GT Bob

Just wondering if anyone else has any issues with their steering rack?

I ask because the other night, as I was driving home from work,A 10 gallon bucket fell off of a truck in front of me. I threw the car hard to the right and missed the bucket, but the car came out so hard on me that I fishtailed so hard that I had to countersteer from steering lock to opposing lock and back like 4 or 5 times before I got it back. After like 2 or 3 times back and forth (and long after I was clear of the bucket, but before I got the car back) I heard a loud thunk from the front of the car..I tihnk on the drivers side, but details are a bit blurred from those few seconds. When I got straightened out I noticed that there was some play in the steering wheel (like 3/4 of an inch or so at the rim) and the cruise control and horn on the steering wheel would notwork, and the airbag light on the dash was on. I drove it that way for a couple of days and it only got worse. At highway speeds the front tires would "hunt" back and forth.

Took it to the dealer today and they looked at it. Turns out the steering rack is shot, and some kind of spring has to be replaced (which I am thinking is in the steering wheel making the connection for the electrical stuff). The dealer at first told me I needed to turn this in to my car insurance, but then a few minutes later said that they would cover this under warrenty... which kinda makes me think that maybe there is a TSB or something on it... Anyone have a similar experience?

Red06

Hi GT Bob,

Did you happen to jack the car up and check the play at the wheels?

My Stang is mainly a toy that I use mostly for open track days and sunny day driving. At the last open track event of the season, I noticed a creaking noise coming from underneath the front of the car on a fast sweeping left turn. I also noticed the car feeling a bit unstable (wobble?) that I never felt before. It was unseasonably hot that day so at the time, I attributed it to the tires being hotter than normal and feeling a bit “greasy”. I can’t remember if it was before or after this track day, but I began to notice a feeling of the car darting back and forth (slightly) in wide turns on the freeway (especially on a grooved section) when I would drive the car to work.

Before I put the car away for the winter, I jacked it up to see if there was anything loose (the G-Track brace was my biggest suspicion). I found that everything (G-Track brace, tie-rod ends, A-arms, ball joints) was tight and there was nothing obviously broken. I grabbed the passenger side tire at 3:00 and 9:00 and noticed quite a bit of play. When grabbing at 12:00 and 6:00 there was none. I spoke with my former neighbor (who is a mechanic) over new years and he suspected the steering rack. I didn’t think about this when I had the car jacked up last fall…

I’ve never had any lock to lock panic turning like you had but I do have a lot of hard cornering miles on my car. I’d be interested in any specifics you may find out when you take your car in for repair. I was going to take my car over to my former neighbor’s shop in the spring but if there is some TSB out on the steering rack, I may take it to the dealership.

Thanks,

Joe

GT Bob

What you described is EXACTLY what I felt, both when driving and when I jacked the front of the car up. The front end of the car dancing about at highway speeds, tho not as noticable at local road speeds. I jacked the car up and there was about 2 or 3 inches of play left and right, but tight up and down. After the pop, the creaking noise was also present, tho I assumed it was my LCA's, and never put it to the rack.

The car is in the dealership right now and they are awaiting on the arrival of my new steering rack. There is no TSB that the mechanic and service writer I am dealing with know of, but the mechanic told me he has seen2 other cars with the same issue since the S197 came out. Turns out that was the reason they opted to cover it under warrenty rather than make me file an insurance claim.

RodeoFlyer

I have not had this problem, however if I had to guess I would say that those running without bumsteer kits are putting considerably more load on the steering rack. Once your problems are corrected I would have them installed. It's a good idea regardless, but this is an area where it's maintainence value is worth more than the performance increase. It's one of those things that people don't necessarily "need", but is advisable.

GT Bob

Thanks for the tip... I'll look into them. Most of my track time tends to be in straight lines, but the car is daily driven and once or twice a year I do hit open track events... Any suggestions on makers?

Red06

Hi RodeoFlyer,

From GT Bob's sig, I think he's only lowered in the back. My understanding was that bumpsteer adjustment was only necessary on lowered cars such as mine.

Looking at stock cars, the angle of the steering arms (for lack of a better/correct term) are angled slightly downward from the steering rack. On my car, the arms are just about parallel with the steering rack. Correcting bumpsteer would put some downward angle back onto the steering arms right? I don't see how making the steering system more in-line would put additional load on the system. It seems like there would be less load as things are more in line. Am I missing something? Not trying to argue, just trying to learn something.

Thanks,

Joe

Norm Peterson

You're not the only one. I can see where a bumpsteer kit might increase the stresses on things like the tierod studs, the steering arms, and the knuckles in the vicinity of the steering arm attachments, but not particularly anything else.

If the OP managed to bang the steering off the stops on both sides, maybe it's a steering stop issue.


Norm

RodeoFlyer

My SWAG (scientific wild *** guess) is that if your bumpsteer is not corrected the constant involuntary steering inputs as the suspension travels is putting more wear on the steering rack. It made sense in my head lol.

GT Bob

Oh..I managed to bang the steering off of BOTH stops, a couple of times apiece. I drove down the same stretch of road today and from the skid marks, I went back and forth about 6 times, and I recall, all but the last of them was lock to lock.

I just got the call from the dealership. The car is done. New rack is in and so is the clock spring. They aren't sure whats wrong with the rack, and since they just ship it back to Ford, I will likely never know.

And yeah, I am only lowered in the rear. I am going back to stock springs soon tho. I don't care for the ride quality that the new springs have and I drive too much in this car to have it be uncomfortable... Had it since May of 07, and I have 15,700 miles on it already.

Simon1

Did you get different shocks? It makes a bi difference in our cars and if you switch back to the stock springs you may discover it's not the springs that are the issue now, but rather the shocks. Shocks are made to ride at a certain hieght and range of motion.

Just food for thought.

Hopefully the steering issue is done.