Steering issues

[ImplantLabTech]

2011 Precedent I am rebuilding and modernizing, I put a spindle lift on, 3 inch jakes and it looks great drives straight, I have the the toe set correctly and it does not wander but it seems to have a loose ambiguous feel not to mention the turning radius sucks now. I drove a new onward this last week and it was so tight and precise.

Today I jacked up the front end to see where the play was and could not determine it, when I grab each wheel each hub is tight and spins nice when I hold one tire and have someone turn the wheel there is a bit of play before it grabs. The ti rod ends are tight with no wobble.

The heim joint ( I think thats what its called where the steering shaft meets the rack that u-joint style thing seems that perhaps there is some play in there but maybe thats normal.

I thought I'd just pick up a new rack/ti rod ends and swap them but I do not want to just start buying parts thinking we may have an improvement.

Can you give me some guidance on the correct path here

[crash12888]

The wifes 2015 Precedent has the same lift and is very tight and will almost leave the inside rear wheel in one spot when it turns that way.
Anything you find loose should be replaced and keep in mind if you have several parts "just a little loose" they will add up to sloppy steering.

[JohnP3]

"The heim joint ( I think thats what its called where the steering shaft meets the rack that u-joint style thing seems that perhaps there is some play in there but maybe thats normal."

I believe that is the "yoke" you refer to that connects the steering column to the steering mechanism. There should be no play in that joint. Play could be caused by: a) normal joint wear and tear, or b) if removed from the steering column, when re-assembled the bolt passes through one side (w/ no threads) and connects to the other side that is threaded. If the bolt is started from the wrong side it will appear to be installed properly but results in "play" as the yoke is not really tight to the column even though the column is captive and the steering will work. (Please don't ask how I know this)

Amazon has the yoke new for about $25 (item B07R8YZCWY) Metal Steering Lower Yoke, Fits 2004-Up Club Car Precedent & 2018-up Tempo OEM#103810201

https://www.amazon.com/No-accessorie...3346701&sr=8-1



I cannot help with the turning radius other than to ask if the steering wheel turns the same amount in both directions...

Best of luck!
- John -

[ImplantLabTech]

Originally Posted by crash12888

The wifes 2015 Precedent has the same lift and is very tight and will almost leave the inside rear wheel in one spot when it turns that way.
Anything you find loose should be replaced and keep in mind if you have several parts "just a little loose" they will add up to sloppy steering.

I just go down the rabbit hole looking at all the components thinking I have the entire thing apart what is another 60 bucks here and there and finally now its like 400 bucks replacing everything and I throw **** in the landfill before its time :)

Thanks for the reply.

[ImplantLabTech]

Originally Posted by JohnP3

"The heim joint ( I think thats what its called where the steering shaft meets the rack that u-joint style thing seems that perhaps there is some play in there but maybe thats normal."

I believe that is the "yoke" you refer to that connects the steering column to the steering mechanism. There should be no play in that joint. Play could be caused by: a) normal joint wear and tear, or b) if removed from the steering column, when re-assembled the bolt passes through one side (w/ no threads) and connects to the other side that is threaded. If the bolt is started from the wrong side it will appear to be installed properly but results in "play" as the yoke is not really tight to the column even though the column is captive and the steering will work. (Please don't ask how I know this)

Amazon has the yoke new for about $25 (item B07R8YZCWY) Metal Steering Lower Yoke, Fits 2004-Up Club Car Precedent & 2018-up Tempo OEM#103810201

https://www.amazon.com/No-accessorie...3346701&sr=8-1



I cannot help with the turning radius other than to ask if the steering wheel turns the same amount in both directions...

Best of luck!
- John -

Thats what its called :)

Thanks I am going to buy a new rack as well since they seem so inexpensive and I have the entire thing apart now. I see such a wide difference on price are the $60 to $80 racks on amazon that much more different than the oem "style" I see the vendors charging like closer to two bills?

Thanks again for the heads up on the yoke and the direction it installs sounds like I could have done the exact same thing by not knowing the consequences.

Yes the radius is the same both ways since the alignment doesn't pull the ti rods are equal in length. What I believe it is is a safety feature Jakes builds into their spindle lifts since it makes the offset wider kicking the tires farther out than stock which is great for stability bad for sharp turns. It seems the knuckle on the spindle will hit before the rack is fully locked to one side to prevent roll over??? I found a post where they actually ground off this bump to allow the rack to turn the spindle farther but I am not going to do that. I just was afraid I did something wrong on the install but it seems its common with this lift.

[Fairtax4me]

Spindle lift is all of your "issues". The length of the extended spindle changes the scrub radius of the tire, which causes most of the loose feeling.
Also the steering arms on the spindle kits are longer which decreases turn radius, but also makes the cart easier to steer when coupled with larger wheels and tires. Most lift kits have a slightly longer steering arms, so you will get that effect no matter which lift you use.