Loose steering feel, lower steering shaft?

[Truestyle Scott]

I have an 07 escalade esv. For over a year Ive been chasing a looseness feeling in the steering. When you hit bumps you can feel it in the steering wheel. Its got a little worse over the past year and gets worse after driving for a few miles. Feels like a loose shock or something because you feel every little bump but not big dips. Of course I shake the wheel when the truck is jacked up and also a jack under the front control arm to load the suspension. Shaking anything I can to find that loose part.

So first i changed the steering intermediate shaft since its a similar problem on the 01-06 trucks, the original one had a little play in it so it probably made it a little better. Next some bad sway bar end links, I think that helped with one type of front rattle feel. Next my shocks because I have 90k miles on the stock ones. Suspension improved but still the same feeling in the steering wheel. Next I found one wheel bearing a little loose so I changed both, not much help. Front rotors and pads changed because they were bad, still rattle feel in steering.

Theres really not much left. My tie rods are all solid. I disconnected the intermediate shaft where it goes to the angled lower steering shaft and i shake the steering wheel and intermediate shaft and it is absolutely solid. I twist the lower steering shaft back and forth and it has some looseness, this is the thing with a couple u joints that goes into the rack. Has anyone had a similar problem with that part? Does it just need greased maybe? There is no replacement part only used or new and its not cheap so I dont want to throw money at it. If the truck is sitting still if i move the wheel back and forth quickly it doesnt have same loose rattle feel as hitting a tiny bump but just the slightest movement you can kinda feel something loose/rattle. This looseness/rattle isnt something you can hear, just feel. So Im trying to narrow it down, with everything Ive replaced it has to be that lower shaft, rack, tie rod thats bad but feels fine, suspension bushing I dont know if that would affect the steering wheel like that. Any input? Thanks!

 

[Wake]

I'm battling the same symptoms as you, everything new under the front end other than inner tie rod ends and lower control arm bushings. I'm starting to wonder if it is the steering rack itself that might need replacement at 74K miles.

The rack is about the only thing left that I can see that could be the issue. I'm not sure if there is an adjustment on them like on the previously used gearbox.

 

[08grey]

It's the center bushing on the rack. Search for my previous posts. The racks are poorly made.

 

[Wake]

It's the center bushing on the rack. Search for my previous posts. The racks are poorly made.

I found something searching google, a document from alldata that looks like what you're talking about:

http://www.brakeandfrontend.com/gm-simple-steering-noise-fix/

Funny thing is I can't find this part listed on gmpartsdirect. They don't list this part that I could find on the site.

 

[Truestyle Scott]

Interesting thanks ill look into that

found this
http://chevroletforum.com/forum/tahoe-suburban-25/2008-suburban-rack-pinion-ridiculous-48980/

old bushing comes off easy but new one must not go on that easy.

 

[Truestyle Scott]

It's the center bushing on the rack. Search for my previous posts. The racks are poorly made.

ive read your posts before that you have changed a bunch of them. what brands have you tried? I see 4 different brands on rockauto, all remans but i would think they would put new bushings on. For $160-$200 ill probably just get one one of these days. Plus you get new inner tie rods so thats good.

 

[08grey]

They were all done at the dealer under warrantee. The rack will always be a rebuild you can't get a new one.

 

[Truestyle Scott]

I think i found a fix for this actually.

I got under the truck and I could move the rack a little with my hands on the passenger side. So I took off the bolts to the passenger side bracket of the rack and sure enough the mount was loose as hell not holding the rack solid at all. So i wanted to put pressure on the rack. To do this i needed new bushings or some hard rubber like bushing material. I had a coil spring booster laying around the garage that I could just barely jam between the middle of the rack and the frame when the bolts were loosened, then when i tightened the bolts down that rack is solid now! I LOVE the feel of the steering now. That rattle feel was SO irritating after changing about everything on the front end and still felt so loose. This is kind of a ghetto fix, but its working, and it was cheaper than a $200 rack. Maybe that rubber will break down someday or maybe not, but its all solid up there now. I can take pics if anyone needs. Here is the booster like i used, normally you put them in front coils of cars to "boost" the coil.

 

[08grey]

Word. More Pics needed please.

 

[denalianyone]

I think i found a fix for this actually.

I got under the truck and I could move the rack a little with my hands on the passenger side. So I took off the bolts to the passenger side bracket of the rack and sure enough the mount was loose as hell not holding the rack solid at all. So i wanted to put pressure on the rack. To do this i needed new bushings or some hard rubber like bushing material. I had a coil spring booster laying around the garage that I could just barely jam between the middle of the rack and the frame when the bolts were loosened, then when i tightened the bolts down that rack is solid now! I LOVE the feel of the steering now. That rattle feel was SO irritating after changing about everything on the front end and still felt so loose. This is kind of a ghetto fix, but its working, and it was cheaper than a $200 rack. Maybe that rubber will break down someday or maybe not, but its all solid up there now. I can take pics if anyone needs. Here is the booster like i used, normally you put them in front coils of cars to "boost" the coil.

What's the part number of this booster? And can you take a pic of where you put this part?


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