shop messed something up

[mwood1985]

so my whole rack and pinion had to be replaced and now i have some play in my steering wheel before the tires actually turn. the shop that did it claims my ball joints being bad are causing it. thats up and down motion with the suspension dumbass not left and right with my steering column. now if the steering was tight before it broke and the balljoints are un touched how the hell can the cause be the ball joints? i think the shop is full of it anybody know if i can fix it or is the play coming from the new steering rack?

 

[MAKG]

Before you call someone a "dumbass," you really should have all your ducks in a row.

Looseness in balljoints can indeed cause the steering to wobble. So can just about any looseness anywhere in the steering.

And I've learned over the years that people are very often just wrong about things like this. If your balljoints are worn now, they have been for some time. You just didn't notice it. And it's MUCH easier to do that than you think. You presumably replaced a wobbly rack. Now it isn't wobbly, so you notice the next thing. And so on.

 

[mwood1985]

nope

im pretty sure the 3 week old ball joints from Dick Smith Ford arent the problem...... my ducks are in a row so that shouldnt be a problem the rack and pinion was replaced due to a line breaking and running the fluid out at 65 on the highway so im guessing it dont have anything to do with my new yet still need to be replaced wtf? ball joints

 

[MAKG]

First, new and good are not the same.

Second, why did the line break? Fatigue?

Third, if you doubt your current mechanic, go to another. Diagnosing a balljoint is a few-minutes exercise.

You're quite wrong about that "up and down" thing.

And replacing ALL FOUR balljoints at once is not a standard procedure.

So, take a deep breath and try to get to the bottom of this. You won't get very far screaming "BS BS" and calling people "dumbass." Especially when it would seem you don't understand it as well as you think you do.

It sounds to me like a vehicle out of warranty isn't a very good idea for you.

 

[rboyer]

I agree that a second opinion would be the best choice in a situation like this. It is not one of those problems that can be solved easily through advice over the internet because having play in your steering can be any number of things. Even if you replaced the grease in your ball joints with sand I highly doubt they would be an overnight cause of steering play. Now one thing you have to take into consideration is the improper installation of any of these parts and the possibility that the new rack which they installed could be the cause. Just get a second opinion.

 

[rustyr182]

ive never met a honest mechanic only one and it was a friends uncle there mostly greedy assholes thats why i never go to the mechanic anymore ive been screwed over tomany times a hanes manual goes a long way that and the ranger station.

 

[Ozwynn]

I have 2 honest mechanics. my dad was an honest mechanic until he had his 3rd heart attack and had to quit.

wicked Sludge is an honest mechanic.

If MAKG were a mechanic, he would be honest too. not to mention Will, Shady, AllenD and others.

 

[rustyr182]

yeah i hear that theres alot of good people on this site but yeah im not saying all mechanics are bad im just saying theres alot of shitty ones out there and i base my opinion on the fact that ive had more negative experiences than positive.

 

[dirtsquirt]

yeah i hear that theres alot of good people on this site but yeah im not saying all mechanics are bad im just saying theres alot of shitty ones out there and i base my opinion on the fact that ive had more negative experiences than positive.

there are some old school true blue Mechanics still around. then u have the modern parts changer.

 

[thegoat4]

so my whole rack and pinion had to be replaced and now i have some play in my steering wheel before the tires actually turn. the shop that did it claims my ball joints being bad are causing it. thats up and down motion with the suspension dumbass not left and right with my steering column. now if the steering was tight before it broke and the balljoints are un touched how the hell can the cause be the ball joints? i think the shop is full of it anybody know if i can fix it or is the play coming from the new steering rack?

A loose ball joint will be loose in all directions--up/down, in/out, front/back. A ball joint problem can cause steering delay.

Here is what to check. With the vehicle off, have a buddy rock the steering wheel side-to-side just enough to bump into resistance. If you hear a knock or click, you can follow or feel for that to find what's loose. If not, you'll have to look at all of the moving parts and see if something lags behind. Start with gentle movements, then work your way up to more force.

Don't turn stop-to-stop, just bounce back and forth.

Also take a look at the joints in your steering column. See if a pinch bolt is missing or loose. Under the dash there is a section of the steering shaft that is designed to shear in a collision. See if they broke that.

Finally, when you get a rack put in most places will adjust the alignment. If they increased caster too much it will make steering feel lazy. But your steering will be faster to re-center after completing a turn.

BTW, blowing a hose off the power steering and venting all of your fluid going down the highway will burn the pump, not the rack. If your steering is actually tight, but feels sluggish, like you have no power assist, you probably need a pump. If you went to the shop and the shop told you that the rack is bad, then if the pump is what the real problem was, take it back to them and make them cough up a pump and possibly another rack if the bad pump pushed a bunch of metal through it. OTOH, if you went to the shop and simply told them to replace the rack, then they were following orders and you're just kind of screwed.