Slop in steering

[darv]

my 08 Apex has a lot of slop in the streeing before it moves the skis, just wondering what it could be still have some warrant left, but if is not a big deal I will fix it my self. Reason dealer is 160 miles away.
Thanks for help

 

[APEX 06]

Need new bushings about 1-11/2 hours of work. They are a wear item, I bet your A-arm bushings are bad too. Check them by getting the front off the ground if the arms have play you need bushing there too.

 

[darv]

Just did it with oilits no it is the handle bar moves about 2-3 inches before skis do

 

[RTX]

If you still have warranty It might be worth the trip to the dealer.
I would call first and make sure they will warranty it before showing up and being told its a wear item or something like that.
Theres several different rod ends used in the steering linkage system.
Most if not all will have a little play in them. That play adds up to the slop you see at the bars.
When i did mine at 10000 miles i found almost all of them needed replacing, my biggest issue was the steering relay rod tucked down in the nose of the sled.
Kind of tough to get at but worth taking a look at. Mine was totally sloppy. Replacing it made the biggest single noticable improvment
Just remember it is most likely a combination of wear items.
Take a look at the steering breakdown. Theres a million moving parts

 

[TBay Sledhead]

Check the play in the 4 plastic bushing. Those can be replace with oilite or new plastic. if you replace with plastic drill a hole in the bushing to use a needle greaser and they will last a long time. 23,000 km and still originals, very little play.

 

[jgustman]

I fixed my sloppy steering. I pulled the steering shaft bushings and removed around 10-15 thousandths off the thickness to pull them tighter to the steering shaft and also on the secondary shaft bushings that runs forward along the side above the Chaincase. Then replaced the plastic bushings on the pivot arms under the battery, then took a center punch to the ball joints on the relay rod ends and punched the outside of the ball joints in a few spots, the slop in the ball joints went away. I did buy another relay rod if it didn't work but still seems ok so far. I don't recall if doing the tie rod ends as they seemed to be made off thicker harder metal.

 

[Jonesynl]

If I was you I would buy the oft racing, bushing kit for the steering blocks. They are also oilites