Bend rod-depower steering woes
 

I had my shaft welded by a shop an hour down the road. Explained to him what needed welded, gave him a 8x11 print out of the welded shaft Hustler has running around on the site somewhere. Told him it could not be bent/warped. Well it is. I had most of the rack together adn it spun freely. Then put on the input shaft "cap" and it got hard to move the steering rack. I would say it felt like a massive amount of vaccum was holding onto it. It would spin a hair then lock up. Popped the cap off and spun it -see vid-- it is tweaked one way. Any idea how to bend it back or is it time to find another rack piece? Biggest hammer I have is 3-4lb and don't have a big vise, but could get my hands on one. I don't want to destroy it. I may go bolt it in and see if the steering wheel has enough torque to over power the binding. However if it is hard to turn at the wheel it sorta defeats the depowering of the rack.

First off, you're not going to bend it with a vise or hammer. If it was indeed warped with a welder, a lot of energy was put into it and I highly doubt you'd be able to do any good with your current piece.

That being said I don't think that looks like a lot of wobble, but I don't know the tolerances for those shafts. Are you sure you don't have something binding on the rack? Since the pinion rotates several times and the rack will only pass through once, a bent pinion would produce a repeating binding affect, is it doing that?

I took the whole thing apart again and it is all fine short of the wobble. So I bolted it all together put it in the car and used the steering wheel. No binds at all and it own that hard to turn. I can spin it with one finger. Car isn't on the ground FYI. Only difference from score is maybe it downtown aping like a top if I spin the wheel. I can turn it at the input shaft easily. I'll post a vid in a sec when im off my phone.

Vid. I can't really turn it by the splined shaft very well, but if I put it in and turn it by the knuckle I can pretty easy. If it looks like I stuggle it's because I broke my left wrist years ago and have the grip of a toddler in that hand. That and the touch me hand is the right ;) I can turn it inside the car easily. I'm really just concerned about the bend wearing out the steering faster. It doesn't bind. I had my wife and my neighbor kid feel for binds and so 3 people later we all agree it's smooth. I think it's because the as the bend rotates it is pressing evenly in the direction of the bend. Like an evenly forced dinner bell, hitting all the walls.

If it's not binding, don't sweat it.

I think you have to replace the rack and pinion as a set anyways. I could be wrong though? Dunno if they're a matched set like a ring and pinion.

How much did you back out the pinion slider thingy?

It's just snug in there until I get my hands on a in/lb wrench. But if memory serves it is 25deg back off. If it lasts a few years I'll be happy. If not, what is done is done. maybe by the time it wears out I'll have learned to weld and can do it myself. Seems the only way to get it right now days.