Steering wheel shakes at speed... Steering rack busshings gone bad??

[the_sauce]

So my 1997 Q45 has developed a steering wheel shake when I get it over 50 mph. Not all the time but definitely most of it. I spent a good amount of time under the car having a friend check it out because I assumed it was the usual suspects(lower ball joint/ outer tierod) They all checked out fine and both wheels have side to side(no movement up and down) movement. It appears that the entire steering rack has a decent amount of play in it.

I have searched for info on steering rack bushing issues and found nothing. Is this a common problem?? Anyone ever had this happen/done to fix a shakey steering wheel??

[maxnix]

Plenty of posts on steering rack bushings. Did you examine yours?

Many other reasons why front end may be vibrating over 50 mph. But difficult to address since you posted no maintenance nor condition history.

Hope your friend is an Infiniti technician.

[JOHNQ]

most likely tension rod bushings if the obvious suspects checks out fine

[the_sauce]

Plenty of posts on steering rack bushings. Did you examine yours?

Many other reasons why front end may be vibrating over 50 mph. But difficult to address since you posted no maintenance nor condition history.

Hope your friend is an Infiniti technician.

The front tie rods have maybe 20k miles on them. The Lower ball joints are solid as can be.

I am a certified Audi Tech and so is my friend. Infiniti equipped the y33 with a VERY elementary front suspension, and the couple trouble spots all check out. Not to mention I can see the steering rack move when the steering wheel is stationary and the whell is shaken side to side by hand. I could not see any bushings by eye at night with a flashlight and cant find specific bushings on the Infiniti parts website.

Do you have the replace the whole steering rack to replace the bushings??

[the_sauce]

most likely tension rod bushings if the obvious suspects checks out fine

most likely tension rod bushings if the obvious suspects checks out fine

And front tension rods are converted to Cusco S13 rods with solid metal bushings.

[the_sauce]

Oh god that is Maxnix, do you have anything to contribute besides your smartass comments that are oooohhh so helpful??

[Q451990]

Check out page 15 of the steering section of the FSM. For some reason the 1997 file is incomplete, but the '98 version should be the same. There is a troubleshooting chart there as well, but if you're seeing lateral movement of the rack, then I can't imagine that these bushings wouldn't be a good place to start.

I don't see them on the Infiniti of Scottsdale site but I'm sure they're available if you call. 1-888-216-5328.

Go here to see all of the sections and download them.

Heath

[maxnix]

Oh god that is Maxnix, do you have anything to contribute besides your smartass comments that are oooohhh so helpful??

My front end is stable, newbie!

If you can't see the bushings, then you are either blind or someone didn't put them back on.

As an Audi "tech", what the hell do you think it means when the whole rack is shifting?

Now at last we have proof why Audis need so many return visits for correcting even the most elementary repairs.

Evidently, neither is reading an FSM a required skill for being an Audi "tech."

[Q45tech]

On a 12 year old car everything rubber or rubber isolated is in need of replacement.............no ifs and ands about it, check the other hundreds items.

With steerong wheel vibration always start with the closes thing to the road and that would be tires and their balancing.

[the_sauce]

Newbie... Hahaha. You're funny bro!! I ask because the bushings were not clearly visible from laying under the car at night, and there is NOTHING to be found online as replacement bushings except on place which lists one small(swaybar like) bushing for the right side only...

And as also previously said, the FSM I downloaded from nico for my car has 3 sections.... Not the full FSM.. And now that I found the 98 FSM, I can see there is only one bushing. I will get back under the car tonight and look over every thing a lot better in the garage.

Thanks for everyones help and those others who are just not quite smart enough to help.