Confirmation of steering free-play in Mk4 ~5 deg free movement at steering wheel

[Jester]

I have a question regarding the steering on my completed Mk4. I have a manual rack with the standard set-up. The car drives and handles great and tracks very well with minimal steering input required or as typical for manual steering.

My steering has approximately 4-5 degrees of free play at the steering wheel - is this typical? This free play is not from the steering rack and I have narrowed down the area of the steering free-play to between the steering wheel and the front of the DS foot box where the steering column exits the foot box. I think the source of this free-play is coming from the collapsible column design i.e. upper and lower shaft - male/female design and related spring washers.

Is this free play part of the design or do I need to trouble shoot this further to eliminate this free-play?

Thanks in advance

[michael everson]

Seems a little excessive. I have run into this on a couple of cars though. I drilled and tapped the outer sleeve in a couple of spots and put a set screw in with Loctite and just snugged it up against the inner shaft enough to take the wiggle out.
.
Mike

[Jester]

Seems a little excessive. I have run into this on a couple of cars though. I drilled and tapped the outer sleeve in a couple of spots and put a set screw in with Loctite and just snugged it up against the inner shaft enough to take the wiggle out.
.
Mike

Thanks Mike.

The play equates to approx 1/2 inch movement of the steering wheel. I will confirm this is where the play is coming from and drill and tap as you suggest

Thx

[David Hodgkins]

There is a special set of washers that should take up that slack. I'd call FFR and speak to a tech about it.

[Jester]

There is a special set of washers that should take up that slack. I'd call FFR and speak to a tech about it.

Thx David

So I gather from your reply that there should be no such play in the steering wheel?.

I have installed the washers you speak of as per the FFR instructions. I need to take the DS foot box hatch panel off to further review the issue.

Thx

[edwardb]

First, no there shouldn't be the kind of play you're describing. Mike is absolutely right. Some have reported some play in the telescoping column pieces. The washer mentioned is call a Belleville washer. There are small circles in the steering column where these sit and are supposed to take up the slack in the telescoping parts. Some guys forget or don't know about them. Sometimes even if installed properly there is still some slack. I tried thicker washers in my Mk4 build. They come in varying thicknesses. It helped, but not completely. I installed a set screw as Mike described. Now no slack. Just make sure to only barely tighten the set screw. Just enough to remove any slack. You don't want to defeat the telescoping function.

[Jester]

First, no there shouldn't be the kind of play you're describing. Mike is absolutely right. Some have reported some play in the telescoping column pieces. The washer mentioned is call a Belleville washer. There are small circles in the steering column where these sit and are supposed to take up the slack in the telescoping parts. Some guys forget or don't know about them. Sometimes even if installed properly there is still some slack. I tried thicker washers in my Mk4 build. They come in varying thicknesses. It helped, but not completely. I installed a set screw as Mike described. Now no slack. Just make sure to only barely tighten the set screw. Just enough to remove any slack. You don't want to defeat the telescoping function.


Thx edwardb, I will ask FFR to send me another set of these washers to replace those currently installed to see if that eliminates the issue. If not I will drill, tap and install set screws as suggested

Thanks for the confirmation and feedback.

Much appreciated

[CraigS]

On my old mkII I had the same thing. The original builder had already drilled a hole through both inner and outer sections for a bolt. I got a G8 5/16 inch bolt and nut and tightened the heck out of them so I collapsed the outer tube a little so it fit tightly. Then I removed that bolt and replaced it w/ a small 1/4 inch junk grade bolt and nut. I figure the junk bolt may shear so there is still some collapseable safety there. I run autocrosses w/ dot-r tires and every yr or 1.5 yrs I redo the G8 crush.

[thebicman]

Don't have this issue but have read that others have. In an old post I remember reading that a builder removed the slack by using different size feeler gauges. Find the correct size to remove all slack and modify to fit inside steering shaft.

[Jester]

After trouble shooting the issue, the play was not related to the steering column but free play was related to movement between the steering wheel and the steering column even thought the steering wheel bolt was tight. With the steering wheel attached to the steering column the I inserted a 0.008 inch feeler gauge into the flat portion of the steering column to eliminate the play, put medium strength loc tight onto the steering wheel bolt and tightened accordingly.

No more free play in the steering wheel.

Thx for the assistance

[CraigS]

Jester, glad you got it fixed. For others reading this thread your comment that the problem was at the wheel reminded me of this. One time I was tightening the bolt that holds the wheel to the column. The bolt was tight but the wheel still a little loose. I guess the tolerances for the hole in the wheel and the flats on the column were a little off. I found that the wheel slid onto the column far enough that the column end was just very slightly above the flat part of the wheel that the washer under the bolt head mates w/. I ground maybe 1/16 inch or slightly more off the end of the column and then the wheel tightened like it should.

[Jester]

Jester, glad you got it fixed. For others reading this thread your comment that the problem was at the wheel reminded me of this. One time I was tightening the bolt that holds the wheel to the column. The bolt was tight but the wheel still a little loose. I guess the tolerances for the hole in the wheel and the flats on the column were a little off. I found that the wheel slid onto the column far enough that the column end was just very slightly above the flat part of the wheel that the washer under the bolt head mates w/. I ground maybe 1/16 inch or slightly more off the end of the column and then the wheel tightened like it should.

Thx

If I should encounter this issue in the future I will consider filing a little off the end of the steering column to properly seat the steering wheel against the column.

Hopefully my fix is permanent.

Thx all for the feedback on this issue.