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Loose steering, lower u-joint

4.1K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  nickincrete  
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
The steering in our car has more slop in it than I think is normal, although I may be wrong because I've never driven a good/restored GT. I've examined everything and found that probably half of the slack is in the u-joint down on the steering rack, where the steering column/shaft connects to the u-joint. The joint itself looks OK.

I've tightened the hex-head bolt as much as I think I should. I expected it to pull this joint in tighter, but it doesn't. Should it? I does look pretty beefy.

Or, should I try something else, like slipping some shim strips in there to take up the slack?
 
#5 ·
Mike, I'm just wondering what you ended up doing for this? I now have the same problem. I guess a little JB Weld in the hole would fix it, but I might want to take it apart again someday.
 
#4 · (Edited)
IIRC, there is some type of plastic fastener used in the column for safety purposes, a metal or in later years a rag joint near the floor inside the car, and then the U-joint you were referring to.

On rare occasion I've seen the joint near the floor ripped allowing slop, usually excessive.

If play is in the U-joint itself then the only fix would be to replace it, possibly with a more modern design. I believe RallyBob has pictures somewhere on this site of the upgraded replacement I'm referring to. If the slop is between the U-joint the steering shaft then I would think shims or possibly welding would be a fix. The shaft was built to be collapsible as a safety feature which you may(probably will) be defeating, depending on how you modify it.

Center the rack, and adjust the nut on the rack. A little bit goes a looong way. Years ago I adjusted one and quickly discovered that I didn't know what I was doing. :haha: The steering was so stiff that it wouldn't correct itself after turning, you had to physically turn the wheel back straight. I circled back to the school shop and loosened it a bit. :D

OGTS has replacement parts for the rack. Disassembling it and putting fresh grease in may not take the slop out but it sure makes a difference in steering effort if it hasn't been done since the car was new. :yup:

HTH,
Harold

P.S. Opel is very specific about using the proper steering wheel puller and not striking the steering shaft to aid in it's removal. They also caution against rough handling after the column is removed, the use of the proper length bolts and proper torque upon re-assembly.
 
#6 ·
That weld broke right away. The solution was a better tool. A standard L-shape Allan key won't do it. Get the kind that go on your 1/2-drive socket wrench. With the longer handle you can get it tight.

We are talking about the lower u-joint, right? Down near the rack?
 
#8 ·
Yes, the lower joint near the rack. I do have a 3/8" hex socket but was afraid to strip out the bolt. I have the rack out of the car rebuilding it right now. I'll try soaking the joint and bolt in WD40 and maybe that will reduce the resistance when tightening.
 
#7 ·
i agree you need to use a socket not just a key, and in my case it can be tightened up until the slack is removed.
my joint can be done a lot tighter than you would think without stripping the thread.
you could also drill through the joint then use a quality bolt with a nut on the end if the thread does strip.
i think its often loose as you need to spread it out sometimes to get the joint apart.