Steering rack misaligned - questions!!?

(2010-11-05 14:10:16)

1. tinow Says: 2 yrs ago I had a steering rack change - Ive needed a second rack replacement this year - not 17000 miles in...

1. if you changed the anti roll link or suspension link, would you have to go any where near the steering rack? ie if this repair was undertaken could further damage be put down to this instead of a misaligned rack?

2. excessive wear on the front brake pads and discs - could this be a sign the rack was repalced incorrectly?

3. how long would it take to damage an offside drive shaft?

4 what other damage could be put down to this misalignment??

would knocking noises show some form of error?
car is a vectra 2002

2. J R Says: misaligned? do you mean out of track?the rack can be adjusted to track it up there is no need to replace the steering rack, out of track ruins the tyres,none of the items above is related to the steering rack

3. wildmanny2 Says: I might be a good idea to talk with the latest mechanic again because you do not have a good understanding of what he meant by misaligned rack.
The sway bar link you call anti roll link has nothing to do with the rack,they wear out quickly.
The brakes are worn down from usage,the rack had nothing to do with it.
The drive shaft has nothing to do with the rack.
Nothing other than tire wear will result from a bad wheel alignment,not a "rack alignment".
You are obviously on a witch hunt for someone to blame for your wear and tear.Do everyone involved a favor and realize that some things just happen when a car ages.

4. thebax2006 Says: How do you install a steering rack wrong? They all have mounting bolts on the body and on the rack, you really can't put it in wrong. The steering wheel may be a bit ****** if the alignment was not done perfect and tire wear could also happen if the alignment is off.
A stabilizer link has nothing to do with the steering rack.
Brakes have nothing to do with a steering rack.
Bad CV joints come from torn boots that let dirt into the joint. Nothing to do with a steering rack.
Cars wear out with mileage, you seem cheap and want to blame every thing wrong with your car on somebody else. You probably bought a cheap rebuilt steering rack instead of a new factory OEM part.
Quit your B.S. and fix your car!!! Man I feel sorry for any guy that hooks up with you!

5. joe Says: How long is a piece of string?

Sounds like there may have been prior collision damage that wasn't repaired properly for a rack-&-pinion to fail after 17,000 miles. If the chassis isn't true your front clip is out of line and would cause many of the problems you described.

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What I meant is if you bought the car used that the previous owner might have had an accident and someone bought it at a salvage auction and performed a shade-tree fix to re-sell it. It does happen. Replacing a drag link or sway bar (anti-roll) wouldn't affect the rack-&-pinion assembly. Excessive brake/rotor wear could likely be due to misalignment, what's more a proper alignment could never be achieved if the clip is not true to the chassis, yes the wheels could be put straight but a warped carriage will never permit a correct alignment. Take it to a collision repair specialist and ask to have it checked, I'll bet my paycheck that I'm right.

6. Joseph Says: you would get a clunking or knocking sound yes. no damage to the following parts-drive shaft and the sway link would have nothing to do with it the two are not connected. were the bushings changed with the rack? a mis-aligned rack will cause steering problems,that's what it controls, the brake wear could be other things, such as calipers or a proportioning valve.