I have an '87 5-speed and this is the 2nd replacement rack. (The 1st was around the turn of the century.) I've rebuilt racks like this before, but I thought I'd save time and just replace my leaker. It leaked oil and sucked wind so it was noisy AND messy, but performed just fine, although the driver side tie rod was getting loose. I could turn the wheel with my finger while sitting still. I drove on the highway with my hand in my lap and my fingertips (or just one tip) on the rim of the wheel.

Now the Cardone 22-208 that I just got from Amazon makes it drive more like a Wrangler with "Firm Feel". It did fix the original problems: no drips, no noise. The old rack also covered up another problem that I've been trying to avoid dealing with. The camber is positive on one side and negative on the other. The bushings are worn out on driver's side so I can't get any more camber on that side so the van has a slight pull to the right. With the old rack I only noticed it when I shut the engine off and coasted. Now I feel that pull all the time.

Anyway, I put a high pressure gauge on the pump output and got roughly 1200 psi while standing next to the vehicle and turning the wheel. It immediately jumps to 1500 psi when I hit the lock. The pump seems to be pumping right on spec. I checked the adjustment of the rack to see if it had been backed off 1/4 turn. Normal set up is: torque it, then back off 1/4 turn. I didn't torque it. I just turned it until it stopped then backed off 1/4 turn and I ended up about 20 degrees looser than it was out of the box (I scribed a line before loosening the lock nut.) I drove it this way and there was no noticeable change.

It appears something is different inside the rack. I could return it, but it might be easier (and faster) to fix the rack. It feels more like a lack of assist than something like tight seals. You really feel the caster when making hard turns. (My caster "adjustment" is probably way above spec. Another thing the old rack made up for.)

Any ideas?

 

I'm interested in this as well, as I had two Cardone racks that behaved differently. One felt like it had just the right amount of boost, and made me realize that the old rack must have leaky piston seals. And it had good return-to-center. But the other one, on a Mustang, felt kind of stiff, so when I have to make minor steering adjustments near the center, it kind of stays there, and I'd have to manually push it back to straight ahead. I end up having to make constant little adjustments in both directions. And it doesn't return fully to center after a big turn.

So I'm wondering what I can adjust to loosen that up without introducing too much play. The time to return has passed, but it would have been a hassle to uninstall it and ship it.

 

I adjusted the rack preload today, and found the bolt to be very tight. I had to use slip-joint pliers to loosen it. Then I tightened it by finger strength only, and tightened the lock nut around it. Test drive showed that it was moving more freely with minor inputs. Should I have backed off 1/4 turn from finger tight? Also, 1/4 turn is 90 degrees, much more than the 20 that you backed off. Seems like a lot.

I hope that for the couple weeks that I drove it with so tight from the factory that I did not accelerate wear on the R&P teeth.