Steering Rack Question

[348tripower]

I changed a return line on my rack last week. Now it seems I have to turn the wheel farther to the right to get it to react. Could this be air in the unit? It is a Chevy Cavalier unit.
Thanks,
Don

[C9]

I'm not sure about racks, probably the same as draglink power steering.

The usual is to bleed it by getting the front wheels off the ground and going from lock to lock a few times with engine running.

You can do the same in a parking lot.

Just don't go hard up against the stops.

Then check fluid.

[wayne petty]

with the wheels on the ground... have somebody turn the steering wheel... back and forth...   watch the rack body...   see if it is moving in its mounts instead of moving the wheels....

i have seen this happen....
if it is a gm rack with the inner tie rod ends bolted on to the center of the housing...
it could also be the inner rubber tie rod end bushings... the power steering fluid really takes them out...

warning...    on these type of racks... there is a lock plate to hold the inner tire rod end bolts. tight... then the oval plate that holds them together,,, then the rubber bushings that are pressed into the inner tie rod end...  then a washer....    the washers get lost when installing the bolts..  in some cases... the bolts will stick through and gouge out a groove in the back of the housing...   so if you find washers when you take the inner tie rod bolts out.. be sure to put them back... or shorten the bolts slightly...


grab a tire...  at 9 and 3 o clock...  see if it has any play in it when you wiggle it....

[348tripower]

I put this on the hoist earlier and the rack is leaking oil where the inner tie rods attach. I have a new rack coming. I need to swap it out tonight because I am having shoulder surgery tomorrow morning. I want to go west to a show on Saturday and I won't be able to do any labor after tomorrow.  This is the rack on my Studebaker.  I will check the bolt length and see if it is too long. I also wonder if maybe it is bottoming out before hitting the steering stops? I will check that too.
Thanks,
Don