Hi, I was doing my pre-trackday checks when I grabbed my drivers side wheel to check the wheel bearings. I was very surprised to find what appeared (at first) to be some play at 3 - 9 o'clock (normally a sure sign that your wheel bearings need adjusting). I had replaced the wheel bearings on both front wheels only a year ago, and I thought that I just needed to tighten them up. However, when I checked, they were fully tightened (actually, a bit too tight). My next thought was that the knuckle itself had worn, allowing the bearing the turn on the shaft. I took the hub off to check, and the steering knuckle was fine. This was now getting weird. I then tried pushing and pulling on the steering knuckle itself, and there it was a definite clunk-clunk when I tried pushing and pulling at 3 - 9 o'clock on the steering knuckle (thus ruling out the wheel bearings). It feels like the inner tie rod is loose inside the steering rack, allowing a tiny bit of horizontal play, and causing the 'sloppy wheel-bearing' symptoms. Very strange, because the passenger side was fine.
So what is the cause - a wear in the steering rack? a inner tie rod ball joint expired?
EDIT: I think it might be this:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticle ... cement.htm(heading back to the garage to check.....)
An suggestions appreciated, but I think I need to cancel my trackday.
FIXED: the inner tie rod was loose! I pulled back the rubber root, and the end of the inner tie rod had unscrewed itself by about three turns. It must have been this way for a while, as the tracking is fine. All tightened up now, and no play at all. Better get the tracking checked now though.
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