1985.5 steering wheel not coming back to centre

[MBEpse]

Hi
I have an 1985.5 with rack and pinion steering and when driving and turning corners/parking and the steering is on semi/full lock in either direction the steering wheel does not come back to its central position - then whilst driving in a straight line, a couple of 'tugs' on the steering wheel brings it back on-line/central.
I have replaced carried out a full replacement of front suspension - lowered springs, shock absorbers, lower & upper arms, track rod ends, hubs, bearings etc and had the front alignment adjusted.
So, my next thought is - could it be the bushes on the steering rack?
Does anyone have any experience of this issue and would changing the bushes be the answer.
I have not been able to find any workshop manual which describes the replacement process - it is a relatively straightforward job?
As usual any insight or knowledge would be really appreciated.
Thanks
Michael

[Spider951]

This may be from waaay beyond left field, but here goes. I once owned an MGB, with rack and pinion steering, (and I have no idea whether it even faintly resembles that of the late model Fiats; my '81 Spider does not have rack & pinion steering). On my MGB there was a universal joint on the steering column that was connected to the pinion gear assembly via splined rods, one on the steering wheel side, the other on the pinion gear side. The splined rods each have a beveled (flat) spot near the splined ends into which a pinch bolt (essentially a "set" screw) is positioned to prevent free play. Is it possible that your Fiat has a similar arrangement and one or more of the pinch bolts is loose (or worse, the splines are stripped)?

Another possibility, again with analogy to my old MGB, is that there is something stripped inside the pinion. [I would think, however, if that were the case you might have some serious problems with even turning the steering wheel, and maybe some issues with the bushing and oil seal (assuming there is one) down near the pinion.]

Are you sure everything is torqued up correctly on the ends of the rack (tie rods)?

OK, you can laugh now.

[Spider951]

Correction to my earlier post: the beveled (flat) places on the splined rods is for the fitment of an alignment gauge, not the place where the pinch bolts and clamps actually seat. But the gist of the idea is that there might be some loose connections or stripped splines, allowing too much movement of the steering wheel in relation to the pinion gear, assuming the mechanism is similar to that of a 1979 MGB.

[MBEpse]

Thanks Spider951 - there's nothing wrong with left field! I am going to get the alignment checked (again) as suggested by others before I carry out any checking bushes, clamps etc. Thanks for advice/insight, Michael

[bobplyler]

About 12 years ago, I bought new control arm, with ball joints. I didn't use them for several years. When I got them on, I had the same experience. I traced it to the ball joint on the right upper arm. It was extremely stiff, and would barely move. I replaced the ball joint, and everything was fine.