LHS Steering Problem

Does anyone know if Chrysler has made a kit to repair the steering bushing that is mounted on driver's side next to the firewall? I just cannot believe they are trying to get everyone to buy a new rack just to repair this thing.

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moster
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Part number 5014740AA - $19-26 each depending on dealer pricing.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

Bill, thanks for your response. Will the part you referenced fit into a '96 LHS?

Reply to
moster

A few years ago I got a rebuilt rack for my '95 LH. Did I also get that steering bushing?

Reply to
Some O

I'm not sure - you didn't say what year you had. The part number I gave is for a 2nd gen ('98-'04 MY's) LH car. I think the steering gear was the same on the first gen. LH's, but that's no guarantee of that part being the same. I'd run the number I gave you past the dealer parts department - I think once you have a number, then system can tell them what the applications for the part are - see if your '96 is listed.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

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Bill Putney

Hey Moster - If you're stil reading this, and it's not too late, according to TSB No. 19-07-98, that part number I gave you (5014740AA)

*is* for all '93-'97 LH cars, and happens to also be for '98 and '99 only (another part number picks up for '00 and later LH cars). Just coincidence that I looked it up for '99, and that number does cover all 1st gen. and earlier 2nd gen. LH years, but not later 2nd gen. ones.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

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Bill Putney

I have had some issues with the steering of my 2000 Concorde and I wonder if bushing failure may not shed some light on the problem. What does the bushing do and what might one expect to experience if that bushing failed?

Thanks.

Reply to
oldcarnut

Thosae particular bushings locate the steering rack to the car. If they get worn/loose, the steering rack can move relative to the car in response to steering input, and the effect is sloppy steering, play in the steering.

There are other more common cause of sloppy steering on the LH cars. The most common is the inner tie rod bushings (connect the tie rods to the rack). An aftermarket inner tie rod bushing kit is around $20 and is slightly difficult to put in.

Have someone move the steering wheel back and forth while you watch (looking down behind the engine) to see if the rack is moving or if there is play in either or both of the inner tie rod bushings.

What exactly are your symptoms?

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

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Bill Putney

Hi Bill, The rack is not moving and I have replaced the inner bushings (what a pain!) because they were badly worn (2000 Concorde, 110k miles). I did the rack bushings and inner tie rod bushings on my son's 94 Concorde (205k miles)so I am familiar with what you are talking about. The problem that I am experiencing, off and on, is that the steering gets very heavy and one can actually hear a scraping sound, like a piece of sand or a little stone is jammed in the mechanism. I have "flushed" the PS fluid by sucking out the contents of the reservoir, refilling, running the engine and repeating, using MoPar ATF+4. I can't be sure if that helped or not because the problem is intermittent and only occurs when moving slowly as when parking or backing from a parking place. Most of the time it acts and responds normally. Engine speed seems okay and no noises from the pump, new belt. I thought that I might try one more "flush" to see if that might be helpful. I think that a small amount of "power steering fluid" had been introduced into the system just before I started having these issues. Do you know what effect that might have? Would it produce symptoms like these? I know this sounds rambling but I'm trying to get you all the info that I have a one time. Thanks for your advice.

Reply to
oldcarnut

You say the belt is new. Is it tight? The power steering belt would have to deliver its worst-case torque to the pump when the engine is idling - so that is certainly one possible cause. Perhaps the prbolem was there before the belt was changed - if that's the case, it might be reasonable to assume the belt is not the problem - but don't rule it out without checking.

If the non-ATF+4 that was added was only a little bit, I wouldn't be concerned. If you added a lot, then maybe, but still doubtful.

The first thing I'd rule out before anything else is a loose or slick belt.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

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Bill Putney

On Jun 19, 5:34?pm, Bill Putney wrote:

The problem was there before I changed out the belt. Installing the new belt did not seem to have any effect. I believe that the belt is properly adjusted although I don't know if there is an absolute way to check without a gauge. I've put on lots and lots of belts over the years and usually got them to the proper tension. Of course the old style v-belts might have to be readjusted after a bit for stretch but don't think that's the case with the new flat belts. Is there a test to determine belt tension for these, like the old deflection method for v-belts? By the way, the scraping sound seems to have disappeared from the equation. Maybe there was a bit of grit there that broke up or fell away. I did, however, just now experience the heavy steering as I was pulling into a parking space in our lot. Could this heaviness be related to the steering geometry? The vehicle is pulling to the right and does need an alignment but I am not sure if that is the chicken or the egg. In other words, is there a problem with the steering (like the rack) causing the heavy steering and/or alignment issue or does the alignment cause the heavy steering problem? I have had vehicles over the years which have gone out of alignment and the only issue was pulling to one side or another. Is the Concorde different in that respect. Don't want to buy an alignment only to find out that there's another issue to address which will create the need for another alignment. Thanks again.

Reply to
oldcarnut

The noise might also be a bad power steering belt idler/tensioner pulley bearing. They do wear out and get noisy - good idea to replace that pulley (and the a.c. belt one) periodically - maybe every other belt change. If it was starting to really get bad, it could be binding up just enough to make noise and mess with your steering at low engine speeds but not enough drag yet to make a lot of smoke or other noticeable problems. You might also adjust the belt just a tad tighter in case there is something to slipping belt (irrespective of possible idler pulley bearing problems) - at least try that temporarily - even if you might be going what you feel is a tad too tight - to see if it is at all related.

That's all I can think of.

Oh - if you have the 2.7L engine on the Concorde, there is a pressure switch on the power steering at idle speeds to unload the engine. Could be related, but I'm grabbing at straws there. (If it has the 3.2/3.5L engine, it does not have that pressure switch.)

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

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Bill Putney

Thanks. I'll take another look at the belt and pulley to see if I can discern any problems there. And, yes, it is the 2.7 engine so I assume that it has the switch. I believe that it is positioned on the rack itself, is it not? What exactly does that switch do? Thanks for all your input.

Reply to
oldcarnut

The switch is locatged on the high pressure hose right next to the pump reservoir. Look for the thing on a steering hose with wires on it.

From my '99 FSM: "On vehicles equiped with a 2.7L engine, the poser steering system ahs a power steering pressure switch which is used to imporve the vehicle's idle quality. The switch improves the vehicle idle quality by monitoring engine idle speed and causing idle speed readjustment as necessary, due to increased pressure in the power steering system. This increased pressure will slow down the power steering pump which puts more load on the engine, decreasing idle speed.

"This type of condition exists when turning the front tires of the vehicle when the vehicle is stationary and the engine is at idle speed. The pressure switch signlas the powertrain control module to that the poser steering system is putting addition al load on the engine. Whne this signal is sensed by the powertrain control module, the engine idle speed is adjusted accordingly to maintain proper engine idle speed and quality."

NOTE: The above info. (as well as the electrical schematics showing the switch) appears in my '99 LH car FSM, but *not* in the '02 FSM that I also have access to (leading me to believe that that switch was eliminated sometime between '99 and '02 model years). So I'm not sure your car has this switch. Nor am I confident that its malfunction could cause the symptoms you are describing.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

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