Steering sticks when hot..Help!

[mbeers6]

I have a 2008 B&B I just bought last year completed asssembled by individual owner. I noticed that when it is hot outside the steering sticks pretty bad. Meaning the steering wheel is almost difficult to turn.

Not sure of the rack and pinion unit on it, but has a Ididit column and no power assist.

I've searched this forum and found someone who said they had a problem with the angle of the middle joint in the steering.

How should I go about diagnosing this problem? Is there fluid in the rack and pinion unit that could be low or burnt?

Anyone else had this problem?

Here is an old post I found (see Kayun's comments 2nd from bottom)
http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/b-b-...-steering.html

Thanks guy!

[lnfletcher]

There is really only 4 points that could be causing it to stick as I see it.
1. Steering rack.
2. Steering column.
3. Pillow bearing.
4. Knuckles.
Seems to me that the Pillow block bearing is closest to the heat sources and could be causing the sticking. You can remove it to examine it to see if it is seizing. You can get a replacement at most Tractor Supply stores fairly inexpensively.
If you can get it warmed up and duplicate it when in your shop or driveway, you can disconnect its linkage and test each section.
You didn't say how long it lasted when not running.
The column is not subject to that much heat.
The knuckles will most likely cause the steering to be uneven if they bind.
The rack is the hardest to test and most expensive to fix.

Hope this helps.

[mbeers6]

Thanks Infletcher, your help is always appreciated!

If I let the car sit for about 30 minutes, the steering is much better although not completely "free" like it is when it's cold.

When I got home yesterday, it seemed like every linkag in the engine bay was too hot to even touch. I have header wrap too. 351w.

I will check the pillow bearing tonight and see what it looks like.

[mbeers6]

Well it's going to be hot this weekend so I'm going to try to replicate this problem.

I started to take apart the linkage to check the pillow bearing and could not remove the rod that goes through the pillow bearing. It seems like shaft is stuck on the round spacer in front of the pillow bearing.

Is this normal for the rod to be so tight inside the round spacer? (see 2nd photo below) The shaft spins freely in the pillow bearing, but I would like some clarificaiton on the spacer ssue.

Does this setup look normal?

[Tommy]

First off, all I know about this is what I can glean from looking at your photos, so consider this an educated guess at best. If the item you describe as a spacer is connected to the steering rod with a set screw or the like, then it may be pressing against the pillow bearing as the rod expands its length when heated. The greatest movement in a heated object will be along its length. If both ends of the steering rod are anchored so it can't move along its length, then it will press against that bearing when heated.

[lnfletcher]

It may just be rusted. It should be free to move without too much effort. But, I haven't removed mine since I installed it, and it went in fairly smoothly.
You may try some penetrating oil overnight to loosen any rust that may have developed. They both are bare metal so rust is likely a problem.

[winnipaw]

Try the penetrating oil remedy.After soaking in pentrant...add some light oil to the whole joint, wipe clean. Should fix it...it fixed mine.

[xlr8or]

You can also test by disconnecting the tie rods to remove the load from the tires. Without the load it may be easier to tell where the bind is happening.

[Sminor]

Hey Mbeers,
I had the same problem once upon a time. It got really dangerous driving the car because the steering was constantly sticking. I don't know all the technical terms, but here is what I was told by the guy who fixed mine. The steering box (rack) has gears in it that are made of different kinds of metal and they expand at different rates when heated. There is a tool used to set the "lash" (sort of like you do with a ring and pinion in a rear end). If the tolerences are too close cold, they will stick when heated. I also wrapped some heat reflective materal around mine for extra safety. I have had no "sticky steering" for a couple years now. Some of the other guys on here are much more knowledgable and know the proper terms for things, but I hope this helps you out.

[Barnsnake]

I had the same problem. When the ambient temperature was over 85 degrees, the steering would tighten up after about 30 minutes. Let it sit for 15 minutes and it would be perfectly free again. I initially thought it was end-loading due to expansion of the steering shaft near the headers. Loosening a u-joint while it was "sticky" disproved that theory. I went through a lot of steps to isolate the problem, but eventually narrowed it down to the rack itself. I duplicated the problem on the bench with a heat gun to verify that it was not a mounting issue. Nothing to do with lash or lubrication. Whenever the passenger's side mount casting on the rack was over 95 degrees, the rack bushing in that end would sieze, despite ample grease. You could heat the pinion end until it smoked and it still worked fine. It made so little sense I duplicated it two more times to be certain.

After I replaced the rack all was well. I tore the old one completely apart to see if I could determine exactly what was causing the months-long head-scratcher. The rack and the bushing were smooth. No eccentricity or misalignment that I could measure, hot or cold.

I hate unsolved mysteries, but it I know the answer is disassembled on a work bench, and not in my car any more.

[mbeers6]

Thanks for all the good advice guys, I love this website!!

It's going to be 92 F this weekend so I hope to be able to pinpoint the problem. I really hope it's not the rack, it's only 2 yrs old!