Steering Clunking/clanking

looking at it while someone jiggles the wheel, looks like the rack / ram end, it moves out of true by about 1cm.

I heard stories of bushes, anyone done them in situ, or should I just pull out the rack and fit another.

did this not have a service kit etc, cant seem to google it anywhere, even a google image search for XM and steering lack gets very little related hits.

guess it will be a swap then.

The steering rack setup looks very similar to the one on the 405.

Steve.

Search the site - it has already been included under another post or self help.

I'll go do that again, I just tried 'steering' and looked through them all I maybe should have been more specific with it.

Lez

If it is the ram you are on about, yes it can be removed with the appropriate use of language (bad) and automatic consumption of LHM as it dribbles into your gob as you undo those bloody fine threaded damn pipes. Then replace the bushes, although my agent could not source XM ram bushes so the mech left the outer shell there and I believe BX bushes fitted perfectly inside that shell. Was a few years ago. Do it soon before the PS pipes stress crack.

no removing the ram would be 30 minutes.....

Its the rack, the bushing in the passenger (L) side seems to have failed, so when the ram pushes the rack, the rack moves forwards the out, when you turn steering wheel other way, it moves the rack backwards then in......


Foobar'd springs to mind.......

Of course this cant be doing the ram anygood either, which no doubt explains the cracking sound, no doubt the ram casting where it bolts on is getting a bit strained by all of this......

So, my rack (sliding bit) needs a new bush in the rack (tube bit).

I think it may be tricky repair............


Oh and I have now searched the board a few more times, cant find anything related to removal / refitting / servicing apart from the slide tensioner skid plate thingy, and the pinion valve.

Funny you should say that, found an odd rack in the shed I must have had given, must be a bx its shorter than the spare XM one I have, and the ram part looks identical but fitted upside down, ie pipes exit under bolts instead of above, I bet a bx one would fit rotated 180deg.

Ok I spoke too soon, it took all yesterday afternoon and about 90 minutes this morning, I have never before had a rack such a pig to get out, I blame it on being a S2 and before when I had become a grand master at it, it was a s1 car.....

you need to remove lower subframe to body piece, (2*16mm nuts) and the suspension pipe to lower subframe P clip, then bend pipe, it wont like it, so go easy and dont snap it. also remove footbrake cable from caliper and tie up out of way.

Anyhow, off the car, rack has cleaned up nice, but I cant see anything wrong with it off the car, I cant put it back on, as that would fix nothing.....


If I put mole grips on the pinion and mover the rack, the rack/pinion feels very very notchy, I dont think it should (?)

I'm going to replace the pre-tension slide bit, I think some where metal and some where plastic, I'll take whatever the citroen stealer has in stock, if he odes have one in stock.......

Guess if not I may be able to apply more pressure to this one, or try the one out of the bx rack to see if it fits/is less worn.

I dont want to fit my spare rack, as although it was working fine AFAIK, since I cant see a fault on this known duff one, how do I see a fault on the other one ???

so, time for a cuppa and a fake asda potnoodle, then back out to it.

Oh and the ram pipes where rusty, brushed em up and will paint all the rack a nice hammerite red before refitting.

This post has been edited by lez on July 10, 2007 12:31 pm

cleaned it up, tightened the pressure thingy slider onto the rack, its now hard to turn the pinion, so all the slack has gone thats for sure.....

greased it, and painted it to protect rusty pipes.


it said red on the tin, I got it cheap it was return stock, but I'm telling you it says red on the tin!

I had the same problem with my last one, I reckon getting the rack out is nearly as difficult as doing the head gasket! The space on the o/s is smaller than the rack, you have to bend everything out of the way, then the sticky out bits get caught up on something and you are forever diving underneath to unhook them.

I put an exchange unit on mine and then found one of the pipe unions was the wrong size! I certainly wasnt going to take it out again, so I went to the scrappies and got the offending pipe with the correct fitting on it.

I wouldn't like to do another one!

Peter.N.

This one gives the details of the ball joint amongst other things.

http://club-xm.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=448

Thats a very good write up and I agree with it all but a few things..........

I found I did not have to remove the feed pipes from the pinion valve, I left them on the rack, which may have been harder.

I found it easier to move the suspension pipe in front of the rack, which the guide says wont help, it wont help much, but does give a few mm more, which I did found useful.

Well the rack is back on, I tightened up the preload to excess, making rack a little stiff, no a lot stiff!

I still seem to have free play at the other side, but it seems to have a red hard plastic bush, while a spare I have seems to have a metal bush.

Think I have done all I can with it for now.

And I still have a clunk on setting off, that I feel through the wheel.

Going to mount a small cctv cam pointed at ball joints, all of em one at a time, see if I can see any movement on hard braking/harsh acceleration.



This post has been edited by lez on July 11, 2007 09:05 pm

Is a clunk when moving off not typical of wishbone bush movement?

It is, and I get one when stopping, and reversing, but it did it when I got the car so first thing I did was put a full set in, and disks/pads, then trackrod ends.

Steering rack while now old and batterd (and pink) is working well, free play is now acceptable, would pass an mot etc.

still have the damn clunk.