Vague steering and tramlining? Check your steering rack preload

[canadians14sr20det]

This is more of a PSA type post, but this issue plagued my car for way too long. Hoping this post can save someone a bunch of time.

My car was wandering all over the road, following all the ruts and grooves. The steering didn't seem to have any excess play though. I did new tie rods, knuckles, LCA bushings, tension rods and wheel bearings. Car is on BC racing coils. Nothing fixed it.

Looking at the rack one day I noticed I could rotate the actual rack bar (where the tie rod inners thread into) about a quarter inch.

You can and should adjust out this play by setting the preload on the rack. Loosen the 22mm jam nut, then tighten the 12mm adjuster until the play is just barely gone. Don't over tighten. If you're concerned, the fsm has a specific procedure for this.

This fixed my suspension issues instantly. The car feels brand new. What was happening is the suspension as it moved could rotate the rack bar slightly, which caused the steering to wander on its own. Best part is this fix is free! Definitely try it before buying a new rack.

[e30gangsta]

Any pictures of this adjuster?

[Kingtal0n]

Yeah man IN FOR PICS. I dont have this issue yet but I am sure one day I will. I just replaced my inner/outer tie rods and I do NOT recall any kind of adjustment/jamnut. Good looking out...

[canadians14sr20det]

Here is where the adjuster is located on the rack (circled in red, underneath of the tag):



Full adjustment procedure from the S14 FSM:

[TheRealSy90]

So what does the FSM say to set the rolling resistance to when adjusting the preload? Because it's clearly showing a torque wrench being applied to the input shaft.

[jedi03]

is that last pic drilling the steering rack?

[canadians14sr20det]

Originally Posted by TheRealSy90

So what does the FSM say to set the rolling resistance to when adjusting the preload? Because it's clearly showing a torque wrench being applied to the input shaft.

Posted the full FSM adjustment procedure above. However I simply adjusted the rack nut to be as loose as possible while still not being able to rotate the rack bar itself.

Basically I tightened it till all of the play demo'd in this video is gone: https://youtu.be/Hrl2rFBfBKk

Originally Posted by jedi03

is that last pic drilling the steering rack?

Nope, the factory used wire clamps to hold the tie rod boots on. That is a drill being used to twist the wire clamps together. Also I edited the above post to get rid of that photo so as to not confuse anyone else.

[Coupes_FTW]

Thanks for posting this. I'm trying to chase down a similar problem. How I would describe my issue is random walking, more prevalent when the wheel is turned to 10 and 2, and sometimes when changing lanes. I don't feel any slop, but out of no where the steering wheel will yank left or right as if the tires caught a big groove in the road. definitely feels like something is loose or broken.

[canadians14sr20det]

Originally Posted by Coupes_FTW

Thanks for posting this. I'm trying to chase down a similar problem. How I would describe my issue is random walking, more prevalent when the wheel is turned to 10 and 2, and sometimes when changing lanes. I don't feel any slop, but out of no where the steering wheel will yank left or right as if the tires caught a big groove in the road. definitely feels like something is loose or broken.

Sounds very similar to what was happening to my car.

[Bnr32gtr]

Thanks for posting I think this might have been my hole problem for the past year. My car won't seem to keep alignment like some times when making left turn the wheel won't come back to 12 it's at like 10/11 then when i make a right turn it will go back to 12 but if I make back to back right hand turns streering wheel will only come back to 1-2 oclock. Is this what your car was doing?

[Kingtal0n]

Holy becheesewizz, mother of mayjubee, I've read that FSM at least 100 times and never saw that. Its amazing how our brains 'tune out' certain things when we have no interest in them.

[canadians14sr20det]

Originally Posted by Bnr32gtr

Thanks for posting I think this might have been my hole problem for the past year. My car won't seem to keep alignment like some times when making left turn the wheel won't come back to 12 it's at like 10/11 then when i make a right turn it will go back to 12 but if I make back to back right hand turns streering wheel will only come back to 1-2 oclock. Is this what your car was doing?

Kinda. My steering would only be out of whack like that after being on the track drifting with violent steering changes. Yours could just be insanely loose.

[Coupes_FTW]

mine was a driver side ball joint that was bad, for anyone else trying to diagnose a similar issue

[brndck]

Originally Posted by Coupes_FTW

Thanks for posting this. I'm trying to chase down a similar problem. How I would describe my issue is random walking, more prevalent when the wheel is turned to 10 and 2, and sometimes when changing lanes. I don't feel any slop, but out of no where the steering wheel will yank left or right as if the tires caught a big groove in the road. definitely feels like something is loose or broken.

this can be strut tower (camber plate) binding as well. not terribly common, but i have seen it. one thing that helps is bearing plates for the springs, like the ones PowerTrix uses on their coilovers
https://www.powertrix.com/s13/s13rt

or like PBM is making in this IG post
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiM9SfogCCe/?hl=en

but its more like, you switch lanes, and after you straighten out, the steering wheel will be off center, and stay there until you turn in the opposite direction (like you switched from the middle lane, to the left lane, then later on from the left lane back to the middle lane)

[TheRealSy90]

It's also referred to as memory steer when the car pulls slightly towards the last direction that you turned. My daily driver was doing it and the pivot bushings in the top hats were totally gone.

[PatPs13]

Originally Posted by Coupes_FTW

mine was a driver side ball joint that was bad, for anyone else trying to diagnose a similar issue

I have something similar to this, but for instance say im changing lanes to the left on the highway, ill turn the car to the left and as it goes over the grove in between the lanes it'll jerk hard to the left and once it jerks its back to normal . Could this be the rack preload?

fresh alignment
fresh poly bushings
fresh balljoints