I took my car to a shop for an alignment. They called after a few hours and said all they could do was set toe in, but they couldn't do anything else. They said that it seems my steering rack is loose and there is side-to-side play. He said either its not bolted tight enough or the two bushings are old and deteriorated. 

They shop didn't charge me but told me to fix the issue and then bring back the car for the alignment and pay at that time. 

I noticed that there is a bolt to welded nut torque, then a lock nut torque. I put a socket on the lock nut and it seems tight. Additionally the bolt is not a high torque value (19 to 22 ft-lb) but I'm going to loosen everything and retorque all of them. The steering rack bushings are new poly bushings. 

If I may ask the experts here on what else I can check that would cause such a loose feeling in steering rack? Track rod-end? I've checked all the bolts in the steering column (flexible coupling, pinch bolt, steering shaft u-joint pinch bolt) down to the gearbox and they are fine.

This alignment was supposed to be the final step after 2.5 years of work to get this car road worthy and I thought I was done but now there is more work ?

Howard 

1974 260z

 

Edited August 22, 20186 yr by 882993md

http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/steering/rackbushings/index.html

Kinda hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like your driver's side rack bushing may not be the correct version. They made narrow (older) and wide (newer), and they change sometime in 74 with the 260Z.

Does that driver's side bushing fit tightly into the groove on the rack, or is there a gap on the side(s)?

21 minutes ago, 882993md said:

 

Hi Captain:

Both passenger and drivers side bushing have gaps on both sides-I can slide them. 

I’m assuming they should fit snug?

Drivers side bushing

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AtT8cDSGBCrZhip6qSS48Owlqjn0

 

Passenger side bushing

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AtT8cDSGBCrZhinEXTl5PQazezWm

 

Howard

 

Edited August 22, 20186 yr by 882993md

3 hours ago, 240260280 said:

http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/steering/rackbushings/index.html

Looks like this is the type on my car. I don’t know if these are made narrower than the stock parts.

Howard

 

Edited August 22, 20186 yr by 882993md

I just ordered this from Energy Suspension. Hopefully it fits tight.

Howard

I'm restoring the steering rack on a 77 280z right now, the part # for the bushings you have now are for the older narrow rack, these are are the bushings you are looking for. In fact they are so tight I had to grind/sand a 1mm off the sides to get them to fit.

Looks like parts with 10014/10015 are for 240z (narrow) and parts with 10018/10019 are for 260/280z (larger)

 

Here is install sheet that gives kit part numbers at top of page. It shows two different "sets" for 240 & 260/280:

Yeah, those bushings are too sloppy. That'll be the first biggest contributor to slop in the steering if the whole rack can wobble around in there and even slip side-to-side.

I haven't looked into it in depth, but my assumption would be they changed the rack at the same time as a bunch of other 260 stuff like going to the bigger bumpers. Part of what they call "early" or "late" 260.

Is yours an early or late 260?

Kudos to the shop for calling out a problem and not charging. Howard you should share the shops name and location.


72 body and block, everything else 71, Tokico springs, Illumina, R180 CLSD, 83 close ratio, 3.90 gears, Ztherapy SUs, BRE 15X7 Libre wheels and BRE front spoiler.

I went through this just recently too.... the energy suspension parts will fix it!

 

1 hour ago, Captain Obvious said:

Yeah, those bushings are too sloppy. That'll be the first biggest contributor to slop in the steering if the whole rack can wobble around in there and even slip side-to-side.

I haven't looked into it in depth, but my assumption would be they changed the rack at the same time as a bunch of other 260 stuff like going to the bigger bumpers. Part of what they call "early" or "late" 260.

Is yours an early or late 260?

Build date in the metal plate is 8/74. Is that considered late?

Howard