Steering Slop: Column/Rack Linkage

[jmgtp]

My steering has small but annoying amount of slop, this is a w-body (car in my sig). It has a 2-3 year old rack in it and the problem was there with the old rack as well. I'm driving the car more now so it is becoming increasingly annoying.

I know what it is:
the 'square' slip fit connection that connects the steering column to the rack seems to be possibly worn. Essentially, the square end of the column that fits into the square end of the rack is ever so slightly too small so that it has a tiny bit of wiggle, it is visible at the connection under the dash, I'm 100% that this is the issue. All the universal joints seem ok. I successfully put a small shim in it once and it didn't last long at all before it came out, do these two pieces slide up and down at all? (hence my shim coming out).

How does this happen and how do you repair it? I want to drill a hole in the rack end, weld a nut to it and then use a bolt to tighten into the column end so it can't wiggle but that would be the extreme. Plus I'd have to pull the rack out to do this and I'd rather not.

Anyone else have this happen?

[pocket-rocket]

Isn't there like a heavy gauge cloth type coupler in there too (bolted in of course)? That could be worn.

[jmgtp]

Yes, there is some kind of fiber looking coupler.

But... I can see the slop in the square shaped linkage. As in the little square is a little too small in the big square and I can see the slop when I turn the wheel.

[pocket-rocket]

Doh, I skimmed your post and didn't see where you said you thought 100% that was your slop. Sorry for my sloppy diagnosis :P You would think that there is some sort of nylon bushing in there or something. I've been really busy so I haven't even been able to take pics of how I bleed the clutch hydrolics for Lorenzo, or I would check on the 91 for you

[jmgtp]

I'm *tempted* to throw a spot weld on each side of it and call it a day. haha.

There must be some kind of shim that is missing. I'll have to dig up my service manuals next time I'm home. Even if there is a shim of sorts I don't know where I'm going to find one.

I bleed my clutch hydraulics by removing the slave cylinder from the bellhousing and bottoming it out against the tray that the airbox bolts to. Over and over again until no more bubbles come up in the reservoir.

[pocket-rocket]

He asked me for pics. I said I could do that since I was going to take the set out of the 91 that has the accumulator removed and toss it in the 92. With the gas prices, my truck sees the streets way more then my Lumina, especially since I have a hard time not driving the car like I stole it...

EDIT: I don't see a shim in my book, but then again when we got our dog, guess what he decided to make a snack out of one day? That's right, my shop manual... And the lower part of the steering column is part of what he ate.. There is part of the pic left though:

[jmgtp]

Thanks for the pic. I got around to it and shimmed it again. Seems to be holding up thusfar and no slop. I hope it stays that way!

[gpse3400]

you sure you got both pinch bolts tightend to spec? I belive they are around 40ftlbs. Those losse will cause problems too.

My intermediate shaft has a very slight amount of looseness..But overall the system seems relatively tight... No vibration other than normal.