steering rack play in bushings

  • #1

    steering rack play in bushings

    need some help again: rebuilt
    steering rack(visually no body
    wearout, even paint present).
    new poly bushings.
    wide driverside bracket.
    normally tighted (probably
    even overtighted, I mean
    brackets).
    still moves approx. 1-2 mm
    when turning steering wheel
    causing a little poor handling.
    any suggestions to solve this
    problem?
    I don't like sreering isn't sharp
    anough.

    well, if it was u-joint -it's
    solvable, balljoints(arms', or
    endlinks', or tie rods')-same.
    But it's playing in bushings: I
    asked friend to rotate steering,
    during I was under the car (in
    a pit), so I excluded joints.

    and slip yoke-near impossible.
    keep in mind-it's ribbed and
    clamped.

    preload -not sure it's related to this case: rack steering will be heavy, but solid.
    Z31 JDM my way_google translated
  • #2
    Probably the bushings. Aftermarket bushings still have some play when installed. Get the delrin ones from ASCO.
    Usual Z31 suspect: Garage Queen (aka broken)
  • #3
    Originally posted by 300zxturboftw View Post
    Probably the bushings. Aftermarket bushings still have some play when installed. Get the delrin ones from ASCO.
    hmm, I hadn't see this earlier(excluding when using thin bracket), but probably my response requests grew up.

    and well, as I found ASCO have only passenger's side bushing.
    Z31 JDM my way_google translated
  • #4
    Passenger side solid bushing fixes about 95% of the problem all by itself. Lots of people have reported far tighter steering feel once they swapped the passenger side alone.
    Chicks dig me, rust fears me.
  • #5
    Originally posted by zachary.ard
    Passenger side solid bushing fixes about 95% of the problem all by itself. Lots of people have reported far tighter steering feel once they swapped the passenger side alone.
    understood
    Z31 JDM my way_google translated
  • #6
    Had the same problem years ago with my poly bushings on my remanned rack - I ended up buying a new set of Nissan rack bushings. This was 10 years ago. I'm not sure if they are still available. I think the set was about a $100 back then. But it stopped moving. I was considering shimming the poly with a bike innertube. Don't know if that would work but I was frustrated enough to try anything.
  • #7
    ordered (not full set, driver's side only). waiting.
    the only "OMG expensive"-is for 200z manual rack, but both-driver's and passenger's sides ($120/set approx).
    I ordered 01p00 and 58s00(I've no idea if there any difference)
    Z31 JDM my way_google translated
  • #8
    What I did was to take some plumbers tape. (The metal strapping with the holes in it used to hang pipe with) I put two wraps around the old bushing to give the bracket something to squeeze onto, clamped it down and it is tighter now. I do have a new passenger side bushing coming though.
  • #9
    Hey guys - may have some insight here.

    Talked to a machinist friend who was helping a buddy with his Triumph in the same garage where I'm working on my Z this winter. Guy's not a mechanic but he's a top-notch old-school machine tool guy. I showed him the different front rack bushings I have tried and he said that the OEM driver's side ones are clearly intended to be a one-time crush fit, which is why they have the mild steel inserts. (If you have ever installed new OEM bushings this will make sense, as they definitely form-fit as you torque down the bracket. He figured that they are only intended to be used once (every time the rack gets undone, you need new driver's side bushings), and there's really nothing you could substitute that would work exactly the same way.

    His opinion was that this was a pretty bad design, and he suggested that if the bushing ever went NLA it would be better to just get in there and figure a way to solid-mount the rack.
  • #10
    Did you install the driver's side yet FrozenZ ?