Loose Sterring Wheel, and squeak?

[BlackTigers]

1998 Ford Escort ZX2
ATX
101 on the odometer.


Okay. My wheel...it has some play in it. Actually too much play for me to be comfortable with. It probably rotates 1-2" before it actually engages the wheels.

I had the car up on jackstands earlier, and there was a small amount of play in the tie rod ends, which I'm replacing in the morning, but not enough to account for what I get while driving.

Also, there's a squeak at the bottom of my steering shaft where it goes into the firewall. The first CV joint feels solid, but there is a black box with a boot where it hits the firewall, and it feels a bit playful there. What is this, and how do I go about seeing if this is the cause of the problem at hand?

Thanks.

UPDATE:

Went to Autozone, bought tie-rod ends. Both boots on my current ones were torn.
This was the first thing I've done suspension wise, and I had them both changed out in about 1.5 hours. Which was pretty good, I think - because I had no idea what I was doing.

Anyway, that didn't solve the problem. I took it up to NTB for an alignment, and they won't align it until I replace my ball joints. Apparently they are shot to hell.

I'll order those tonight, but how hard are they to replace? If I did my tie-rod ends, do you think I could manage (lower) ball joints? I heard they were really easy to do on my car? NTB and another shop both want $400 to replace them - uhhh no thanks.

 

[exdeath]

Rag joint? It's basically a big rubber bushing in the middle of the steering shaft that serves to isolate the wheel from vibrations and acts as a joint that allows the shaft to change angles, but adds a lot of slop in the steering. Being rubber, it can split and rot and all that fun stuff that rubber bushings do. When you turn the wheel it has to compress and load that bushing before motion is transferred to the adjoining shaft.

If you are serious about it you can get a solid steering shaft with needle bearing u joints, but that's more of a race car sort of thing. Crisp sharp instant steering with no play but really jarring and tiring on public roads due to lack of isolation that transmits every minute change in steering caused by road imperfections to the wheel.

 

[BlackTigers]

Originally posted by: exdeath
Rag joint? It's basically a big rubber bushing in the middle of the steering shaft that serves to isolate the wheel from vibrations and acts as a joint that allows the shaft to change angles, but adds a lot of slop in the steering. Being rubber, it can split and rot and all that fun stuff that rubber bushings do. When you turn the wheel it has to compress and load that bushing before motion is transferred to the adjoining shaft.

If you are serious about it you can get a solid steering shaft with needle bearing u joints, but that's more of a race car sort of thing. Crisp sharp instant steering with no play but really jarring and tiring on public roads due to lack of isolation that transmits every minute change in steering caused by road imperfections to the wheel.

It wouldn't bother me, but the steering wasn't like this two months ago. Which means something went bad, just trying to trace it down.

Rag joint is something that my dad had mentioned, he hasn't gotten a chance to look at it yet, I was just able to explain it to him. He said that the rubber? can wear down and become sloppy, but wasn't sure if that was it.

 

[exdeath]

Yeah it's a little rubber and corded donut riveted to flanges that separate the shaft into two pieces, most commonly located just before the shaft connects to the steering rack.

Not relative to your vehicle, but some good pics on what a rag joint is and how it can wear:

http://www.izook.com/tech/samu...suspension/rje/rje.htm

Could also be rack bushings which allow the rack to shift before transmitting any forces to the tie rods.

Also you mentioned tie rod play. You'd be surprised how a little play at the tie rods produces a lot of play at the wheel due to the gearing (multiply it by 10 to 20 at the steering wheel). There really shouldn't be a whole lot of play at all. You should definately not be able to move the wheel side to side while it's in the air, at least without immediately affecting the other wheel as well. You'll have other symptoms like bad tire wear and front end instability if tie rod ends are sloppy.

 

[BlackTigers]

Update:

Went to Autozone, bought tie-rod ends. Both boots on my current ones were torn.
This was the first thing I've done suspension wise, and I had them both changed out in about 1.5 hours. Which was pretty good, I think - because I had no idea what I was doing.

Anyway, that didn't solve the problem. I took it up to NTB for an alignment, and they won't align it until I replace my ball joints. Apparently they are shot to hell.

I'll order those tonight, but how hard are they to replace? If I did my tie-rod ends, do you think I could manage (lower) ball joints? I heard they were really easy to do on my car? NTB and another shop both want $400 to replace them - uhhh no thanks.

 

[exdeath]

Ball joints aren't too much more difficult than tie rod ends. You'll need a ball joint separator (pickle fork) and a big hammer to separate the ball joint from the knuckle. The tricky part is getting the ball joint out of the lower control arm. (Edit thought i read Focus not Escort). You may need to drill out rivets, it might be easier and not too much more to just get replacement OEM control arms with ball joints already installed.

 

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: BlackTigers
Update:

Went to Autozone, bought tie-rod ends. Both boots on my current ones were torn.
This was the first thing I've done suspension wise, and I had them both changed out in about 1.5 hours. Which was pretty good, I think - because I had no idea what I was doing.

Anyway, that didn't solve the problem. I took it up to NTB for an alignment, and they won't align it until I replace my ball joints. Apparently they are shot to hell.

I'll order those tonight, but how hard are they to replace? If I did my tie-rod ends, do you think I could manage (lower) ball joints? I heard they were really easy to do on my car? NTB and another shop both want $400 to replace them - uhhh no thanks.

Uhh, if the ball joints are that bad, please don't drive on it. This is what happens when they break.

I don't know how hard it is to replace them on your car...maybe ask around on an Escort forum? FWIW, I did both of the ones on my Trans Am in a couple hours with hand tools (and some specialty tools rented from AZ) in a parking lot, without ever having done them before. YMMV.

 

[BlackTigers]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA

Originally posted by: BlackTigers
Update:

Went to Autozone, bought tie-rod ends. Both boots on my current ones were torn.
This was the first thing I've done suspension wise, and I had them both changed out in about 1.5 hours. Which was pretty good, I think - because I had no idea what I was doing.

Anyway, that didn't solve the problem. I took it up to NTB for an alignment, and they won't align it until I replace my ball joints. Apparently they are shot to hell.

I'll order those tonight, but how hard are they to replace? If I did my tie-rod ends, do you think I could manage (lower) ball joints? I heard they were really easy to do on my car? NTB and another shop both want $400 to replace them - uhhh no thanks.

Uhh, if the ball joints are that bad, please don't drive on it. This is what happens when they break.

I don't know how hard it is to replace them on your car...maybe ask around on an Escort forum? FWIW, I did both of the ones on my Trans Am in a couple hours with hand tools (and some specialty tools rented from AZ) in a parking lot, without ever having done them before. YMMV.

The guy at NTB told me that they were fine to drive on for a short while, but they were worn out and couldn't be adjusted? for the alignment. He said before the end of winter for sure.

And that's good to hear that they shouldn't be too hard. I would have done it today....but the windchill is -15, lol.

I have a pickle fork, and a big hammer (or five), and an Autozone right down the street for anything else I should need. This should be fun.

 

[exdeath]

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