Yes. If this doesn't cure it, I will be looking for another box to modify with mustang internals for quicker steering and whatnot.

 

I just ordered a set of outer tie rod ends for 14 each from advance. Its a 3-4 day shipping window though. Will let everyone know how these cheep ones work.

 

Let me know if you get the schlop out. I got new bushings for the idler arm, I can wiggle it forward and back, just need to pick them up at mazda today. Gonna go get them in a few and let you guys know whats up with them.

 

That helped me alot when I got new idler arm bushings put in. Very easy fix. Make sure you clean out all the old crap in there first. Took mine from a 3" slop to 1".

 

my steering improved greatly with the idler arm bushings too, the bottom one on mine was completely gone and the top one was extremely worn down, so it made the steering a bit harder, but a lot more composed while driving.....now all i need are the front shocks ....hope you get all this **** straightened out man.

 

Keep in mind that you can also replace the stock idler arm assembly with the "race" version that is available from Mazdatrix or Racing Beat for around $70.00

Or, you can go to Rockauto and get the same thing for about $50.00 (just look for the Moog ilder arm).

I've been using one for a couple of years, and its holding up just fine. Zero slop, and a much heavier duty design than the stock setup. I highly recommend this for anyone that doesn't want to replace their idler arm more than once.

Also, tie rod ends (both inner and outer) are a much more likely cause of slop than any of the suspension bushings other than the idler arm. If you don't know how old your tie rod ends are, then I would recommend replacing them. I would also take a really good look at the ball joints while I was at it.

Good luck man...

 

I replaced my idler arm bushings several weeks ago. I had just recently purchased the car and what I assume were the originals had literally turned to dust. Much better now! They bushings are an easy install. I lubricated them with grease and thoroughly cleaned the area with brake parts cleaner and a wire brush before installation.
As mentioned the tie rod ends will also help a great deal.

 

Ok I got the bushings from mazda. 13$ for 2 rubber stoppers that look like they belong on the bathroom towel rack. Anyways, put them on and lubed them up a bit. A little change, still have a lot of play. I say it took about a quarter inch off from the steering wheel slop. The bushings looked good when I removed them. They were plyable (is that even a word?) and the only wear on it was the top bushing, the collar around the top was starting to tear apart.

While I was down there, the tie rod ends dust cover/boot etc was basically non existant. The Poly bushing kit comes with just a cap that goes over the stock dust cover. I don't think it is really a poly bushing kit for the front, more like caps for the front and actual bushings for the rear.

Looks like the rebuild kit I wanted will still have to be put on hold

 

OE brand outer tie rod ends - $14 from advance auto. If you are just missing the boots, it is time to just replace them.

 

I noticed when I was trying to fit the driver's inner tie rod onto the long bar, that it was quite tough. Seems like I will be getting the rod ends, but not in time for ZF.

 

If I follow correctly, it sounds like you've got it all buttoned up. If not, I've got all the tools mentioned in the thread, and I live close to Road Atlanta. If you want to double-check anything, we can do it.

 

I'm confused why you are throwing parts at this to cure your problem. Usually the procedure is to grab both wheels side to side then top to bottom and wiggle back and forth. You will feel and see if the play if it is present in any parts. You should have no play on any of the steering linkages. If your wheel bearings, ball joints, inner and outer tie-rods, pitman arm, and idler arm are all kosher, then your 4" of movement in the wheel is from your steering box.

If you need to get someone to jerk the wheel back and forth while you are underneath you will understand.

 

That is a good point. But on the other hand, if he doesn't know how old those parts are, he may want to go ahead and replace everything anyway just so he knows what he's dealing with from that point on.

But yeah, as far as basic troubleshooting of the system, that is what he should do. And I'm surprised it took two pages in this thread before anyone pointed it out to him. Great catch Gavin...

 

If after you initially adjusted the box there was no play, replacing all the other steering parts won't do anything to help. It obviously won't hurt, but it won't help.

Basically it works like this... assuming it's not too worn... when the box is properly adjusted, any remaining play is a result of the other components (tie rods, idler arm bushings, etc). If there is 0 play (or very little) after adjusting the box, the rest of the steering components are fine. If it quickly deteriorates, the problem's the box.



It really sounds like you adjusted the box and things were fine but then got progressively worse rather quickly. There are 3 adjustments that can be made on the box, all of which can be done while it's on the car. There's a small guide at http://www.rx7help.com/steering-box-adjustment.html. If you neglected one of the adjustments and over-compensated with another, that could contribute to the fast wear.

One last thing to check (it's happened to me) is that the locknut for the adjuster didn't simply come loose. It's easy to see if it did by turning it by hand.

 

Just had a quick look at your site jdi. Nice to see you've made mention of the Sterling. I have one, and love it to death. Site looks good and I just might get around to adjusting my steering box as outlined there.

 

jdi-
Nice site!! Look forward to any other additions, but copied the Steering Box How 2 into my files-
Thanks!
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska