Hi all, i was refered here by another website and was wondering if any could help. A girlfiend of mine has a 97 v6 magna and wanted me to have a look at it as it had a steering vibration coming through the steering wheel, when up to speed ie 100 and vibration comes in for about 3 to 5 seconds then goes off for the same then back. Im somewhat mechanically minded so i gave it a shot. She said it only started to happen after she had a new front tyre fitted on it. I suspected the wheel was out of balance, but after swapping wheels around the car I eliminated that. She was told after a previous service that her steering rack had cracked......$600 to have it fixed. Doesnt seem to be losing a great deal of fluid ie no drips, wet/moist around the rack though. I grabbed the steering wheel shaft above the uni joint and it seems to have a bit of play, about 10mm both ways. Is this normal? depending where the crack is maybe it just needs some new rack ends. The vibration stops when the steering is being used like left to right across the road and only comes in when driving in a straight line .alot cheaper than a replacement, we are out in the sticks abit any they charge like a bull out here so was trying to go in with a bit of knowledge.....any help would be appreciated

cheers
Matt

You said: "I grabbed the steering wheel shaft above the uni joint and it seems to have a bit of play, about 10mm both ways. Is this normal?"
I just went out and checked mine and I cannot move the shaft either above or below the uni joint at all...no sideways movement at all.

cheers mate, I suspected so.....looks like she needs a new rack

mine just developed this same issue. only it has now got alot worse. to the point of i cant drive it.

it looks like mine is drive shafts as when the car is in the air (from being jacket up) no movement in wheel bearing, pivot joint or steering joint.

but with the brakes on i can move the shaft in the joint from the front to the back of the car. ie across the plane of the joint by a good 5-10mm. this is the inside joint on the drivers side doing it.

so shafts getting swapped out on thursday. will let you know how it goes

well i can confirm. just got the cv's replaced. vibration gone.. cheers