My Steeroids went South
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,991
Likes: 3
From: Piscataway NJ
My Steeroids went South
Scared the pants off me driving and just with a normal correction I had nothing. It developed a lot of play in the steering. It will barely turn left at all.
No Leaks
Plenty of fluid
Not the pump I have hydroboost with plenty of brake
Maybe has 8000 miles on it in 5 years.
Any body?
No Leaks
Plenty of fluid
Not the pump I have hydroboost with plenty of brake
Maybe has 8000 miles on it in 5 years.
Any body?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 113
From: Saginaw Michigan
There is a pinion bearing inside the rack and pinion. It is right under the stamped cap on the lower end of the pinion housing. If that bearing goes very bad, the pinion teeth can actually skip on the teeth of the rack. A very serious and potentially dangereous situation.
It is #21 Pinion Bearing Assembly in the following blowup of a Saginaw rack and pinion gear.
Jim
It is #21 Pinion Bearing Assembly in the following blowup of a Saginaw rack and pinion gear.
Jim
Premium Supporting Vendor
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,485
Likes: 81
From: Santo TX
I'm sending you a pm. Give me a call or e-mail so we can figure out what the problem is.
__________________
www.SpeedDirect.com
Corvette Forum Members get 10% off with code: CF10
Steeroids rack & pinion conversion kit for '53-'82 Corvettes
Shark Bite Suspension Front & Rear Coil-Overs, Aluminum A-Arms & Diff Covers, Stage Kits
Rod Links Spherical rod end clutch linkage for '65-'82 Corvettes
www.SpeedDirect.com
Corvette Forum Members get 10% off with code: CF10
Steeroids rack & pinion conversion kit for '53-'82 Corvettes
Shark Bite Suspension Front & Rear Coil-Overs, Aluminum A-Arms & Diff Covers, Stage Kits
Rod Links Spherical rod end clutch linkage for '65-'82 Corvettes
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
There is a pinion bearing inside the rack and pinion. It is right under the stamped cap on the lower end of the pinion housing. If that bearing goes very bad, the pinion teeth can actually skip on the teeth of the rack. A very serious and potentially dangereous situation.
It is #21 Pinion Bearing Assembly in the following blowup of a Saginaw rack and pinion gear.
Jim
It is #21 Pinion Bearing Assembly in the following blowup of a Saginaw rack and pinion gear.
Jim
JIm, what is the scoop on bearing 21 there, is it fairly common failure, very rare, and does it give much warning or change of 'feel' when it happens....??
does the rack loose fluid?? what fails?? the housing? or the bearing itself?? is it a ball bearing or bush bearing??
for a roadside repair, would it be possible to screw in the adjustment to reengage the pinion/rack enough to get home on??
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 113
From: Saginaw Michigan
Gene,
I am pretty sure that it is a ball bearing. It is press fit to the housing. There is no loss of power steering fluid. There is grease in this area but not power steering fluid. I would think that the steering would get very sloppy if the bearing fails since the lower end of the pinion no longer has any support. The pinion would **** and would start to move before the rack. This pinion movement would appear as lost motion at the steering wheel.
I don't know much else about lower pinion bearings.
I would not try a roadside repair if I suspected this type of a mechanical problem.
Jim
I am pretty sure that it is a ball bearing. It is press fit to the housing. There is no loss of power steering fluid. There is grease in this area but not power steering fluid. I would think that the steering would get very sloppy if the bearing fails since the lower end of the pinion no longer has any support. The pinion would **** and would start to move before the rack. This pinion movement would appear as lost motion at the steering wheel.
I don't know much else about lower pinion bearings.
I would not try a roadside repair if I suspected this type of a mechanical problem.
Jim
Last edited by Jim Shea; May 29, 2007 at 07:04 PM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,991
Likes: 3
From: Piscataway NJ
Well after I jacked up the car I found one of the two bolts missing that secures the tie rod bracket to the rack.A well lesson learned I will check these bolts at every oil change. I contacted Eric at Speed Direct and told him what I found. I told him after I found the problem I felt bad about posting this. But after I thought about it, I think it may make some of us aware that no matter how well we do things they need to be checked once and awhile. I am just glad I found it. It could have been alot more serious.
And I think that vendors like Speed Direct that jump in when they see you are having a problem says a Whole Lot. Jack
And I think that vendors like Speed Direct that jump in when they see you are having a problem says a Whole Lot. Jack
Last edited by Artsvette73; May 30, 2007 at 04:37 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Better to have found the problem in the garage than on the road as it could have came with some bad consequences. I guess I need to check mine as well since you posted this. Takes all of five minutes to be sure. Thanks for posting back your solution. 
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Well after I jacked up the car I found one of the two bolts missing that secures the tie rod bracket to the rack.A well lesson learned I will check these bolts at every oil change. I contacted Eric at Speed Direct and told him what I found. I told him after I found the problem I felt bad about posting this. But after I thought about it, I think it may make some of us aware that no matter how well we do things they need to be checked once and awhile. I am just glad I found it. It could have been alot more serious.
And I think that vendors like Speed Direct that jump in when they see you are having a problem says a Whole Lot. Jack
And I think that vendors like Speed Direct that jump in when they see you are having a problem says a Whole Lot. Jack
In '01 when doing MY same rack home built supports/tie rods conversion, for my adaptor block I specifically specd' a adaptor block out of solid steel, yeh, it s heavy....but the thickness allows using stock GM bolts into the rack travellor....so the steel block is ~1" thick at that point....AND I used locktite RED....snapped them down GUDDIN TITE.....
SO FAR no problems....I let GM do my QC on them bolts....I didn't trust HD/Lowes/others for QC on THEM.....sorry, but that's MY opinion....
I know of aircraft bolts and crap overseas production....
