slop in steering (real or imagined)

Hi Chris,

What happens when you get the car off the ground and run the steering from lock to lock?? Is it smooth?? If it doesn't appear to be skipping a tooth at some particular point, I am having a hard time with failing the rack. If it had a broken tooth on the rack, i would guess that at some point the rack would skip a tooth, resulting in a big discontinuity in input/output on center or wherever the rack was when you impacted. So, porbably not the rack.

If the impact had broken the bearing surface in the ball joint(s), rack bushings, mounts, a arm bushings, wheel bearings, or tierod ends, I would think that the alignment guys would pick this up as play, prior to doing the alignment. If a shim were rattled loose, i would expect them to find it.

Having had the car aligned twice, i am skeptical that any of the above are the culprit.

I haven't enough alignment experience to predict the effect of a slight tweek in the frame, but i am leaning in that direction, since it has been aligned by some competent shops twice.

Keep us posted,
chris

 

even manual racks can loose tolerance and require rebuilding. You can also loose the bushing that hold the rack especially if the anchors are not tight and you hit lots of the same bump over and over on the track. I have even ended my day with the steering wheel pointed in another direction to go straight. The alignment was not knocked off the rack position was! I doubt your dealer changed the rack bushing otherwise he would have had to take the rack out and then you would have told you to rebuild it before he put it back in. Its like doing a major and not changing your water pump.

 

Has the rack been overhauled?The bush in the passenger side of the rack usually wears.Jack the front of the car up and jiggle the passenger wheel from left to right.If there is play there you will see it.On my car the tie rod arm would move up and down as the bush was worn oval.I have overhauled the rack and have recoed all the suspension and it made a huge difference

 

I would measure the right and left side distance between the front and rear wheels and be sure they are the same. As long as the frame is straight I would also suspect the steering rack. They do get worn out, although in your case I would be checking for damage.

Ken

 

I'm just saying to be sure everything is square to begin with. Sort of like checking tire pressures before you do an alignment.

Ken

 

Get it laser aligned. I did this a few months back (£180) and the difference in handling was astonishing. Worth every penny (or cent)

Do you feel any play in the rack ball joints (under the boots), are the arms bent?

Any small problems will be found on the geo check.

Tony

 

I had an 87 328GTS with mileage around 29k and it needed a new steering rack (purchased from Ferrari UK for around $800 delivered!). New rack came with new tie rods too. I also had new rack bushings installed at the same time. Made all the difference in the world. My symptons were the car was following ruts in the freeway much too easily. I had two alignments done, but it made little difference.

 

Bushings that support the rack where it is secured to the car.

 

If it didn't make a difference then it wasn't done correctly. Take it to somebody who KNOWS what they are doing.

Any cars handling or suspension problems will show up instantly on these test rigs, it isnt rocket science. Changing the rack and or suspension bushes will affect the geometry.

 

Chris, have them take a look, but I am inclined to think you need your rack taken apart and see about that internal bushing that is known to be a failure point on 308/328 racks, and cause some play in the steering.
Rebuild kits are available on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ferrari-308-328-Steering-Rack-Rebuild-Kit_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33589QQihZ019QQitemZ290176343427QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW