I'm still looking for info regarding my shakey steering,as this is now being felt more due to the new uprated LCA bushes being fitted. I have had both steering arms off and checked for play and theres nothing showing. So last night I got off a$$ and had a look under the dash. There is a little play in this

So for my next question I was wondering how much play is allowed and can this part be replaced without the need for a whole new colom.

I get a significant noise if I move the steering wheel when the engine is off like a twanging clunk (best description). And a lot of rattlin/vibration over crap surfaces.

I've changed all there is to change bar the shocks and ball joints although these have been checked numerous times.

TIA

I need all the help I can get now as it spoiling my driving pleasure seeing as I'm waiting for the steering wheel to not work one day :eek::eek:

from lookin at that mate i think it is all one. but wont there always be a bit of play from those kind of joints?

might be wrong, I have a similar problem with mine, tis not really that bad as yet

good luck with it though.

billy

I'm still looking for info regarding my shakey steering,as this is now being felt more due to the new uprated LCA bushes being fitted. I have had both steering arms off and checked for play and theres nothing showing. So last night I got off a$$ and had a look under the dash. There is a little play in this

So for my next question I was wondering how much play is allowed and can this part be replaced without the need for a whole new colom.

I get a significant noise if I move the steering wheel when the engine is off like a twanging clunk (best description). And a lot of rattlin/vibration over crap surfaces.

I've changed all there is to change bar the shocks and ball joints although these have been checked numerous times.

TIA

I need all the help I can get now as it spoiling my driving pleasure seeing as I'm waiting for the steering wheel to not work one day :eek::eek:

That looks like a "U" joint or intermediate shaft, it connects the pinion on the steering rack to the column, normally consists or 2 U/J's with a slider tube between them ( 1 piece), it should be removable on it's own. From my experience (professional) the I shaft can wear so that backlash can be felt through the steering wheel, normally cause by wear in the slider tube portion. Wear on the bearings would give a notcey feeling as as opposed to "sloppyness", Worth a quick check is put 1/4 turn on the lower bolt (pinion) if still not feeling right best bet is probably a new one, just make sure if when you get one it has new fastening bolts and you use the correct torque, these things can and will break with wrong torques/fixings.

Hope that helps.

Blanchie

Nice one for the info, I'vejust been looking at ETKA and it appears as though it is all one piece from the column down.

It's annoying as it may even be the rack as the noise is coming from that area ??

I noticed after wiggling it and checking that bolt was tight(you never know) that it felt a bit better don't know why though.

I still say it's your rack. The noise you showed me was identical to the one I had. When skoda inspected my car, they suggested that it was the universal joint at the bottom of the column as they said they could feel play in it.... I wasn't convinced so took it to an independent specialist who was convinced it was the rack (even though there was no obvious play in it). I got the rack changed and it's been fine ever since.

It's the clunking whilst stationary/engine off which is making me say this. I had never heard anything like it before I heard mine... and yours was identical.

My other symptoms were a knocking when turning from right to left (IE exiting a roundabout) and a general loose feeling through the wheel.

I still say it's your rack. The noise you showed me was identical to the one I had. When skoda inspected my car, they suggested that it was the universal joint at the bottom of the column as they said they could feel play in it.... I wasn't convinced so took it to an independent specialist who was convinced it was the rack (even though there was no obvious play in it). I got the rack changed and it's been fine ever since.

It's the clunking whilst stationary/engine off which is making me say this. I had never heard anything like it before I heard mine... and yours was identical.

My other symptoms were a knocking when turning from right to left (IE exiting a roundabout) and a general loose feeling through the wheel.

******

I could do without it being the rack, it's a pig to change by all accounts, and the boss ain't happy atm.

Maybe I should start looking around scrappys for a deal

Cheers Phil I think I needed your virtual kick up the a$$ as I know deep down it's the rack and i suppose I always have, but alas I'll have to live with it for now:(

I don't think the rack is that bad to be honest. Think I paid my man £100 to switch them over. For racks, keep an eye on eBay. Also, it's an excuse for a TT quick rack

TT quick rack............. come on then for those who dont know

TT quick rack............. come on then for those who dont know

It's the rack of the TT iirc it's 2.5 turns lock to lock as opposed to 3 on the std one.

It's along these lines anyhoo, I'm sure phil will correct me if I'm wrong (again)

David, sent you a PM, but just in case this works better.

I have the same issue and wondering how you solved yours (if you did)? Play seems to be between the two sliding tubes.

Seems you can't get the universal joint by itself (that's the bit with the sliding tubes that has a universal joint at each end).

I changed my rack on my VRS today and its not bad to do really altho i was changing all the subframe and arms etc aswell but I would think if you left arms bolted to hubs and just dropped back of subframe down it would slid out without to much trouble,

Power steering pipes are quiet easy to disconnect, can get to one under passenger wing above steering arm and other from under car behind engine

It's not the steering rack, it's the steering column. It's not that it would be a hassle to change - it's the expense - a column here is about A$1000/650 pounds. A lot of money to solve a problem in a little part (on a low mileage car).

I've kinda fixed it - bunged some slivers of plastic up between the two tubes and hot glued them in. Feels ok. Be interesting to see how long it lasts.

Edited 21 April, 201214 yr by wfdTamar

It's not the steering rack, it's the steering column. It's not that it would be a hassle to change - it's the expense - a column here is about A$1000/650 pounds. A lot of money to solve a problem in a little part (on a low mileage car).

I've kinda fixed it - bunged some slivers of plastic up between the two tubes and hot glued them in. Feels ok. Be interesting to see how long it lasts.

It's a different steering column on the Mk1.

There may be some differences but the universal joint at the bottom of it is the same (and has the sliding tubes bit). Mine (2008 Octavia II) looks exactly the same as Davids in the first post here (I'm assuming David's car is an Octavia II given the section he posted in).

There may be some differences but the universal joint at the bottom of it is the same (and has the sliding tubes bit). Mine (2008 Octavia II) looks exactly the same as Davids in the first post here (I'm assuming David's car is an Octavia II given the section he posted in).

It does look similar, but the Mk1 doesn't seem to suffer from the same problem as the Mk2. As you may have a worked out, the sliding tube is there to allow the steering tilt (height) to operate. On the Mk1, the roller bracket is immediately above the upper u-joint and this causes less wear.

As you already know, the sliding tube is part of the column.

You can often solve this problem by ...

Taking the bottom u-joint off the rack spline.

Slide the lower tube into the upper tube as far as it goes.

Cut a piece of steel rod so that it fits in the groove.

Put a piece of wood behind the tube and squeeze the steel rod into groove with a vice or big G-clamp.

Here's mine:

Can't quite work out what you mean by the last sentence, but I think that's what I've done with the plastic strips. Anyway it's worked and will be easy to do again if it fails. Luckily it's not a safety issue unless it gets so worn that the outer tube has no grip at all on the inner (I can't see that happening).

Here's mine:

http://www.flickr.co...N06/6946709078/

Can't quite work out what you mean by the last sentence, but I think that's what I've done with the plastic strips. Anyway it's worked and will be easy to do again if it fails. Luckily it's not a safety issue unless it gets so worn that the outer tube has no grip at all on the inner (I can't see that happening).

By forcing a piece of steel rod into the groove, you tighten the upper/outer tube onto the lower/inner. The steel rod doesn't stay in the groove - it's only there so the force is applied to the groove. That's how the outer tube is tightened onto the inner when that part is made.

Hope that makes sense.

Oh yes, gotcha now. That would be better than my bodge. Did think of doing that at a single point on the outer tube using a G-clamp, but didn't have a clamp handy.

Might try if my fix fails.

I replaced mine 1 year ago,and yes it comes in 1 piece.....I was very lucky to find it at the scrap park for 50p and it works excelent,no plays

If you can see the play in that U joint is big ,believe me,if you just can feel it in hand is acceptable,but very annoying

Edited 22 April, 201214 yr by IulianE