Rack joint question
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,290
Likes: 140
From: Salem NH
Rack joint question
My aftermarket wheel is clocked just a hair too far to the right. It's such a pita to take it apart due to the telescopic mechanism, just to rotate it maybe 5 degrees counterclockwise.
Where the steering shaft connects to teh rack, is that splines in a circle that can be rotated just a hair, or does it have two flat spots like the older boxes and only go on 2 ways?
-- Joe
Where the steering shaft connects to teh rack, is that splines in a circle that can be rotated just a hair, or does it have two flat spots like the older boxes and only go on 2 ways?
-- Joe
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 221
Likes: 1
From: Topeka Indiana
I can't say for sure either way, but when I took mine for alignment the wheel was off a good 1/4 turn and they centered wheel on my 85. I don't believe they would have gone through all that work and not have charged me extra for aligning wheel. If this helps.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,290
Likes: 140
From: Salem NH
-- Joe
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,050
Likes: 147
From: Phoenix AZ
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
rack
the rack shaft has splines and a inside radius to install a bolt through the coupling that is half in the coupling, and half in the rack so you can't screw up the shaft to rack alignment. If your wheel is off, it might be due to the hub under the wheel being one spline off.
If it's not off that much, then you need your steering wheel aligned at an alignment shop.
If...............you want to do it yourself, you canget some liquid white out, and paint a line on the threads, and put a piece of tape on the adjuster. You use a scale, mark your original setting so you can always go back to square one, and adjust away. Move it a 10th of an inch either way on both sides to get the steering wheel into alignment until it's centered.
It's dicey because the tie rod end is a ball, and if it has any wear at all, your original toe of 1/8 inch could fly out the window.
If it's not off that much, then you need your steering wheel aligned at an alignment shop.
If...............you want to do it yourself, you canget some liquid white out, and paint a line on the threads, and put a piece of tape on the adjuster. You use a scale, mark your original setting so you can always go back to square one, and adjust away. Move it a 10th of an inch either way on both sides to get the steering wheel into alignment until it's centered.
It's dicey because the tie rod end is a ball, and if it has any wear at all, your original toe of 1/8 inch could fly out the window.
