Question:My steering feels loose. Any ideas why?
Answer:The most common causes of steering looseness include
worn tie rod ends, a worn idler arm or center link (on vehicles
without rack and pinion steering), a worn steering gear or a
worn steering rack.
Normally, your steering wheel should have no more than about
a quarter inch of play. Any more means something is worn or loose
and needs to be fixed.
WARNING: Don't put off having your steering looked at because
a failure of a critical component could cause loss of steering
control!
The inner and outer tie rod ends should have no perceptible
looseness. Worn or loose tie rod ends are especially dangerous
because if one pulls apart you'll lose steering control. Worn
tie rod ends can also cause rapid tire wear.
If you have a rear-wheel drive vehicle with conventional steering
(not rack and pinion steering), the idler arm should have no
more than the specified amount of maximum play. Refer to a manual
for the specs and recommended procedure for checking it. Checking
idler arm play usually involves pulling on the arm with a specified
force and measuring how much the arm deflects.
If your vehicle has a lot of miles on it, the steering gear
or rack itself may be worn. On conventional steering boxes, there's
usually an adjustment screw that can be used to take some of the
slack out of the system. With rack and pinion steering, though,
adjustment is usually little help because the rack develops center
wear. If the pinion is adjusted to compensate, the rack may bind
when turned to either side. The only cure for a center wear condition
is to replace the rack with a new one (an entire new rack assembly).
OTHER CAUSES
Sometimes the steering will feel loose because of a worn U-joint
coupling in the steering column. Loose or worn wheel bearings
can also make the steering wander and feel loose.
