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Steering Resistance Coming from Steering Rack Boots?


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Hey all,

 

Just purchased a very nice 1972 240Z. This site has been a great resource while buying and I'm hoping you have some insight into this issue.

 

The steering on the Z is brutish. Hard to turn at low speed, and tends to tramline at freeway speeds. The PO also says it goes through tires relatively quickly. The difficult turning isn't a problem for me, but my wife loves to drive this thing just as much as I do and I'm trying to improve it. So we are getting new tires in a smaller cross section (were due for replacement anyway) and will probably be moving to a less aggressive spring set-up (Tokico 5020s currently).

 

In a previous thread I heard a great piece of advice: jack up the front of the car and see if the steering is easy with no tire contact. Results: Easy to turn around dead center, but increasingly difficult towards the extremes. I got under the car and had someone turn the wheel and I can see/hear the boots "wheezing" like they are under pressure from the turning. There is a ton of lube on/around/I-presume-inside the steering rack boots and it seems to be contributing to the resistance.

http://imgur.com/gallery/uS2nyPg/new

 

So questions:

 

Is this just a feature of manual steering racks designed to center the wheel? It makes it pretty difficult to parallel park.

 

Anyone else ever experienced this problem and, if so, what did you do to correct it?

 

Thanks for your time/insight.

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I wasn't a fan of how hard the steering was on my Z when I first got it as well. Yours sounds a little bit harder and it's not the steering boots doing it.

 

I converted mine to power rack and it drives much much better and I can park now with little effort.

I've got the details in my build thread, it's some work but worth it I think, really makes the car much more modern.

 

Look for 78 5.0 ford in the build section if you want the details.

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I wasn't a fan of how hard the steering was on my Z when I first got it as well. Yours sounds a little bit harder and it's not the steering boots doing it.

 

I converted mine to power rack and it drives much much better and I can park now with little effort.

I've got the details in my build thread, it's some work but worth it I think, really makes the car much more modern.

 

Look for 78 5.0 ford in the build section if you want the details.

I may eventually go to a power steering set-up. I know there are lots of options, including Subaru power racks and electric assist columns that interface at the bulkhead. 

 

It occurred to me after I posted that the next step, diagnostically, is to take off the existing boots and see if that eases the steering. After that I may take the rack out and inspect completely.

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Normal. The rack boots have nothing to do with steering effort.  Get used to it or go to the gym.

Interesting. So from a design perspective, what is the purpose of having greater resistance with more turn on a manual rack?

 

Is it intended as a sort of functional "steering bumpstop" as you approach full lock?

Or is it designed to encourage straightline tracking at higher speeds?

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The steering on the Z is brutish. Hard to turn at low speed,

 

and tends to tramline at freeway speeds.

 

The PO also says it goes through tires relatively quickly.

 

 There is a ton of lube on/around/I-presume-inside the steering rack boots and it seems to be contributing to the resistance.

http://imgur.com/gallery/uS2nyPg/new

 

The first could just be wide tires.

 

I don't know what "tramline" means, but if you mean it tends to grab and follow road ruts, that's a sign of loose bearings, and maybe other steering components.

 

Wearing out tires is also a sign of loose parts.  Excessive toe will do the same.

 

That orange boot is not stock so somebody's been in there.  Either they tried to fix what you're dealing with or they caused it.

 

I had loose bearings and a wandering, rut-grabbing car for about a year.  I adjusted toe to compensate, dinked around with the rack a bit, and wore out my tires pretty quickly.  Replaced the bearings and set the toe to zero and I've had the new set of tires for about 4 years (just a street car).

 

It can be hard to tell if the bearings are worn.  Mine didn't seem worn but they were.  Often the bearing seats in the hubs are worn so new bearings won't properly torque down.  But if you get everything right, the car will track straight over typical worn, high-volume highway grooves, and feel tight at the steering wheel.  Like a normal car.

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"Interesting. So from a design perspective, what is the purpose of having greater resistance with more turn on a manual rack?"

 

Its not designed that way. It's the result of caster and reduced leverage from the rack to the steering arm due to the angles. Typical for a front steer car.

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Look at the pinion tensioner adjustment. It's the really big nut with a straight slot adjuster. It's right by where the steering shaft meets the rack. Look at the nut to see if it's had a wrench on it recently. If someone has tried to adjust the play out at dead center it will be tight to either side.

 

The rack could also be bent, not uncommon if it's ever been wrecked.

 

Those are the two main things that can cause bind when the rack is tested off the ground.

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That orange boot is not stock so somebody's been in there.  Either they tried to fix what you're dealing with or they caused it.

 

I had loose bearings and a wandering, rut-grabbing car for about a year.  I adjusted toe to compensate, dinked around with the rack a bit, and wore out my tires pretty quickly.  Replaced the bearings and set the toe to zero and I've had the new set of tires for about 4 years (just a street car).

 

It can be hard to tell if the bearings are worn.  Mine didn't seem worn but they were.  Often the bearing seats in the hubs are worn so new bearings won't properly torque down.  But if you get everything right, the car will track straight over typical worn, high-volume highway grooves, and feel tight at the steering wheel.  Like a normal car.

 

 

Look at the pinion tensioner adjustment. It's the really big nut with a straight slot adjuster. It's right by where the steering shaft meets the rack. Look at the nut to see if it's had a wrench on it recently. If someone has tried to adjust the play out at dead center it will be tight to either side.

 

The rack could also be bent, not uncommon if it's ever been wrecked.

 

Those are the two main things that can cause bind when the rack is tested off the ground.

 

Seems like a likely set of circumstances:

Owner is experiencing sloppy handling and can't narrow it down, tries to make adjustments to steering rack and tightens up the play. Also applies giant wads of lube to every steering surface in the car.

post-40386-0-00692400-1440536201_thumb.jpgpost-40386-0-28452800-1440536203_thumb.jpg

Results in harder steering effort at lock and doesn't solve the bearing or other suspension issues that are causing the steering issues to begin with. 

 

I'll dig around under the car this weekend to see if I can sort out what is going on. I'll update with pics when I find out. In the meantime any other advice is welcome/appreciated.

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I'd look for the obvious first such as proper adjustment and missing parts. When I picked up my current Z from the 2nd owner who had the car for 30+ years and took great care of it, but everything suspension-wise was absolutely shot and the steering effort was heavier than I remembered. Not to mention front end play. Checked the rack adjustments per FSM and everything looked fine without excessive play, looked like the rack had never been opened up or messed with. Greased up the rack with my grease gun and things got better. Put on new ball joints, caster bushings, tie rod ends and things got even better. Finally tore it all apart to powdercoat and replace everything. Turns out one front strut was missing a steering bearing, probably from when the car was lowered back in the early 80's. Hoping when I get the front back together everything will feel just right. 43 years is a long time. 

 

Also, if you're not pulling the rack apart- when you grease the rack pull the boots back and wipe off the dirty/old excess grease. I was surprised how bad the grease that came out looked. 

Edited by Dat73z
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