Car: 92 Base NA, Manual Steering (not De-Powered power-steering).

Issues:

1) There is about 15 degrees of a "deadzone" in my steering wheel where I can turn the wheel without affecting my steering. This is present driving or parked.

2) Once I exit the "dead zone", and even throughout the whole turn, there is a "pop" that can often be heard/felt coming from the rack/steering shaft. When under the car, the noise of grinding/popping when cranking the steering wheel sounds like its coming from the rack.


3) Steering wheel wobble has now become steering wheel jerk (). The gentle pulling of the road on my hands has become a periodic tug in either direction.


etc)

I noticed movement in the joint of the steering shaft, where it connects at some plastic spot right near my BEGI downpipe:

The piece opens up about .5mm and closes in the middle of steering. Not sure if thats supposed to happen.


I also noticed exposed gears near the U-Joint of shaft. Is this normal?



I have read about an "adjustment" screw available on powersteering racks, but mine is manual so I seem to be missing out on what i've read fixes this issue. I would thing the wheel play is from tie-rod ends and the grinding is a gear issue, but anyone have input ? I'll be under her most of the day so I'll check back and post as I go. There isnt much on broken manual racks, so i'm hoping for a bushing broken somewhere lol.