BOOT77

Once it started it was constant at higher spds only 50-70

fflumpy

Got a update,
I still have the back and forth in the steering wheel. Gets bad about 45ish and up. The rest if the car is smooth as could be…just the steering wheel back and forth.

here is what has been done…

I tried the tire swap but no change. I put new rims on the car…replaced the spoke rims and got original rims. Balanced and road forced. Got a alignment with a printout. Machanic checked the tie rods and ball joints said they were good. I doubled checked them myself and I can't see any play. Checked the steering…cant see any slop in the shaft or the steering knuckle.

Bearings…u joints? Its driving me nuts

if it was u joints wouldn't the *** of the car shake?

rrt898

I had the same problem on my 86 coupe. I did everything also that could be thought of and then some. Most people were saying my tires are the problem. My tires looked fine and balanced fine. Well this winter I had enough and decided to buy new tires as my last resort.
Guess what.....it was the tires. The car rides perfect without any vibrations at all. I wouldn't of believed it either but; it happened to me.

Bwbob

Agree, i had a shimmy in my 86 that i thought was inner tie rods but tires fixed it.

fflumpy

I appears that there is some play where the steering shaft connects to the rack…85 does not have a rag joint…could that connection be worn? Or does that mean the rack is bad?

Bwbob

Just how much play are you talking about?
Many cars i have driven have had some play in parts of the front end. However, the only ones that shimmied or wobbled were ones with bad tie rods, bearings, or wheel issues. I have had bad ball joints that didnt cause a wobble but they made clunks or caused the stearing wheel to pull.
Check and tighten the nut on the rack, check all the rack mounts. If all that seems ok i look again to the tires

fflumpy

1/4 inch side to side…

Bwbob

At the wheel or at the rack?

fflumpy

where the steering shaft connects to the rack…

Bwbob

Ok. If the part that goes into the rack is moving that much i think your rack is pretty worn. If it just the part that connects to the rack then that joint must be worn. Either way thats quite a bit of movement. You are sure the inner tie rod ends arent moving? They are inside those boots.
Racks do wear out, even with fpower steering fluid changes

fflumpy

i had the car up and checked the tie rods and ball joints. No movement was found.…im pretty positive that the movement is in the steering and not the front end. The u joint on the bottom of the steering shaft (coverd by that metal protective sleeve) looks to be in good shape without play. The movement is below that.

And just help clarify the steeing wheel is turning back and forth not a "shimmy" side to side.… if that helps?

Thanks for the input