Need steering rack adjustment tool

[Canuck714]

are you chasing slop in the steering wheel?
After tightening my rack slop, i discovered a leak so just replaced the rack . Guess what, still had some slop!!
Turns out most of my back and forth steering wheel slop was actually the steering shaft... For F-Sakes!!
The shaft has a collapsible slide with Teflon bushing where the 2 parts slide in and out.. Was completely worn out.

 

[jackjare9455]

are you chasing slop in the steering wheel?
After tightening my rack slop, i discovered a leak so just replaced the rack . Guess what, still had some slop!!
Turns out most of my back and forth steering wheel slop was actually the steering shaft... For F-Sakes!!
The shaft has a collapsible slide with Teflon bushing where the 2 parts slide in and out.. Was completely worn out.

History and update on this:
I was going down a neighbors driveway, which was a lot of hard gravel rocks and rough but small potholes, and I just felt it ALL through the steering column. I could feel some of it as "play" in the steering wheel, my hand was holding firm, but you felt slop underneath, if that makes any sense. I checked the tie rods and the rack, and I had no play there.
So, I made the adjustments and didn't feel it helped. However, I went back and re-adjusted again and I think it made a slight improvement in steering feel.
I think you are correct, that the play has to be in the shaft itself.
If I have my truck off, I can shake the steering wheel back and forth and hear an audbile "clank" noise. After tightening the "slack" in the gear box, I still hear the noise, but it is less audible.
I had some older chevy trucks that I had to replace the intermediate steering shaft to fix steering wheel clunk... I might look into replacing the steering shaft components, to see if that alleviates the issue, like you mentioned.

 

[Canuck714]

the shaft is cheap-ish.
I thought I got mine for just over a $100 a couple years ago.
Google steering shaft for your year and there will be options.
I still think there should be a roll pin securing the 2 halves. After a couple off-road excursions you can feel a little give in the Teflon bushing.

 

[TheTallRoadrunner]

the shaft is cheap-ish.
I thought I got mine for just over a $100 a couple years ago.
Google steering shaft for your year and there will be options.
I still think there should be a roll pin securing the 2 halves. After a couple off-road excursions you can feel a little give in the Teflon bushing.


View attachment 396611

I feel like at this point cant you get one that is just a straight rod? or does this part allow the telescoping feature of the wheel?

 

[ugliestdrivingraptor]

I feel like at this point cant you get one that is just a straight rod? or does this part allow the telescoping feature of the wheel?

indeed it does. you could get a straight one if you fancy becoming a raptor kebab

 

[Bozz]

yeah. i stuck it in first then got the serpentine belt tool with a 1/2 drive and put it in the socket and was able to make the adjustment. its a tight fit thats why the serpentine belt too works well.

Hmmmmm.......I thought this was going somewhere else..........

 

[jackjare9455]

Hmmmmm.......I thought this was going somewhere else..........

After 3 kids, you just hope your doing something at all

 

[ugliestdrivingraptor]

Has anyone figured out a way to get these more solid? i hate the slop in the steering wheel

 

[n204life]

Same issue here I'm chasing down. Adjusted the rack and pinion tension spring to just where it bottomed out and it made little change. Still have slop. When I rotate the steering shaft by hand in the engine bay it seems from steering wheel to rack and pinion input shaft is 1:1. I can swear all my slop left to right is rotating at the r/p input shaft.
Wouldn't you be able to see the wear if your rotating the steering shaft by hand? Like if you shake quickly back and forth your see a wear point and essentially a clunk right? If the steering shaft u joints were bad you'd see it right by shaking?
I got to get a handle on this cause my bump steer is dangerous sometimes.

 

[Guardrail]

I had the same problem. turned out to be the dust shield where the steering shaft comes through the firewall. There's a bearing in it that dries out.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/rparts-sit...3bef918b/1a4883da21f3f8d14ff6316af0525453.jpg


Makes a clicking sound and feels like play in the steering