slack in steering
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From: cullman,Al
slack in steering i have about 1" of play in my steering. If i center the steering wheel all the slack is when turning the wheel left. i reached into the engine compartment and turned the column with my hand i can move only the slack. i cant move it any to the right just by hand. i couldnt see because of some plastic cover over the bottom but thats where the slack seems like its coming from. how do i fix this?
that plastic cover only covers the knuckle and the bolt that goes through it, i guess its possible for that to be worn out. Really any car will have some slack in it because of the joints it has going down to the rack.
i have the very same problem however i linked the problem to the tie-rod ends
so i have been looking around for some aftermarket ends that will help out with the original problem of bump-steer.
so i have been looking around for some aftermarket ends that will help out with the original problem of bump-steer.
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From: cullman,Al
as far as any car having slack. my 97z had a little slack but not like this one. i drove my buddys 02z the other day and i've been driving mine so long that i was used to the slack and really missed my 97. i hydroplaned it into oncoming traffic got tboned and it pushed the drivers side door all the way to the console. i was lucky i wasnt buckled in.
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That is what I was going to suggest. The rag joint going bad can cause the steering to slowly get more slack in it. It can cause up to two inches of movement. You can get replacement at the auto parts store in the universal Help! section or you can buy a metal replacement that will never go bad from this link :
http://www.unbalancedengineering.com/Camaro/Rag_Joint/
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From: Decatur, TN (N-W of Athens)
That, or the worst thing so far to list: Wheel bearings. :\
As far as the steering shaft goes (rag joint), when Merv posted pics of his LTx to LSx conversion, he had to go with the LSx steering setup, and posted a side-by-side of the steering shafts. Well the LSx version looks to be identical except the LSx had 2 knuckle joints instead of 1. Which translates into no more rag joint! If that does turn out to be the last thing you end up replacing, I'd hit up the junk yards for any of the 98+ F-Bodies and nab one. Hell, if you don't have the 98+ front Discs, might as well grab the spindle, lines, calipers and discs too
As far as what Julious is saying, I'm not quite sure. The older vehicles with gear boxes had a bolt like that, and when they came loose they'd cause slop in the steering, in which case you just tightened it back up. I don't know which bolt he's referring too in rack and pinion :\
Other than that, my first guess was going to be Tie-Rods, then wheel bearings. I hate the rag joint design, so it can easily be the cause too.
Let us know, especially if you get an LSx shaft
Me and Merv thought it looked to be a direct bolt in.
As far as the steering shaft goes (rag joint), when Merv posted pics of his LTx to LSx conversion, he had to go with the LSx steering setup, and posted a side-by-side of the steering shafts. Well the LSx version looks to be identical except the LSx had 2 knuckle joints instead of 1. Which translates into no more rag joint! If that does turn out to be the last thing you end up replacing, I'd hit up the junk yards for any of the 98+ F-Bodies and nab one. Hell, if you don't have the 98+ front Discs, might as well grab the spindle, lines, calipers and discs too
As far as what Julious is saying, I'm not quite sure. The older vehicles with gear boxes had a bolt like that, and when they came loose they'd cause slop in the steering, in which case you just tightened it back up. I don't know which bolt he's referring too in rack and pinion :\
Other than that, my first guess was going to be Tie-Rods, then wheel bearings. I hate the rag joint design, so it can easily be the cause too.
Let us know, especially if you get an LSx shaft
Me and Merv thought it looked to be a direct bolt in. 
What does bump steer have to do with loose steering? Bump steer is when the nose of the car travels up and down after going through a sever dip or bump and the car pulls to the right or left, Bump steer is affected by the geometry of the front suspension, has nothing to do with steering wheel play..
Thread Starter
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From: cullman,Al
yeah i heard bump steer was a problem resulting form lowering the suspension. my suspension is stock. i still havent checked yet but today i noticed a grinding sound when turning left when i go fast enough to feel the weight of the car in the steering. if i turn slow no noise i have a feeling this is going to be a problem. it doesnt do it turning right. i was thinking the problems may be linked.
