Is the steering rack broken?

Diagro · 8 Feb 2017 at 08:55

Hey.

I made an attempt to fix my wandering steering at the weekend.
The car pulls left all the time and a garage said it was a bent roll bar.

Simple to fix so I installed a white line 27mm beast of a roll bar up front, was an interesting installation as the subframe had to be dropped. Easy on the mazda 3.

Anyway, roll bar installed with new adjustable links and low beh old it still pulls to the left.

I did notice something odd which lead to my thinking it's a rack issue.

When car was on stands, and wheels off I turned the steering wheel left to right full lock.

When turning the wheel left and letting go the wheel stays where I let go, no movement back to center.

When I turn the wheel right and let go it snaps back and the steering trys to return to center and in turn the wheels go left.

So.. turn left and wheels stay where I turn them.
Turn right and the wheels fight to go left.

Does this sound like a borked seal on the steering rack? Letting oil pressure go back which let's the steering try and center itself?

I can get a second hand rack for £120.. fitting is free as will do it myself. I just need to be sure it's going to help.

The only reason I want to fix it it because I get wrist ache on long trips due to having to stop the wheel going left constantly lol

paradigm · 8 Feb 2017 at 09:12

Starting to sound more and more like a rack issue, I suspected as much a while back (I think I posted as much), but I understand why you've tried the "simpler" things first.

How much is a new rack in comparison to a used one (I'm sure it's going to be an order of magnitude more, but you never know)?

Brookert · 8 Feb 2017 at 09:15

Have you checked the top mounts?

GeForce · 8 Feb 2017 at 09:23

This sounds like a seized top mount bearing and/or broken spring, so that when turning right you're "winding" the spring up and it tries to uncoil.

Diagro · 8 Feb 2017 at 10:53

Brookert;30481851 said:
Have you checked the top mounts?

GeForce;30481876 said:
This sounds like a seized top mount bearing and/or broken spring, so that when turning right you're "winding" the spring up and it tries to uncoil.

I have replaced the following:
ARB (front)
ARB Links
Shocks (Bilstien B8 all round)
Top mounts (Genuine ford, same for mazda)
Springs (Eibach Pro)

Last thing is the rack

Nasher · 8 Feb 2017 at 11:40

Steering problems do seem to be a thing on Fords for some reason. When I traded my mk2 Focus ST (same era) in with a dealer, the first thing he checked was the steering rack for any unusual noises or oil leaks.

Liquid_Entity · 8 Feb 2017 at 11:44

There's a huge thread on TalkFord about the mk4/mk4.5 mondeos having poor quality steering racks and I think mine is suffering from it too.

edit: quoted from another user on their forum

"I heard that's the cause of the issue from a guy who used to work for a Ford main dealer. The early models built in Valencia had a faulty rack that would wear and send small particles into the pump, clogging the filter and thereby burning out the pump. If you replace the rack and flush out all the fluid, clean out/replace the pump it should resolve it. If you leave the old rack in it'll just continue to wear putting more particles into the fluid recreating the same problem each time. At least thats what I was told. I got the rack and pump replaced under guarantee from the second hand dealer I bought it from and that fixed it for me. Been 4 years clear now, touch wood. "

Brookert · 8 Feb 2017 at 13:50

Seems to be the rack, you've replaced everything around it

GeForce · 8 Feb 2017 at 13:55

Diagro;30482238 said:
I have replaced the following:
ARB (front)
ARB Links
Shocks (Bilstien B8 all round)
Top mounts (Genuine ford, same for mazda)
Springs (Eibach Pro)

Last thing is the rack

Oh dear

Think you might be right.

Diagro · 8 Feb 2017 at 14:00

Bah!

I cant find a new rack apart from going directly to mazda at a cost of £690...

Second hand they seem to fall around the £90-£160 mark.

Then i run the risk of that also being an issue. Are there places that recondition steering racks?

Brookert · 8 Feb 2017 at 14:10

I wouldn't go used, because you could end up with the same problem as you say. a reconditioned one would be fine.

paradigm · 8 Feb 2017 at 14:23

Brookert;30483023 said:
I wouldn't go used, because you could end up with the same problem as you say. a reconditioned one would be fine.

This unfortunately.

You don't want to go spending on a used rack, only for it to either be a) worse than yours, or b) fails shortly after fitting.

Liquid_Entity · 8 Feb 2017 at 14:27

carparts4less?

I checked their site for a rack for my mk4 and it was considerably cheaper albeit not OEM

Brookert · 8 Feb 2017 at 14:34

paradigm;30483083 said:
This unfortunately.

You don't want to go spending on a used rack, only for it to either be a) worse than yours, or b) fails shortly after fitting.

Especially for how much of a ballache they are to do. Who wants to do that twice!

Diagro · 8 Feb 2017 at 15:58

so... Seems its approx £350-400 for a recon / new rack.

I really cant spend that much on this issue considering.
I'm going to see if there are ant companies local who recon the racks for a decent fee.

paradigm · 8 Feb 2017 at 16:06

I'd imagine those recon racks prices are based on you sending yours in after receiving a recon?

At least that's how reconned turbos and suchlike are usually handled.

Diagro · 8 Feb 2017 at 19:18

paradigm;30483537 said:
I'd imagine those recon racks prices are based on you sending yours in after receiving a recon?

At least that's how reconned turbos and suchlike are usually handled.

Yea.
If I don't send old one back it's £250 added to the cost!