Q: Is it common to have such play in steering rack?
I have been facing knock sound issue from car front, ever since i replaced my steering rack 4 months ago.
After lot of failed attempts to find issue with suspension components (suspension all ok), today i asked my mechanic to focus on rack and send me video recording if anything abnormal observed. He sent me following video of left side if steering rack- please check this youtube url:
You can hear noise in this video, and on close video inspection you will also notice play in rack rod. This is aftermarket new rack replaced 4-5 months ago. My mechanic says i have been cheated and this is re-built old rack and is having some play in rack rod.
Is it common to have such play in rack rod? Or this is abnormal?
My car has a manual transmission.
Hello. It is common to have very little play in the rack, but it should not be much. If there is some noise coming from the rack, then it needs to be replaced. The rack you have was more than likely a rebuild as it is not common to get brand new ones anywhere but the dealer and they are very expensive. I would definitely take is back out and have it warrantied at the place you purchased it from. If you would like to to have this taken care of by someone else, a qualified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to inspect the suspension and steering and advise on repairs.
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