Question about Steering Rack Bushings

[Earl Wilkerson]

Hey everyone! I have a question about the bushings on my steering rack. When inserting the mounting bolts through the sleeve in the bushing, is it normal for them to slide in loosely? Am I correct in assuming the fastener’s washer squishes the bushing around the diameter of the mounting bolt when tightening the rack to the crossmember?

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[Ingvar]

Depends on the bushing design and how old it is.
I’d say, if in doubt – replace the bushings.

[Mike]

Technically, only the bushing’s inner sleeve is clamped to the subframe by the mounting bolt. The rack will be allowed to move to whatever extent the rest of the bushing allows. If the center sleeve is loose in the rubber because it has come unbonded, it’s broken.

[Earl Wilkerson]

I don’t think the bushing itself is actually bad, since it’s not actually moving. I’ve uploaded a video showing what I’m talking about. Perhaps I’m over-worrying/over-thinking this?

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[Mike]

I see there what you’re talking about. It’s not an ideal amount of slack there, but it is common to see that much when installing aftermarket parts or even stock parts on lower quality cars. Your concern about it isn’t ill-founded, but it’s not worth worrying about. It’s not going to end up being a problem as long as the bolts aren’t loose and the car has an alignment done after. I’ve noticed the same thing a number of times on racks and other parts that mount with bushings like that, it’s just what’s considered acceptable in the parts business.

[Lorrin Barth]

My car came from the factory with a bolt in the front motor mount about half the size of the hole in the inner metal bushing. It looked crazy to me but I had photographed the disassembly of the part and the bolt in hand was the bolt that came out of it.

All that bolt had to do is pinch the bracket until the inner metal bushing was locked in place.

[EricTheCarGuy]

The bushing is there to help isolate road vibrations. it will have some give. I’d say if you don’t have issues with steering wheel feedback when going over bumps you should be fine.

[Earl Wilkerson]

Thanks for the help guys!

[Author]

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