Strange steering issue.

I'm trying to battle a vibration and found something interesting while i was under the car poking around...

When I go full lock to the right, the part of the knuckle/hub assembly that the outter tie rod bolts into, hits my shock fork on the right side
If I go full lock to the left, there is lots of clearance between everything on the left side. WTF!?

Comments

  • someone was drunk when they were making your car. simple as that!
  • NobiZeroNobiZero New Wagonist
    You may have a bent knuckle
  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    Yup something is bent.
  • Either that, or the rack isn't centered. Do you have more threads showing between the left outer/inner tie rod end than you do on the right?

    Are your turns of the steering wheel from center to left lock the same number as center to right lock?
  • GriftyGrifty Wagonist
    I think someone has installed the tie rod on the wrong side, compare it to the other side.

    The bend in the tie rod should be towards the firewall
  • klumklum Senior Wagonist
    interesting guess - have you done that before or something? lol sounds specific haha.
  • klum wrote: »
    interesting guess - have you done that before or something? lol sounds specific haha.

    I've had a friend help me work on the race car and did this on both sides. Had to go around behind him and correct it.
  • quartersquarters Council Member
    Thanks for the reply's friends...

    I had an alignment a month ago, i got the printout, everything checks out.
    The tie rod ends are installed correctly, that was my first guess.
    LowFly'n, I think you are onto something with the rack not being centered. It's a recent rack swap from a CRX Si for tighter ratio, how does one make sure it is centered when installing it? I musta fudged it up. I thought just moving the steering wheel on the column was how you centered it... obviously not?

    Loving the b18, b16 LSD trans, absolutely blows my d16 build outta the water. Turbo b18b (gt28rs) being built over the winter. But nothing is getting done until the vibration is fixed.
  • If I'm starting from scratch (a fresh install), I'll put the wheel on and run the rack full sweep from left to right. Then count the number of rotations back from right to left. Then take your best guess at where center is put the wheel back on. Run the wheel full sweep to make sure where the wheel stops on the left side matches the right. Once you have the wheel centered, then you can make sure the tie rod ends are centered on an alignment rack.
  • Grifty wrote: »
    The bend in the tie rod should be towards the firewall

    The concave part of the tie rod end should be in the opposite direction of the firewall so it doesn't interfere with the wheel/tire at lock.

    We might be talking about the same thing, but it was a little ambiguous when I first read it.
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