I've got some nasty binding in the steering rack of the brat. I originally figured that it was a shot u-joint....so I pulled the shaft out, and the joints were fine.

 

So, I decided to move the rack through it's range of motion....and wow. Something is NOT right. It is very difficult to get the steering to move.

 

 

 

Can this be lubricated? I was thinking of just pulling back the tie rod bellows and stuffing a bunch of grease back in there. I really hope I can do it with the rack in the car, as I'm pretty sure that the exhaust studs will not be reusable.

It's probably chewed up inside - adding lube will just make grinding compound from the shavings and grit.

 

If it's a manual rack I would pull it out and I might look it over and see if it's repairable but it sounds like it probably shot. Replacements aren't too hard to find.

 

GD

I just replaced the boots on the manual rack that's going to live under my EA81 wagon instead of the P/S rack and you can grease the rack from one side when pulling it out to the stop.

It's probably chewed up inside - adding lube will just make grinding compound from the shavings and grit.

 

If it's a manual rack I would pull it out and I might look it over and see if it's repairable but it sounds like it probably shot. Replacements aren't too hard to find.

 

GD

 

fair enough. car-part doesn't really show many nearby, except the yard here in town, who I absolutely HATE.

 

I know when I drove this thing right after we got the new gas tank in it ~5 years ago, it didn't have this issue. And it probably has less than 50 miles on it since then, and a few of those would be in a swamp. So I wouldn't be a bit surprised if things got flushed out. I'm going to stuff some lube in there, and hopefully that helps enough that I can wheel it a few times this year. Then I'll just plan on replacing the rack when I do the EJ swap.

Chux, I have a complete PS set-up I was gonna put on my 86 Brat....

crossmember, rack, pump, hoses. basically everything needed for a PS swap.

it's still in the box from Jerry in WA, so no midwest rust....

If you completely unscrew and remove the backlash adjuster screw and lock nut you can pull out the plastic spacer and squish a bunch of grease in there and move the rack back and forth through it's full range of motion.

 

It is possible that the backlash adjuster spacer is even the problem. The rack moves back and forth against it, no bearings, if it does not have lube or the old lube is gummy, then there could be a lot of friction. I have done this to all of my Subarus and it helps a lot with the friction in the steering, plus you get to remove the steering backlash in the process.

So, just got back from the shop (was working on the rally car some too).

 

 

Wasn't the steering rack.

 

 

 

When we did the lift, we made strut extensions that fit between the strut and knuckle, so the strut as still at stock height. So, since the struts were never removed from the car, we didn't think to pound that little bump on the strut tower.

 

Well, 3" blocks on the crossmember, and 4 1/4" at the strut....pulls the strut in enough that the spring rubs on the tower.

 

 

 

 

got out the hammer.....and it's fixed!