LOOSE STEERING WHEEL...

[hardtailer]

I read the whole thread and have not come across this tidbit of info so decided to put it in a reply.

The steering rack itself has a straight ahead /middle position.

You set it by lining up the pin in the black plastic cap with the hole in the alloy tab (by turning the spindle).

 

 

 

I understand you found one of the universal joints to be the cause but the above info becomes relevant when you put it all back together to complete the repair.

 

Good luck!

[creekman]

Hardtailer,  
Thanks for you interest and reply.  I don't recognize the steering rack from your picture.  Here's mine, also my car is a C4S.  I'm not sure, but there might be a difference between our cars...

 I was positive the problem I have is in the housing under the dash since I've checked the play and it had to be in the in underdash part.  So this Saturday my helper who is smaller and a lot younger did another test before taking the dash apart.  JFP from PA said it was a hard job, maybe only second to taking down the gas tank.  Then I talked to my long time friend and parts man at Pelican Parts without any conclusion.a  A day later he sends me an e-mail saying in all his years of ordering and selling Porsche parts he has never sold the undersash part of the 996 steering system.  So that gave me pause...  What I'm going to do is order the lower portion that connects to the rack to be sure the internal female splines are good, if not I'll have to pay restocking fee, but at least I can be sure what's not the problem.  I've had the steering rack rebuilt by a company in California that does nothing but steering racks and can exchange Porsche steering racks.  I chose to have mine rebuilt... So the problem is not there.

[hardtailer]

The pin is there too, see zoomed-in pic below.

Tbh I'd suspecting the refurbishment of the rack.

Edited September 6, 2022 by hardtailer

[creekman]

Question for JFP in PA.  I Ordered the lower steering shaft with included the rag and universal... Unfortunately It's not to be had in the U.S. and no time frame given from was given if and when fromm Germany...  And I still don't know if that's the problem.  my Pelican guy doesn't have any breakdown of what's inside the steering housing under the dash.  

 

One thought is find and buy the whole business, am I correct salvage yard prices should be half of retail.  My front end guy had it on the rack and said everything looks normal, then if something is broken why does the steering still works.

 

Any thoughts..., if he/we had a parts breakdown, it might tell us what did go wrong...

 

Thanks,

[JFP in PA]

8 hours ago, creekman said:

Question for JFP in PA.  I Ordered the lower steering shaft with included the rag and universal... Unfortunately It's not to be had in the U.S. and no time frame given from was given if and when fromm Germany...  And I still don't know if that's the problem.  my Pelican guy doesn't have any breakdown of what's inside the steering housing under the dash.  

 

One thought is find and buy the whole business, am I correct salvage yard prices should be half of retail.  My front end guy had it on the rack and said everything looks normal, then if something is broken why does the steering still works.

 

Any thoughts..., if he/we had a parts breakdown, it might tell us what did go wrong...

 

Thanks,

Unfortunately, to my knowledge, there has never been a parts break out for the unit under the dash as Porsche only supplied it as a complete unit.  Sorry.

 

[creekman]

Well, I thought when I installed the rebuilt rack my problems were behind me,  After bleeding the system I still had the original play in the steering wheel,  I still think there's a broken part here, it's not a wear problem.  There's nothing left to fix or do until we get the housing out from under the dash.  I bet the upper universal is now the culprit and I'm afraid to drive the car if something in fact is broken.

 

Has anyone removed the steering housing from under the dash to tell me how much of the dash has to be removed to get to the housing?

 

Thans...

 

Mitch 

[JFP in PA]

Another fun job, not because it is hard, but because it involves making room for it to move.  All the trim panels below the shaft need to come out, it is a lot easier with the driver’s side seat out, all of the electronics involving the steering system (turn signals, cruise control, OBC, etc) need to be disconnected at the harness connection points, any AC ducts in the way have to come out, the wheel itself needs to come off (more for room than anything else), and the lower shaft to the rack needs to come out.  After that it a few fasteners and the upper assembly will become free and you can pull it out.

[creekman]

Well boys and girls,  I think we isolated the steering wheel play, but don't how come or how to fix it. The play is in the splined connection.  However there's more male spline out than in.  We think if the male was pretty much engaged in the female splined aluminum tube there would be no play in the steering wheel.  Does anyone know what the dimension is of the free outside exposed male spline?

 

Now I'm assuming if the male and female were more engaged the play would go away...But there is no adjustment, the rack bolts down in one place and the under dash bolt up in specify connections, again no adjustment.  I've been all over that car for 10 years and it has never been crashed front or rear.  As far as I know everything can only go in one way.  Yet I still get the feeling this all started when we remove the gas tank and solenoids valves. I have a video, but I don't know if they're allowed and I don't know how to send it, for now I'll just include a pic.  Can anyone tell me how much male spline is inserted into the female aluminum tube?  I'll bet it ain't much...

 

 

Double click for larger view...

 

There's about an inch that looks like it was further into the female spline since there's no

rust.

 

 

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by creekman
Additional information, spelling and punctuation...

[creekman]

Ok, READ AND WEEPSteering column pics.rtfd.zip Here's my final answer...  Today I had 2 car buddies showing them the loose steering (play) in the steering wheel.   I've been chasing my tail for 3 months, nearly considered filing a Non-OP with the public safety.

Wle removing the under dash steering Shawn while on his back found a white plastic sleeve with splines.  Once that was inserted into the female spline all the play went away.  The picture I posted a couple of days ago appeared to have very little engagement when in fact it had quite a bit.

 

MY guy Glenn Sager at Pelican Parts said He had never sold one of the columns , which gave me pause and stopped me from moving ahead on a used part.  Bottom line:

 

1`.  The missing splined liner caused the play.

 

2.  As I understand it none of the steering column parts are available here or in Germany.

 

3.  I can use my plastic piece and it will be fine, because it was fine for 90,000 miles.

 

4.  I can see if I can fine a late model year and if they have the same plastic sleeve.  Glen  is working on that.

 

Again, not only does Porsche stock the larger steering components, but6 also does not show the part and part number...

[creekman]

Ok, READ AND WEEP... Here's my final answer...  Today I was showing 2 car buddies the loose steering (play) in the steering wheel.   I've been chasing my tail for 3 months on this, nearly considered filing a Non-OP with the department of public safety.

While removing the under dash steering shaft Shawn while on his back found a white plastic sleeve with splines.  Once that was inserted into the female spline all the play went away.  The picture I posted a couple of days ago appeared to have very little engagement when in fact it had quite a bit once we had access to both upper and lower shafts.

 

My parts guy, Glenn Sager at Pelican Parts said he had never sold one of the columns , which gave me pause and stopped me from moving ahead on a used part.  Bottom line:

 

1`.  The missing splined plastic liner caused the play.

 

2.  As I understand it none of the steering column parts are available here or in Germany.

 

3.  I can use my plastic piece and it will be fine, because it was fine for 90,000 miles.

 

4.  I can see if I can find a late model year and if they have the same plastic sleeve.  Glenn  is working on that.

 

Again, not only does Porsche not stock the larger steering components, but also does not always show smaller part and part numbers..

[JFP in PA]

Porsche buys the column as a subassembly from an outside contractor and just pops it into the car; parts for the subassembly at not part of Porsche's parts system, they would have to get them from the contractor, which is often more trouble to Porsche than it is worth, which is why most people go bone yard hunting for used units.  Plus, as these cars age, the parts subcontractor may have changed the design, and the parts may no longer exist.

 

In any case, I for one am sincerely glad you got it sorted.  Good job 👍

[judgejon]

Mitch, great to know this.  
Persistence, persistence, persistence.

Publish this whole story in Excellence or other magazine.  With the pictures. 
Best thoughts, jl

[hardtailer]

Congrats on solving the problem without major expenditure (on top).

Please do tell me, as I don't see it mentioned explicitly in your posts. Did you have to undo that sliding connection whereby the plastic sleeve fell out in order to remove the gas tank?

[creekman]

Hmmm, I thought I had updated  this post on the status of my steering problem...  I have a good car buddy, Patrick digs in, hands on.  He's worked with cars as a business or for his own inventory for 40 years or more.  Patrick brings along a smart young man and tells Shawn to take loose the steering column.  This is the steering shaft that is flush with the bulkhead and the rearward end receives the steering wheel.  Shawn gets the shaft out, but as he does this he says, "What's this"...  I immediately knew what it was, the nylon splined sleeve was about 6" long and was placed between the female and male, it was also clocked have only one way to fit.  This entire post of several months was because this missing part.  Why didn't we look at the parts book and order a new one...  Probably because Porsche no longer offers the part, if you wanted the part you would have to buy the entire assembly and that is $2,000.  The reason the nylon splined bushing doesn't show in the parts book is because it's part of an assembly.  I'm guessing there are other examples of this throughout the car.

 

Now we had he fix, but how to fix it became the issue.  I have survived for all these years having  over the top ideas, but through friendships and other people bowing to a better idea.  In this case I was going to hold the nylon sleeve tight against the male spline.  Patrick thought the idea was good but not the hose clamp.  He suggested greasing up the female entry area with bearing grease so if any of the gasket maker ooze out we could separate the parts for installation.

 

Well in theory Patrick was correct, I greased up the female interior wall for about an inch on the entry end, dab a little gasket maker on the male spline, however... there's always a but or however...  In this case the thin fragile Nylon is nearly 20 years old and you could how delicate the part was, by the time the male end was partially inserted, I had gasket maker every where including me...  There was no way I was going to destroy this Nylon splined sleeve...  So now in panic mode I shoved the2 assemblies together hoping that enough grease was pushed  ahead to keep the two parts from bounding forever.  The next morning my helper was easily able to remove the male spline.  I doubt

you could insert the female into the male end.  You can barely see the male end flush with the bulkhead.  My guy was in the cabin with the seat still in place, I bet it took nearly an hour to get the splines engaged, after that it was pretty straight forward.  The nylon splined sleeve probably came out when we dropped the gas tank.

 

Mitch Leland

“Home in the Hill Country"