so I started with , this
"

How to check if the rack need fluid . Never had a non power rack car . Its stiff at turn in then fine. It sometimes won't return from slight turn without input from driver. Was fi e the other day. Started last night haven't in hooked column to see if its it but it seems to be in the front end . Its warmer out than a few days last week and it didn't do it then like power racks tend to do. Could it be a ball joint . Haven't been under it yet. Just seems like its in the rack once u start to turn its normal . Figure it might be low on fluid/ oil/ grease . Whatever it uses . Thanks. Will research it more when I get home later from doctors "

figuring it might be that or a ball joint/etc..

checked all joints, greased them all, tie rods fine, pulled back rack boots and stuffed the rack ends with grease blowing it as far in as I could with air gun.. covered shaft (pass side) did same on drivers, and got plenty on the teeth on drivers side..
still stiff..
when I put the tilt all the way up. it's almost straight line from column it isn't as bad..
haven't had a chance to disconnect the column from the rack and see if it's in the column or not..
I know there is a u joint in the car at feet, is there another between there and the rack?
how do you remove that rubber cover that's over the rack shaft.. without distroying it.. to inspect it.. as I'm guessing there is a joint in there or it not need a cover..
my guess is it's in the column as it's not as bad when the wheel is straight to the column..
went from fine one day to stuff as hell the next..
how hard is it to open up the top half of the column to see if the titl joint pins are falling out, or something between the shaft and case/tube..(upper bearing balls if ball bearing not bushing?)
I'll know more after I disconnect the column cause if it tight when connected to nothing, it's in it, if loose it's not..
then it's pop the tie rod ends off spindles and see if that changes anything..
iirc when I pulled the column out of a junkyard car (spare) the shaft coming through the floor looked like it had a bearing plate at floor, does it..
as it's got to be something simple as it was night and day change..
ideas??
link to a tilt column diagram blow up..

What tire pressure are you using?

Had an alignment done? What are your specs?

Jonathan

quote Originally posted by Boostdreamer: What tire pressure are you using? Had an alignment done? What are your specs? Jonathan

tire psi 32 doesn't pull.. wheel doesn't return either direction.. and is much stiffer than an alinement issue.. this is something binding

Is it the same with the front tires off the ground?

quote Originally posted by Gall757: Is it the same with the front tires off the ground?

yes.. even the same after regreasing the ball joints and tirrods,(figured I was there) and pulling boots back on rack and stuffing it with greas and getting grease on the shaft (rack) and pulling bolt out of center of rack (goes to nothing and is like an rocker stud) and spraying grease into it there.. (air gun filled with grease on long nose blow gun)
no hitting curbs/etc one day it was fine, the next it's like this.. hope to disconnect the column from rack Friday. and see if it's in the column.. or not..

[This message has been edited by E.Furgal (edited 12-12-2013).]

Check the little u-joint at the rack input shaft, make sure it turns freely in all directions. I have seen them bind up on one side on several cars causing what you're describing.
Once had a Jeep with the same steering problem but intermittantly, one of the axle u-joints was bad, it would turn hard only when the bad joint was in line vertically with the 2 ball joints.