I'm having some trouble with my steering. The car is an '86 GT, it tracks hard on things in the road and jumps around the lane. It also has started to make a scraping noise when I turn the steering wheel. It sounds like it is coming from the drivers side. If you turn the steering wheel hard, it makes a clicking sound and then the steering wheel isn't centered anymore. The steering is sometimes harder than normal to turn, and sometimes it is very easy. I think my car has also started to "hop" when I'm making sharp slow turns, like the wheels aren't lined up.

What I've done so far:
inner tie rods
Rodney's copper rack bushing
Replaced steering damper
Zero lash end links and poly sway bar bushings (Not trying to fix the problem, just doing it while I had it apart)

I've had my car into the alignment shop probably 5 times. They noticed up and down movement inside the rack. I then put the new copper bushing in as well as a new steering damper. After I put the new bushing in the steering rack, it seemed to fix my problems for about 2 weeks, but now they are back. My car also seems to ride a lot rougher, but I think that would be because of the zero lash end links. I had my front wheel bearings done in October, and I had poly bushings put on everywhere in the front as well as new shocks and struts about 3 years ago. Right now I have no clue what it could be.

quote Originally posted by Big Paul: If you turn the steering wheel hard, it makes a clicking sound and then the steering wheel isn't centered anymore.

That sounds troublesome. There are very few ways that it can happen. Perhaps the tie rod ends have slipped and your two front tires are pointing in different directions. Maybe you should try a different alignment shop.

[This message has been edited by Gall757 (edited 01-25-2014).]

Perhaps the preload isn't correct on the pinion, causing it to bind or even skip a tooth... in either case it would be very dangerous to drive with it like that. It might also be that the roller bearing that guides the pinion is worn out, or perhaps even one of the two U joints on the intermediate steering shaft is worn out. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, just say so and I can post some schematics.

quote Originally posted by Bloozberry: Perhaps the preload isn't correct on the pinion, causing it to bind or even skip a tooth... in either case it would be very dangerous to drive with it like that. It might also be that the roller bearing that guides the pinion is worn out, or perhaps even one of the two U joints on the intermediate steering shaft is worn out. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, just say so and I can post some schematics.

I thought I set the preload correctly according to the manual, but I agree that I think it's either the preload or the bearing. It was doing the same things before I took the rack out, and I disconnected the lock bolt inside the car when I removed the rack so I've had a good look at the U joints. If the U joints failed I would think that it would be pretty obvious when I took them out.

I'm probably going to have to take my car to a shop. All of my tools are 2 hours of one lane highway driving away, and I'm sure as hell not driving that with my car in this condition!