Is steering rack wear common?

[massiveCoRbyn]

As above really?

My '53 172 Cup has a little bit of play in the front end. You can't feel it on smooth roads particularly, but on bumpy roads you get a lot of fight through the steering under acceleration. If you wobble each of the wheels by hand, you can feel/hear a little clunking in the steering. It's worse on the nearside I think, but not by much. The car had new TREs quite recently, which made no difference.

Not had a chance to get it up in the air and try and work things out properly, but I just wondered if steering rack wear was a common issue with these, or whether it might just be the track rods themselves.

Car is hardly low mileage at 120k. Not sure I fancy changing the rack, as I assume it's a subframe off job!

 

[Darren S]

Is it more of a 'grating' noise than a clunk? At one point my steering rack was touching the heatshield. It doesn't do that now, but I do have similar noise symptoms as yours. And for the record - mine is north of 135k. Might just be an age-related thing?

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

It's a definite clunk/knock. You can feel play in the steering when you wobble the wheels, though it doesn't appear to be causing issues with tyre wear.

You can also feel it when accelerating hard on even a slightly bumpy surface. A friend with a 172 also noticed it - his doesn't do it.

I would have to put it down to the track rods or the rack itself if I had to make the call. That's where the play feels like it is. It should be noted that the lower arms were also replaced with new genuine ones earlier this year too.

 

[adamlstr]

Have you looked at the rack bushes?

Swapped mine for nylon ones and the difference was noticeable.

 

[MicKPM]

Rack bushes, bottom ball joints... all more likely to be issues rather than the SMI rack itself.

 

[bloke]

will be the rods.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

As I say, bottom ball joints were changed as it had complete new arms.

It definitely feels like it is in the steering. You can feel and hear the knock if you hold onto the wheel and wobble it from side to side, and it is decidedly metallic.

Are the track rods difficult to replace?

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

Minor update to this...

I've just been looking on ECP at track rods and they list two different part numbers.

This one, which they inform me is for the TRW rack: http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/R...10a5fb9c6efdf58dd165254b5480ef85ffd592&000347

And this one, which they say is for the SMI rack: http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/R...79f0d752407e987b12e9b00311cc5b9a8c0299&000347

I assume I have the SMI rack, as someone mentioned it above? Don't actually know what the difference is...

 

[krappy]

IIRC the SMI is for right hand drive cars and the TRW rack is on left hand drive cars only? But I am sure someone can confirm...

 

[Trackslag172]

IIRC the SMI is for right hand drive cars and the TRW rack is on left hand drive cars only? But I am sure someone can confirm...

Can anyone confirm this, I'm having a similar problem to the above
Cheers,
Tim

 

[ADS_V6]

SMI rack matey,had this when ordering powerflex rack bushes your 172 will have the smi

 

[Trackslag172]

Nice one, I am just ordering the steering rack, outer ARB and rear shock polybushes from swautos

 

[ClioSpurt]

I'm having a similar issue to the gent in the OP. Was this sorted in the end? As my 182 is wandering under load, really disconcerting. No play at wheels when side to side and top and bottom checked, but large clunk heard when steering wheel wiggled without engine on. can someone remind me on what a pain these racks are to replace?

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

I never fully got to the bottom of this.

My car has had new lower arms, new track rod ends and new track rods, but it still does it. It only does it when you accelerate hard on bumpy roads. It's going in next week to have poly bushes fitted to the steering rack, so I will report back then.

 

[klm182]

I'm having a similar issue to the gent in the OP. Was this sorted in the end? As my 182 is wandering under load, really disconcerting. No play at wheels when side to side and top and bottom checked, but large clunk heard when steering wheel wiggled without engine on. can someone remind me on what a pain these racks are to replace?

I had clunks when turning the wheel from lock to lock,with the engine on.. I was told, I needed a new rack..it is a big job..well an expensive one..if you buy from Renault ,they do a part exchange scheme, they don't make new ones..you do get track rods ends with the rack..car handles like a dream now,steering is so tight..

 

[General Dave]

@massivewangers @ClioSpurt @klm182 lately I've been having a loud clicking almost clunk from my steering at low speeds and when "dry" steering and it turns out my steering rack to subframe bolts were loose... not scary loose but enough to create a noise. Maybe worth a check chaps.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

I've not noticed any clicking or clunking sounds from my car. My symptoms just seem to be severe tramlining and steering wriggle under hard acceleration on uneven roads, much more than other 172s I've driven.

It's going to Mark Fish on Monday and he is fitting poly rack bushes amongst other things, so will report back once that it done!

 

[DanSej6]

I had the annoying clunking/banging when steering, especially during parking manoeuvres as well as vague feeling through the steering and the wandering fighting feeling when getting on the power. Changed the tack bushes for powerflex ones and it's mostly gone. Well, the noise and wandering has gone, steering directness isn't as sharp as I'd like still, but I do have a bit of play in the OS tie rod inner joint which is next on the list

 

[chris-foci]

Did you sort your steering out in the end?

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

Not got the car back yet, having a couple of other things done at the same time.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

Car is now back, having had new steering rack and ARB bushes fitted, along with the alignment adjusted.

It is better without doubt, but the tramlining is still present. Mark said he couldn't see any cause for it. He said my tyres aren't ideal, which I agree with, so that might be making it a little worse, but it did it even on very good tyres.

All of the suspension bushes on my car are less than a year old. The only old parts left are the front dampers and top mounts which I will replace in due course, though I am dubious that that would cause the problem.

For the record, still no clunking noises or anything like that in my car.