a lot of steering wheel play ???

[xs man 27]

the steering wheel play from side to side is getting worse than i thought,, and on highways is def not fun to drive.. the front end feels very loose and being its a 95 i m sure things all need replacing... any ideas what it can be ? i was thinkin it can be the steering shaft i should replace with steeda ball points ? thanks you for any input...

 

[CC'S95GT]

It's most likely your tierod ends but could be the rag joint on the steering shaft.
To ck you tierod ends. jack 1 tire off the ground, grasp the tire at 3 and 9 o'clock, shake firmly side to side. and movement or noise then you'll need new TRE's
While you have that tire off the ground you may as well ck the ball joints. Same process only grasp tire at 12 and 6 o'clock.
repeat for the other side.

 

[Paul]

Replace your steering shaft. Maximum Motorsports sells one that will be a night-and-day difference from what you have now.

 

[xs man 27]

thanks for all advice i m def thinkin going the max motorsport steering shaft .. and isn't too expensive n looks like a great piece.. while i am going to look into that , what else should i look into replacing with the steering shaft ? i m already looking into steeda ball joints and poly urethane bushings to replace, struts and shocks have about 5k miles on them only..

 

[OLDSNAKE]

Check ball joints and tierodends first but as others have said probably the shaft. mine was loose under the dash at the upper section. I just simply took a 1" aluminum shaft split collar and clamped it around the shaft were the one slips into the other and the car is tighter than new and only cost $15.00 to fix.

 

[OLDSNAKE]

Oh, and it only took 5 min. to do...just remember that the shaft will now only collapse in the lower section that's past the firewall.

 

[jose97slobra]

Sorry no intentions to steel the thrad but I have the same problem but there is not that much steering wheel play im new to the mustang game I came from a 95 cummins so thats what I mean by not that much play but It could be alot more darstic on the mustang btw its a 97 cobra but its not to bad on freeway/high way but when its on uneven roads it goes witch ever way it wants to its a pretty sketchy car on crappy roads so any help wiuld be much apreciated im new to the forum thing so sorry if this isnt the proper way of doing things its my daily that I want to set up for track use once I get another daily anything would help I am on a very low budget going through hard times right now but reallg wanna adress this problem

 

[Paul]

Huh?


I'm happy to help you out man, but is there a question in there somewhere?

 

[RichV]

There are several things that could be out of whack.

the shaft rag joint
tie rod ends
ball joints
rack bushings
or the rack itself

Like CC suggested, jack up the front end and check for play by moving stuff. It could even be a loose hub. Whatever you replace, do it right. Steering is kind of a safety thing for you and everyone around you.

 

[jose97slobra]

Sorry about that it was one giant Sentence I posted but I will check all that and get back to you guys thanks!

 

[330CubeGt]

Depending on miles, I would look at inner tie rods first. I have owned 7 SN95s and each one that had play in the wheel had no inner tie rod left.

 

[xs man 27]

thanks all for replys and help.. I m lookin to redo the front end bc after all the reading on steering problems people have and having my car on the highway and the car not feeling 100 % safe.. makes me wanna look into what I need.. i m looking into the mm steering shaft ,, steeda ball joints,, what else should i replace ? i also wanna get a full polyurethane bushing kit as well but unsure which kit is best .. thanks again for all help n replys guys

 

[steve100]

Check ball joints and tierodends first but as others have said probably the shaft. mine was loose under the dash at the upper section. I just simply took a 1" aluminum shaft split collar and clamped it around the shaft were the one slips into the other and the car is tighter than new and only cost $15.00 to fix.

would you have pictures of the part and location your talking about?

 

[JerZeyStangz]

I have done the inner tie rods, out tie rods = bumpsteer from steeda, and C/C plates and it took majority of the slop away but not all. My steering rack bushings are shot, and the shaft needs to be replaced. Usually I feel it the most in the summer because heat makes the rubber bushings softer. In the winter time it is barely noticeable. Just food for thought.

 

[mcglsr2]

If you want to rule out the steering shaft it's pretty easy to do. Park the car, put the key in the ignition so you can turn the steering wheel without it locking. Pop the hood/get under the car with a flashlight, and have a friend slowly turn the steering wheel back and forth. Use your flashlight and watch the steering shaft. Start where it comes out of the firewall, and watch it all the way down to the steering rack. It should turn with the steering wheel. If the steering wheel turns a little, but the steering shaft doesn't, the issue is NOT your steering shaft and no parts past the steering wheel will fix your issue.

Focus on the area around the rag joints of the steering shaft (the rubber sections). Often the rubber breaks down, and one side of the shaft turns, but the other side doesn't turn as much due to the slop in the rag joint. If this is the case, the MM steering shaft will help tremendously (as will a new OEM shaft). If the steering shaft is solid all the way through, then move to the rack then out to the wheels. Look for things that *don't* move when the steering wheel is moved - these will be your problem areas.

Once you've identified the cause(s) of the issue, *then* throw parts at it. You shouldn't just throw parts at it until you know what is causing the issue. There is nothing more frustrating then dropping a wad of cash on new parts, just to have the same problem again after the install.