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.

 

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')

 

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

 

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

 

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')

 

Bill Putney wrote:

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')

 

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.

 

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')

 

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.

 

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')

 

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.

 

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')

 

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.

 

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')