Play in steering rack.

[JamesO]

Took the car for its MOT today and she passed with a couple of advisory items.
Slightly corroded brake pipes.
Fuel pipes corroded.
Slight play in steering rack on the offside.

None are a surprise as I need to change a few pipes in the summer, I have noticed it does tend to wander a bit at speed.

As the play is only the offside is it likely to be the inner tie rod? There is no play in the track rod end.
I assume if one sides going its worth replacing both to save on alignment bills.

 

[Neil Haughey]

Sounds about right to me. Word of caution though, I had an MoT tester tell me I had slight play in the rack or UJ's many years ago. Couldn't see it myself, even stood outside the car pushing the wheel as soon as it moved the road wheel moved. Also no knocks felt at the road wheel. What I then realised is that you can feel a very slight knock as the steering wheel is moved off the straight ahead but this is just the pistons in the rack loading, I wouldn't even really call it a knock its just a feeling. That rack is still in use now btw on my race car.

 

[zcacogp]

I had an MOT tester tell me my rear shocks were on the way out two years ago.

They weren't.

And when it went for a test last year, the same tester remarked on how firm they were and had I changed them? []


Oli.

 

[JamesO]

ORIGINAL: Neil Haughey

Sounds about right to me. Word of caution though, I had an MoT tester tell me I had slight play in the rack or UJ's many years ago. Couldn't see it myself, even stood outside the car pushing the wheel as soon as it moved the road wheel moved. Also no knocks felt at the road wheel. What I then realised is that you can feel a very slight knock as the steering wheel is moved off the straight ahead but this is just the pistons in the rack loading, I wouldn't even really call it a knock its just a feeling. That rack is still in use now btw on my race car.

Cheers, thats usefull to know. I do get a knock through the wheel sometimes, but only when putting a lot of lock on at low speed. I'll check it out anyway as it needs an alignment and don't want to have to get it done twice.