RACK!!!!!!!!!!???????

This is not good.......not good at all.

I live in the country and all my driving is done on 100km/h roads.

Where the hell do I get a "new" steering rack?

Edited by Big Rob, 19 February 2012 - 10:44 PM.

[Big Rob]

OK, another rack from a UC has been found and I'll fit it when I get it, then I'm going to strip this one and look for the problem.

Incidently, I took a short drive today and it steered great, better than it's ever been, so my lube job has helped (may not have fixed it, but may have bought me some time).
Scarey drive....both hands on the wheel at all times......hardly a fun drive. I'll feel a lot better when I get the new rack.

[NOBALLSUC]

I know that there is a bit of a debate on what to lube the rack rack with.
Just put some oil in it with good rack boots so it dont run out.
In the same situation,,30k peranum on shit roads with oil for the last 12 yrs.
I put a stubbies worth of a mix in from the top..just make sure all the shims r in place when u
take off/repleace the cover.

[hanra]

Are the ratio's the same in the UC rack? Is there any difference being from a RTS car?

[Big Rob]

Yep, I was planning on using oil, but I might use moly lube on the teeth of the rack as well.

And I think the UC rack is a bit slower, but that's not a real issue for an old man like me. This is an RTS car anyway, although the current rack is from another LX, so not sure of whether it's RTS or not. (Probably not)

[NOBALLSUC]

Moly based grease mixed with gear oil into a thickish 140 sae slop.(done by the most techincal methods,look and feel)
Dunno bout rack ratios.there was a somwhere i read that said they both had same lok-lok
but that may have something to do with steering arms.
Might have been a combo of rearset uppr ball joints and steering arms that made
the steering difrent.
Looks like someone has to go and count lok-lok turns but i do know that there was a slight difrence
between my LH and UC.

[Viper]

I was under the impression UC's had more turns lock to lock. But not sure

[fuzzypumper]

Yes they do, to make the steering lighter as the extra castor introduced by the offset UCA balljoints (RTS) usually makes steering heavier.

[ls2lxhatch]

The LX steering ratio is 18:1 and the UC is 20:1.

It roughly works out to 3.25 turns for the LX and about 3.68 turns for the UC lock to lock.

The steering ratio is the number of degrees the steering wheel is turned to turn the road wheel 1 degree. The Torana wheels turn through roughly 65 degrees lock to lock.

65 * 18.0 / 360 = 3.25
65 * 20.4 / 360 = 3.68

The different length LX and UC steering arms have a negligible affect on the steering ratio. The racks themselves have a different pinion and rack. The LX pinion has five teeth and the UC pinion has six teeth.

[Big Rob]

Thanks for that info.
So in the real world of normal day to day driving, I'm not going to notice any significant difference am I?
It will just make it a litle bit easier to park or do 3-point turns, right?
My wife is already getting excited!!!!
I shouldn't have told her should I?

[ls2lxhatch]

On paper the difference is roughly 10% less effort required to turn the wheel with a UC ratio. I doubt you would notice the difference between a good LX rack and a good UC rack.

I have read that the A9X rack is 25:1 which is 4.51 turns lock to lock. If this is true then that would make a significant different to the effort required.

[Big Rob]

JESUS!!!! Don't tell me that!
My wife will want me to find an A9X one now!

Thanks for the info.