Elrick

I was checking my wheel bearings and tie rods today and when holding the tire at 3 and 9 o'clock and moving it back and forth, there is a lot of play. It doesn't look like it's in the tie rod end as much as the whole rack seems to move. The steering even moves. am checking this correctly and how much should the wheel be moving back and forth? The car just seems to have some slop in the steering. It has 92k on it. I recently got rid of an 86 that I replaced the steering rack, tie rods, ball joints and hub assemblies. That car drove so much tighter than this one. I had originally thought I just needed to do the outer tie rod ends but now I am wondering if the inner ones on the rack are loose. holding the tire at 12 and 6 it's nice and tight, no movement. The steering just doesn't seem to be as responsive as it should be and I don't remember this much movement on my 86 even before I changed everything. I am going to rebuild the front end over this winter but for now I thought I could throw on some tie rod ends and have it aligned. Besides leaking, what are some common signs of a bad steering rack and does this sound like my problem?

69mako

If its sloppy, its a bearing...did you test both sides?

Elrick

yes, both sides have a lot of movement from side to side but none up and down so I thought the bearings were okay and that it would be something in the inner or outer tie rods.

RUU

That's been my experience in the past.

96GS#007

For wheel bearings/hubs, you test it by grabbing the wheel at 12 & 6. 9 & 3 introduces the possibility of suspension movement or bad suspension parts.

The fact that the steering moves tells me you were simply putting enough force into it to turn the wheels.

Btw...I've seen on more than one C4 the steering rack actually be loose, just sitting in the frame mounts. Check the nuts that secure the retaining straps to ensure that's not the case with yours.

Elrick

I was thinking the same thing about using too much force but I am really not doing much at all and there is a lot of movement. I am rally basing this on my experience with my 86, which did not have this movement. I did the rack in that car because it leaked, the job was a pita so I really don't want to do it again especially if it's not needed. If the toe rods were bad I would think that that is where I would see the movement, at the tie rod ends, but it seems like the whole tie rod moves. I am not really a great mechanic so I just don't know what I am looking at or looking for and would rather not spend time and money where it's not needed. thanks for the advice.