slop in steering? (ive been messing with stuff..)

[DSG2003Mach1]

almost forgot about this since I havent driven it in so long...

in all my motor swapping etc I put on new outter tie rod ends, I also had separate the steering shaft at the slip joint to make it fit with the damned Kooks headers.

Now the steering has a pretty decent dead spot from center (if you go a bit left or a bit right) where the wheel doesnt move, it didnt used to be like this.

of course my first guess is the steering shaft being taken apart being to blame.

is there anything with the tie rod ends or anything else that could be the culprit here?

[shakeit04]

I'm curious about this too because I had the motor out to replace the heads and had slop afterwards too. Did a wheel alignment and it was a little better, but there still is slop.

[DSG2003Mach1]

I searched this over on SVTP and found several possibilities

1) rag joint is shot (it can get hot and mushy from the longtubes)

2) check the set screws where it attaches to the steering rack and to the steering wheel

3) check the rack where it mounts to the K member and make sure its not moving on the mounts (causing it to move on the mounts before the tires turn)

4) theres a plastic sleeve where the shaft comes into the car through the firewall, I guess it can slip one way or the other and that can lead to slop as well.

Being that I noticed the slop in mine immediately I dont think its the rag joint so Im going to check the rack at the kmember, that sleeve then the bolts.