Hey,, this is my second post and again I love this site. I did a 10 point turn getting out of my garage today and really had to torch the steering. I heard a lot of groaning from the steering doing it and after getting on the road found my wheel at 2:00 instead of 12. Got back home and pulled hard left and wheel moved back to noon. Is there a pressed hub anywhere? Stacey
BTW, how do YOU spell torch? It doesn't look right.
------------------ ( Create a team, analyze, make a plan, then ask the wife if it's OK.)
[This message has been edited by THE HONN FAMILY (edited 01-26-2014).]
The bottom part of the steering shaft is in 2 pieces that telescope together, it's possible that the shafts could have moved but not too likely. There is a rubber damper between the u-joints in the intermediate shaft, maybe check that while moving the wheel and see if its loose. Also check the rack bolts and bushings to make sure the steering rack isn't loose on the front crossmember.
BTW, did you get my PM with your tracking info?
[This message has been edited by seajai (edited 01-25-2014).]
Honestly it felt like a pressed hub slipping. Nothing metallic. About a week ago I put a new inner tie rod on and everything looked tight and normal down there. I didn't pull the steering boot back on the joint because I wasn't looking for a problem at the time. No rag joint, just a u-joint? Steering wheel, no pressed hub, just a solid female spline?
PM read! seajai
------------------ ( Create a team, analyze, make a plan, then ask the wife if it's OK.)
Steering wheel hub and steering shaft are splines, and press fit. You aren't going to have issues with that unless have an after-market steering wheel with a bad hub. I've never heard of anyone having an issue in this area, but it would be possible if the wheel was removed at one time, and didn't have the nut torqued down correctly with an aftermarket hub (it would seem to me that for this condition to take place, nut wasn't torqued down at all. Easy to check, so I'd start there first.
Edit to add: There is also a spring steel coned washer that supposed to be under the nut, or part of nut as an assembly. The coned washer loads everything into high compression and resists the nut ever backing off. If it is missing or flattened out, get another nut assembly, or spring steel coned washer.
[This message has been edited by California Kid (edited 01-26-2014).]
Honestly it felt like a pressed hub slipping. Nothing metallic. About a week ago I put a new inner tie rod on and everything looked tight and normal down there. I didn't pull the steering boot back on the joint because I wasn't looking for a problem at the time. No rag joint, just a u-joint? Steering wheel, no pressed hub, just a solid female spline?
PM read! seajai
For safety, nothing in the steering shafts is a simple press fit. All parts are either splined together or use a flat on one side to prevent slippage. The lower steering shaft is a "D" shape where the two pieces telescope together. My 88 uses a "rag" or rubber isolator on the intermediate shaft, I believe 87 and older had a different type of rubber isolator. I worked on an 86 last year and that had a rubber filled metal sleeve on the intermediate shaft instead of the rag joint. The steering rack itself is not physically bolted to the crossmember, rather it is held in place by two rubber bushings and a saddle type clamp.
I would recommend a full visual inspection of all components. Go under the dash and slide back the rubber boot around the intermediate shaft, hold the shaft in one hand and turn the wheel with the other and feel for unwanted movement. This is how I found the worn rag joint in my car, when I moved the wheel I could feel the two sides of the joint move at different times. Try and pull the wheel hard right and see if things go out of alignment again. Look under the car at the steering rack while someone else moves the steering wheel side to side to check for excess movement. I would recommend finding a cause before driving the car again.
I'll check my nut first. It didn't feel like a spline jumping a tooth. I can draw a line across the nut and spline and make it do it again if I turn to the right and try and make it slip again. I'm probably wrong and it is the spline jumping. Noon to 2 and then back again with force at each end of travel. It's not aftermaket. Stacey
------------------ ( Create a team, analyze, make a plan, then ask the wife if it's OK.)
I had an aftermarket Grant wheel that would slip that much. It was the 3 bolts that fastened the wheel to the hub. The center nut was tight, but not tight enough to keep the wheel from turning through the play the loose bolts provided.
------------------ 1986 SE Aero coupe.
3.4 DOHC swap is complete and running, now just have to finish the rest of the car...
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
