How can you tell when the rack and pinion steering is going bad? I have a 99 Forester with 137,000 miles. Today the front end started to shake just for a few seconds as if the front wheels were loose. I was not braking at the time.

Shaking can be due to a lot of things. Could have just been the road surface, might be tires out of balance, bad ball joint/ tie rod end, loose bushings, worn wheel bearing, lots of things. Steering racks don't generally go "bad" as often as tie rod ends and ball joints, but it's not out of the ordinary if it does. The best way to test a steering rack is to rule out everything else first. The rack is totally enclosed, so visual inspection is impossible, and determining play in the steering rack is hard to do until you're absolutely sure that all the other points in the steering system are solid.

Check for the basics first, play in the tie rod ends, ball joints, wheel bearings (make sure the lug nuts all are tight), check conditions of all of the bushings.

It would help to know the conditions when you noticed this. How fast were you going? Making a turn? Were you accelerating? Decelerating? What type of road surface?

I was going about 35, not accelerating, not turning, road surface was fine. This is not the first this has happend. I have noticed it on the freeway, but not as severe as today. If I jack up the car could I determine anything by shaking the wheels?

Get the car in the air (and supported )and wiggle the tires from side to side and top to bottom. Have some one under the car looking for any "play" in the tie rods, bushings, struts, rack, knukles, etc, or you look while they wiggle. Next take a beefy (two foot or more) pry bar and lift up on the susbension and ball joint points of the car, try prying this way and that to see if anything gives. Pry on various connected suspension and steering items. Look for shiney or worn areas on or around rubber bushings and sealed greased areas. If you still can't find or determine anything either wait till it gets worse or give it a tire rotation and see if it goes away. If it does it may have been out of balanced tires, I would then reccomened a tire balance and alignment check.

If it was "like the wheels are shaking" - did you check the wheels/lug nuts?

 

Have you ever had axle work done? because if you have that's likely to be the problem - an after market axle. Or have you checked your axles recently, most particularly the inner joint close to the tran given your symptoms. Look to see if a boot is cracked.

 

Check the ball joint, tie rod, and steering rack boots. Doesn't require doing anything but looking under the car. Look for torn boots on any of them.

Usually if the rack isnt leaking it is fine. There are many other parts that can do what you describe. You should have a shop inspect it, as some of those parts sort of keep the wheels attached to the car.

 

 

Slightly important.

 

 

nipper