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Please help!!!!


dwc1435
09-25-2010, 05:04 PM
Hey Guys i have a problem. About 6 months ago i replaced the passenger front strut bearing. Steering was perfect. After we replaced that, i took it for a ride and now i cant turn the car to the drivers side only, but it is not all the time. If i step on the gas it steers easy. The fluid in the resevoir is getting hot also no, i figure i have a blocked passege. But if i lift up the car on either side it doesnt do it. if it was the rack, wouldnt it do it all the time since its "bad". I have both outer tie rods brand new. One thing is that on the drivers side the lower control arm bushing on the front is below the control arm. also i am getting a weird noise like a pressure being trapped or somethin. PLEASE HELP.
My two front struts when i move the wheel, the area under the hood where the nut is the nut and that rubber are floating, i didnt know if that had anything to do with it.
I have no leaks or anything. Like i said the steering was perfect bofore i touched that passenger side. About the only thing we did on that side was put a pry bar in the control arm and pry it down to get the hub in the strut.
And i replaced the two struts in the front with used ones and now the same thing and the mounts now are actually floating when i turn the wheel back and forth.

2000 Pontiac Grand Prix SE, 3.1 motor.



everybody was tellin me it just seems odd that it started right after we touched that strut bearing that a power steering rack would just go bad. I mean it dosent even do it all the time. it im standing still, i turn it to the left it binds, r=then if i just turn it a little to the right and go back left it turns easy all the rest i do it. i thought it could of been a air bubble in the system since when i open the power steering resevoir i get air pressure to spit out at me. if it was the rack would there be a leak, or sloppy steering.

Blue Bowtie
09-26-2010, 10:24 AM
The inner end of the tie rod may have been stressed when the LCA was pried downward to line up the knuckle and strut. There may have been damage to the end of the rack, and the air you are getting in the PS reservoir may be evidence of that. Since the steering seems to be normal when there is no weight on the front end, the power assisted rack is suspect.

BNaylor
09-26-2010, 10:27 AM
One thing is that on the drivers side the lower control arm bushing on the front is below the control arm.

:confused:

That doesn't make sense. You have two bushings on the LCA (lower control arm). Horizontal and vertical. These bushings and LCA mount to the subframe assembly so how can it be below the LCA?


And i replaced the two struts in the front with used ones and now the same thing and the mounts now are actually floating when i turn the wheel back and forth.

As you turn the steering wheel with the front end raised up you should see both front upper strut mounts/load bearings move. Movement should be smooth with no binding, etc.

On GPs when the rack and pinion acts up you normally lose steering to the left. Have you tried any bleeding procedure?

Also, how many miles do you have?

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