Just took delivery of my mustang in Scottsdale Az, and after having driven a few other cars for a few weeks (04 audi S4 and 01 Ford Escape), I can no longer tolerate the amount of play in my mustang's steering.
Common causes for play in the steering (upon several searches):
Worn joint in steering shaft from rack to column
worn balljoints and lower control arm bushings
worn steering rack bushings, worn inner and outer tie rod ends
I have about 6* of play in the steering.
My setup is as so:
04 Cobra control arms, delrin bushings
x2 balljoints
MM bumpsteer kit, tapered stud
new AGR rack, high effort, mm aluminum rack bushings
new 04 cobra steering shaft
In my opinion, the steering should be nice and tight, but it isnt. Its very tight once you move outside the domain of the play, but while you feel the play (whether you move the wheel or not) there is no response from the tires. This makes me think the play is between the steering wheel and the input point on the steering rack. Perhaps the rack itself? I just changed the rack, and the one before it was just as bad.
had my younger brother turn the wheel, looks like the whole assembly moves in the engine compartment, but could there be play at the joint where the steering shaft slips over the rack input 'piece' and is secured by a bolt? I will make a chalk line on the rack side of that joint to see if it is where this is happening, and also make marks above and below the rag joint (although I detected no play there). otherwise it may be in the new rack, as sad as a thought as that might be.
I also put a wrench on the steering shaft above the ragjoint, and a helper noted the slop felt similar with me trying to hold the shaft, but I want to reverse positions and see if I feel the same way behind the wheel in that scenario.
So what else can I look for? I read on one thread there's a slipjoint in the steering column that can go bad, but no way to fix it. I'm just lost as to where to go next.
Common causes for play in the steering (upon several searches):
Worn joint in steering shaft from rack to column
worn balljoints and lower control arm bushings
worn steering rack bushings, worn inner and outer tie rod ends
I have about 6* of play in the steering.
My setup is as so:
04 Cobra control arms, delrin bushings
x2 balljoints
MM bumpsteer kit, tapered stud
new AGR rack, high effort, mm aluminum rack bushings
new 04 cobra steering shaft
In my opinion, the steering should be nice and tight, but it isnt. Its very tight once you move outside the domain of the play, but while you feel the play (whether you move the wheel or not) there is no response from the tires. This makes me think the play is between the steering wheel and the input point on the steering rack. Perhaps the rack itself? I just changed the rack, and the one before it was just as bad.
had my younger brother turn the wheel, looks like the whole assembly moves in the engine compartment, but could there be play at the joint where the steering shaft slips over the rack input 'piece' and is secured by a bolt? I will make a chalk line on the rack side of that joint to see if it is where this is happening, and also make marks above and below the rag joint (although I detected no play there). otherwise it may be in the new rack, as sad as a thought as that might be.
I also put a wrench on the steering shaft above the ragjoint, and a helper noted the slop felt similar with me trying to hold the shaft, but I want to reverse positions and see if I feel the same way behind the wheel in that scenario.
So what else can I look for? I read on one thread there's a slipjoint in the steering column that can go bad, but no way to fix it. I'm just lost as to where to go next.