Troubleshooting a Rack and Pinion Steering Problem

Posted: Dec 23, 2009 |Comments: 0 | Views: 604 |

Chances are if you have a small truck or SUV, you have rack and pinion steering. It's a very easy to understand mechanical feature but a very important one. To put it simply, the pinion gear connects to a shaft that moves the rack every time you turn the steering wheel. Rack and pinion steering makes steering easier as it reduces the gears. You don't have to turn the steering wheel as much to make the wheels turn.

As a result rack and pinion steering is pretty important to the vehicle owner and when something goes wrong with it, driving becomes very difficult if not impossible. Front wheel drive vehicles have rack and pinion steering. If there is a problem with your steering system there are a few things to look for to determine if it is a problem with the rack and pinion steering mechanism.


If you are having difficulty keeping your vehicle going straight down the road and seem to have to correct your steering regularly, chances are there is a problem with some part of the rack and pinion steering. It could be a worn or a loose tie rod, the idler arm or some other smaller part of the system. The only way to find out the exact nature of the problem is to have a mechanic look underneath the car.

A second signal that there is a problem with your rack and pinion steering is that you notice whenever you hit a bump or hole in the road, the vehicle jumps or over-steers in one direction or another. It could b e a loose ball joint and again a mechanic would have to put the car up on a lift and look under it to tell if this is the problem.

Any time you have difficulty steering your car then you are having a problem with something relative to the steering mechanism. It could simply be that you are low on power steering fluid or you could have a leak. Stay on top of all of the fluids in your vehicle to avoid routine maintenance related problems. All of the fluids keep the parts of your vehicle functioning properly and they provide lubrication to avoid unnecessary wear and tear.

A problem with a vehicles rack and pinion steering mechanism should be rectified promptly. A steering problem is a dangerous problem and should not be overlooked. Many vehicle owners who do their own repairs can purchase the parts needed to make repairs to steering problems. Most of them are fairly easy to fix once you know what the problem is and purchase the parts you need.

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    Pallavi Srivastava

    Steering system is referred to the huge collection of linkages, gears and other things. It allows a vehicle to follow up a desired course. But there is a largest difference between the steering system for an 18-wheeler and that is they are less responsive and difficult as compared to car. In today's era all innovative cars and trucks use rack and pinion steering mechanisms. In these systems, the steering wheel use to turn the pinion gear and the gear is responsible for moving the rack. Actually

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    Sukhvinder Dhillon

    The article explains about what a rack and pinion gear is, how they function and what are the applications.

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