Steering Rack Play

[g300d]

Just wanted to say it's 2022 and I am still living with my clunking steering rack.

[80stech]

My steering slip-u-joint started is now more noticeable than the rack so I don't know if the rack maybe corrected itself a little bit (maybe teflon came back to shape) or I just don't notice it because of the slip joint assembly. I had replaced the slip joint once but it latest less than 100K km. ;(

[oldskewel]

Originally Posted by 80stech

My steering slip-u-joint started is now more noticeable than the rack so I don't know if the rack maybe corrected itself a little bit (maybe teflon came back to shape) or I just don't notice it because of the slip joint assembly. I had replaced the slip joint once but it latest less than 100K km. ;(

I had a deadband in my steering wheel when I first got the car - about one inch at the steering wheel left-right with no movement of the wheels. Might have been reasonable to blame it on the rack.

But it turned out it was just the double-u-joint in the steering column. I did not even need to replace any parts. I just needed to carefully reposition it, and tighten down the set screws. I'm not the only on to have had this problem and solution - other examples on here.

[80stech]

I'll have to check my old one but I think it was the joints that had the play. I remember thinking though, that it might be repairable so I kept the old one.

[oldskewel]

Here's the thread, in case there is any hope the problem is here rather than in the rack.

https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...ring-play.html

As I remember and briefly noted in that thread, there was some play I could see down at where the steering column goes into the rack, but that turned out to be insignificant. Once I tightened the u-joint screws, things felt as tight as anything, and still are now at 203k miles.

[EODguy]

Originally Posted by g300d

Blackvette, it would be cool if we could get ZF rebuilds, not some random parts guys pick and pulls.

EODguy, I played with lash adjustment but it also tightens steering up too much. A proper fix would be much preferred.

Try this if you are doing adjustments, doung gears by "feel" almost never works out well.
https://www.aerospacemanufacturingan...nt-app-081318/

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[g300d]

Originally Posted by EODguy

Try this if you are doing adjustments, doung gears by "feel" almost never works out well.
https://www.aerospacemanufacturingan...nt-app-081318/

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That is pretty cool, thanks!

There really is an app for everything now lol

[EODguy]

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[g300d]

2023 and the rack in the 3.0 clunks on lol!

I noticed there are brand new Chineseium racks now available. I wonder how those perform.

[EODguy]

Originally Posted by g300d

2023 and the rack in the 3.0 clunks on lol!

I noticed there are brand new Chineseium racks now available. I wonder how those perform.

I had mine rebuilt and the hardest part is the little torque converter on the rack as it is a point of failure that you can't buy a replacement for.
(At least I couldn't)

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