Steering rack movement, wandering steering

[christhemann]

Hi.

Been trying to solve 2 things on my MK2 Scala, 1 being the strange rattle that happens over rough ground occasionally and 2 being the wandering "bump steer" issue that seems to have got worse.
Previous post on rattle: http://www.sciroccoregisterforum.co.uk/ ... 10&t=10965
After taking it to a local specialist, he pointed out the steering rack has significant side to side movement when the steering wheel is moved!

He believes just replacing the bushes should help, but after looking on the MK1 Golf forum several people have pointed out that there are cases of the steering rack brackets breaking from their welds and coming loose.
Is this is a case with Roccos? I'm hoping not.

Planning to do the following to try and help with bump steer and rattle.
-Replace track rods and ends, get alignment done
-Steering rack bushes
-Possibly adjust steering rack

Advice is appreciated as always

[Village Idiots]

Get someone to move the steering wheel while you check the rack, if the whole unit moves: it's the mounts, if it's internal: it's wear.

[christhemann]

Thanks for that.

We actually did that already and the whole unit moves side to side.
When you say mounts, do you mean damaged brackets or the bushings?

[Tim_R]

The rack is held in place by the U shaped clamps with rubber bushes inside them. If those bushes have worn or gone soft through age and heat then that would allow the rack to move side to side as you put a load on it.

I found with my rack that it wore internally and caused a rattling noise, I think by the time i swapped the rack I could move the passenger side tie rod up and down by about 5mm when it entered the housing.

The studs that this mounts too are on raised sections of metal which are spot welded to the bulkhead. Hopefully the photo should show what I mean.

[christhemann]

Cheers Tim_R.

So it could just be the bushes then, I really hope so.
When you say your rods moved up and down 5mm, do you mean inside the rack? So the rack was shot?
I suppose it can be the inner track rods some times.

[Tim_R]

Yup it was the outer end of the rack on the passenger end moving up and down in the metal bush that was supposed to locate it. I think it had done something like 170k by that point and had got noticeably worse after a day at Castle Coombe!

[christhemann]

So, I have an update finally.

Not good, looks like it's the o/s mounting bracket that is broken!
You can visibly see with a torch underneath that the bracket is rusty and sheared away from the welds to the body. It looks really flimsy to begin with!

Strangely the rest of the underside is pretty much rust free except for this bracket, is it a common fault?!

Anybody done this repair before or able to recommend someone who could do it for me and is not too far away ? (Evesham, Worcestershire)

Bugger it.

[Roxylife]

Reading this just made me go and have a look with the torch at mine being paranoid! luckily all is good!

As said try the rack and bushes first, if not then look at the inner ball section of the track rods, these have worn on both the roccos I've had.. Or obviously the actual track rod end.. Failing all the above the actual ball joints can transmit Simo
Ad feelings through the rack.. Lever bar them all and check for play..

I remember something in the Haynes manual about adjusting the pinion gear on the rack with an allen key on the bottom of the rack? might just have been on the mk2 gold though?