PJmak

Sorry man im having a hard time making something out of that info. Can you get a wider angle pic of that location

Super B

This picture was taken with the intake manifold removed and from the top of the car looking down. It's very tight in the area where the steering box lives and hard to take a picture of.

If your steering is loose, the gear box is the last on the list of things to replace/adjust. Check the drag link, tie rod ends, idler arm ect.. After making sure those are 100% then you might want to adjust the gear box. But honestly if the box is wore out enough to warrant a sector shaft adjustment and for the amount of work it takes to get at and adjust the box. Might as well throw a rebuilt gear box in it with new seals and be done with it.

PJmak

I lifted the car yesterday and was able to check the play in the wheels.

Horizontally and with a little bit of effort I can move the front wheels back and forth an inch or two which also causes the steering wheel to move but within those few inches there is also something else loose because the steering wheel doesnt feel solid, it just kinda flaps back and forth and makes a clunking noise :/

Im gonna start by replacing the steering shock today and then look into the steering box.

Im just surprised because ive only put 20 or so thousand miles on those new parts. They should last longer shouldnt they?

Twichel04

Have someone sit in the car while you hold one of the wheels. Have the person wiggle the steering wheel and see if you feel it in the wheels. If you don't feel it in the wheels, move your hand to the pitman arm, do you feel it there? Do this with every moving part of the front end till you find where the play is coming from.

mbsimmons

Hello all!

I realize this thread is several months old, but I just bought an E350, and I'm having this same issue. It's maddening!

PJmak

Is your e350 lowered?

mbsimmons

No, it is stock. And I wonder if it's just the tires (Bridgestone Protenza), as it seems to be better once they are warm. But when starting off in the morning, it feels like I am driving on ice. And if I get on an uneven road (rutted), it feels like it might throw me into the other lane.

PJmak

I was told its because of too much toe and camber that comes with lowering the car. Stock suspension components dont allow for enough adjustment i was told.

Now that you tell me you have the same problem and you are not lowered i dunno if i believe it

Also a friend looked into my suspension and my steering box and he says everything is tight

It makes no sense. Could be tires tho i dunno.

MPOW33R

This happened to me with my E92 BMW, the car would literally jerk itself
hard left usually when braking to a light. After a lot of homework i found
that it was my tires.

I had swapped my wheels out and ended up with someone elses tires (long story)
18 Bridgestone run flats 90% tread and evenly worn, they looked new.

BUT

When I swapped back out the tires to my own, exact same bridgestone run flat 18s
Problem solved instantly. It had something to do with how my car wears the tire opposed to someone elses.

mbsimmons

I did have it aligned, and it didn't need any adjustments, nor could they find any worn or loose parts

mbsimmons

Very interesting. Of course this is possible, as I bought it used...