Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:25:10 -0800
Reply-To: neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Steering/front end "Clack!" sound - then no sound!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hi all.
This is for an '81 Westy with manual steering.
Prior symptoms:
traveling straight on the highway, no bumps, steering feels like it
*intermittently* has ~ 1/4 - 1/2" play. Front end squeeks though I
suspect cracked strut bar bushings are creating this.
Hands on tire at 6/12 o clock driver side: tiny play. Nothing at 3/9.
Passenger side: no play at 6/12 or 3/9. No play in steering when
moving wheel at center or near hard right/left position. (I am only
watching the driver side wheel though)
Front end on jacks, I turn the steering wheel slowly to hard right. It
is consistently a bit harder to turn in the last turn. Turned from
hard right, in the first 3/4 turn to left I hear a loud "clack!"
I could repeat this, but after several times, the sound stopped
happening! I put it back on the ground, bounce the front up/down
several times, turn the wheel to hard L/R several times. It squeaks
when turned slowly from hard right to centre (no squeaks from other
direction) but NO clack. Put it back up on stands, but I still can't
recreate the noise.
Is this "clack" typical of an aging rack? I don't see any receipts
for this part. Vehicle has much more than 350K km's. I have never seen
a rack/pinion system but it seems almost like some teeth weren't
lining up.
I have a rack from an '85 that should fit. Is there any way to bench
test it? I drove the '85 a short distance, but with the crappy P tires
on it, I had no way to judge if steering was really ok.
The fact that it happened, then didn't has me really bugged.
Sorry for the long post but would appreciate any help or diagnostic tips!
Neil.
--
Neil Nicholson '81 JettaWesty "Jaco
http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
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