There a broken part on the rack & pinion steering in my '85 and I don't know what to call it!
It's just a plastic part that apparently keeps the center link? centered in the tube it runs through and without it there's some play when I shake the passenger front tire. When I pulled back the boot I was pulling out these little pieces of broken plastic,not to mention I was surprised by all this oil running out of it. I can see where the center link goes a little sideways until it hits the inside of the tube so I guess it's some sort of plastic donut that fits over the center link inside the tube. Anyone know what this is,have a parts drawing of the rack & pinion system,or better yet know where I can get the part? The rest of the steering system feels nice and tight. Also need to know what kind of oil this is.
Rack & pinion problem
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Darsella1
Re: Rack & pinion problem
Sorry Dave- I can't help you on this one! Since the R & P was unique on this car, you can't find any parts unless you find some OEM, a part-out car or fabricate it. There is very little known or even on paper about these later cars. You picked the toughest model to restore 
I could not even find the rubber boots so we restored mine (aka painting & glue).
I don't remember any oil type substance (as it's not a power rack), just simple joint lubricant.
I could not even find the rubber boots so we restored mine (aka painting & glue). I don't remember any oil type substance (as it's not a power rack), just simple joint lubricant.
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Daveje
Re: Rack & pinion problem
In retrospect the question was pretty much directed at you since who else would know!Thankfully the steering seems nice and tight except for this clunking of the rack bar against the tube at this one location. I'm hoping this part has no real effect on the steering, it's just a nylon bushing on the end of the passenger side rack tube that the rack bar goes through.It seems to be there to keep the rack bar centered in the tube and probably to keep the oil in. I do have some bits of it,one of which seems to have a part no.on it,who knows I might get lucky one day and find it. In the meantime I'm going to make one out of some nylon tubing I've ordered from Mcmaster-Carr.
Any chance you know what that rack bar that runs through the tube looks like? I'm hoping it's just a straight bar with no joints inside the tube that have gone bad, and the rack teeth on the driver's end,it just seems funny to me that this thing would flop around a little for lack of a plastic bushing.
Any chance you know what that rack bar that runs through the tube looks like? I'm hoping it's just a straight bar with no joints inside the tube that have gone bad, and the rack teeth on the driver's end,it just seems funny to me that this thing would flop around a little for lack of a plastic bushing.