| Author |
Message |
Herbert E. Gault (Irfgt)
| | Posted on Monday, March 05, 2001 - 7:10 pm: | |
Jack up the front end and move each wheel right and left by pulling on the wheel to see if you can feel the play in the right or left wheel. The 308s have a tendency to wear the bushings inside the rack housing that will cause the play yet the rack and pinion gears are still OK. It will appear that the inner tie rod joint is bad. |
Craig Dewey (Craigfl)
| | Posted on Monday, March 05, 2001 - 6:53 am: | |
I'm not completely familiar with the 308 rack & pinion setup but typically if there is play at the center(wheels straight ahead), you should be able to do some kind of free-play adjustment with the pinion. Some have an adjust screw (working a spring against the pinion) to set the clearance. This locks in place after the adjustment. Some use shims to set the spring pressure pinion against rack. Since most of the wear takes place around the center, you should adjust it there checking the extreme travel. Careful not to make it too tight in the center or you will get a big surprise at the extreme lock like William says!! -- It will jam. If you can't get the rack & pinion free play out without being too tight at the ends, you may need to replace the rack and pinion.
P.S. The above is assuming that you have checked to be sure that the play isn't coming from somewhere else in the system. |
'75 308 GT4 (Peter)
| | Posted on Monday, March 05, 2001 - 1:15 am: | |
The only thing I can think of in 308 front-ends that use shims, are to set camber and castor. |
BretM (Bretm)
| | Posted on Sunday, March 04, 2001 - 8:42 pm: | |
The previous owner of my 308 fixed that. There is some sort of adjusters for each wheel (I would imagine that it is threaded rod) that he set differently. I don't think that it is that hard to do, he said something about using locktight on it after he was done. My car has very little play (probably about 1 degree of turning he steering wheel). An alignment shop could probably take car of it pretty easily. |
William H (Countachxx)
| | Posted on Sunday, March 04, 2001 - 8:07 pm: | |
My mechanic always worries whenever some1 else gets near the steering rack, he says they r known to bind up on 308s, now THAT would b scarey
I have a 68 Corvette & I have to rebuild the steering box in that, maybe thats what yours needs? |
'75 308 GT4 (Peter)
| | Posted on Sunday, March 04, 2001 - 7:20 pm: | |
Are you leaking alot of oil from the steering unit? Mine is. I have play in mine too, but not as bad as some other cars that I've driven. Possible areas where there could be play:
-The two universal joints on the steering shaft (#103343).
-The rack & pinion gears (not a separate part#, part of the whole unit #104498).
-The ball joints (#104499). |
Greg Rodgers (Joechristmas)
| | Posted on Sunday, March 04, 2001 - 6:56 pm: | |
My 308 has some play in the Steering and I was wondering if anybody had any ideas on the best way to fix this and what is the best item to address first? Thanks. 78' 308 GTS |