I just recently started hearing "thumping" sounds on my steering rack area whenever I go over small bumps on the road...especially those refector thingies that hump over the road...I feel like something is loose around my steering rack area....I hear the sound coming from the right side of the car...

I noticed that the boot covering the bar that connects to the right tie rod end is torn and all the grease has leaked out of it? Could this contribute to the thumping sound? I also noticed that my steering is kinda loose also...

Any ideas on where I start looking for the cause?

Any suggestions will be appreciated...

 

anyone?

 

This sounds just like what happend with my crx. I replaced the streering rack with a used but good one.

 

what car? powered steering rack?

if its non powered, its almost certain your rack end bushing needs replacing.

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1117870

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">what car? powered steering rack?

if its non powered, its almost certain your rack end bushing needs replacing.

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1117870</TD></TR></TABLE>

the car is an 95 ej1 dx. thanks for that write up !!! Yeah it's non power steering...I guess I have this whole job in front of me...would you recommend buying a used good steering rack?

 

no, i dont recommend getting a used rack. who knows how good that is. nor do i recommend getting a newly rebuilt one. its literally just that rack end bushing that is rebuildable on a manual rack, other than the pinion bearing. the bushing only costs $10 in parts.

 

oh gotcha...true, true, yeah I'll go ahead and order my the bushings then...

 

Yeah a used rack cost me $150 plus $60 to install. I even ordered the rack end bushing and the place said I didn't need a new 1. I didn't understand the whole situation. But I have an extra rack now and a rack end bushing that I never took back to the dealership.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by KansasKev &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yeah a used rack cost me $150 plus $60 to install. I even ordered the rack end bushing and the place said I didn't need a new 1. I didn't understand the whole situation. But I have an extra rack now and a rack end bushing that I never took back to the dealership. </TD></TR></TABLE>

what car is it for? the bushing i mean...if it'll fit my car maybe i'll buy it off of you...but then i again i'll need 2 to do both sides...

 

theres only one bushing, passenger side.

you adjust the gearbox on the driver side.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">theres only one bushing, passenger side.

you adjust the gearbox on the driver side.</TD></TR></TABLE>

ahh gotcha...sorry, this is all news to me...first time doing a steering rack...hahahahaha

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDM *** &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

what car is it for? the bushing i mean...if it'll fit my car maybe i'll buy it off of you...but then i again i'll need 2 to do both sides...</TD></TR></TABLE>

It is for a 91 crx si, but I am going to keep it. It was only like $10 but I guess when someone says the manual rack is bad it is really just that rack end bushing that is bad. I might tear into mine that is out of the car and see what the bushing looks like.

 

this is the rack end bushing. looking from the passenger side.



here it is completely out.

 

I bought my used EG manual rack for $60 shipped on ebay, a bargain, gonna switch it out on my 94 ex (has PS, which is slightly faster than man)) once i rebuild the rack off the car; new rack end bushing, possibly the bearing (Tyson, you have any details on bearing replacement?), new inner rods, and rod ends and boots; much easier off the car.

 

How do you tell if the bushing is bad from looking at it? It just looks dirty to me?

 

you cant tell by looking at it. you will be able to tell when you turn the steering wheel all the way to the left, and then shake the rack that is sticking out. if you feel any play, it needs replacing.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDM *** &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I noticed that the boot covering the bar that connects to the right tie rod end is torn and all the grease has leaked out of it? Could this contribute to the thumping sound? I also noticed that my steering is kinda loose also...
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'd check the inner tie-rods. Jack up one side of the car, grab the wheel and move it side to side then do the same for the other wheel. If your tie-rods (inner or outer) are shot you will feel it.

If the boots are ripped, chances are your inner tie-rods are due.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jamez &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I'd check the inner tie-rods. Jack up one side of the car, grab the wheel and move it side to side then do the same for the other wheel. If your tie-rods (inner or outer) are shot you will feel it.

If the boots are ripped, chances are your inner tie-rods are due.</TD></TR></TABLE>

any ideas on how to change out the inner tie rods?