Play in the power steering, is it fixable?

NorwegianRT · Wednesday at 10:50 AM

When my 2012 RT SE5 was in for wheel alignment by my local dealer, he said there was a lot of play in the steering located at the power steering.
So, I wonder if this is just a "tighten your nuts and bolts" job or if it is time for new parts?
If anyone has had the same experience, I would be thankful for tips and pointers!

BajaRon · Wednesday at 8:54 PM

Probably your universal joint needing to be replaced. Tierod ball joints can also give you slop in the steering. But it sounds like this is not the case. How much do your handlbars move (engine off) before meeting resistance?

NorwegianRT · 2026-09-10T05:40:42-0400

I checked the play and it is 10mm each way, 20mm in total.
I also noticed that when I move the handlebar rapidly within the play, I get a small clanking sound.
It sounds like it is coming from the center of the front section, so near the power steering area.
I will put it on the lift and have a check under there later on.

BajaRon · 2026-09-10T09:40:32-0400

NorwegianRT said:
I checked the play and it is 10mm each way, 20mm in total.
I also noticed that when I move the handlebar rapidly within the play, I get a small clanking sound.
It sounds like it is coming from the center of the front section, so near the power steering area.
I will put it on the lift and have a check under there later on.

Yes, 20mm is too much. It is definitely your universals, which sit right above the DPS (Dynamic Power Steering). Pretty common.

The official name for this component is "Lower Steering Column" which contains 2 universals. One on top and one on the bottom. The entire shaft needs to be replaced. A bit of a job. Unfortunately, very little on the Spyder escapes this caveat.

Yes,

NorwegianRT · 2026-09-10T15:00:54-0400

BajaRon said:
Yes, 20mm is too much. It is definitely your universals, which sit right above the DPS (Dynamic Power Steering). Pretty common.

The official name for this component is "Lower Steering Column" which contains 2 universals. One on top and one on the bottom. The entire shaft needs to be replaced. A bit of a job. Unfortunately, very little on the Spyder escapes this caveat.

View attachment 256809
Yes,

Thanks for the info Ron, much appreciated.
This sounds like a job to be done while in winter storage as there is much to remove. The play I can live with the rest of this season, but will ask my local dealer to order the shaft as soon as possible.

BajaRon · 2026-09-10T15:13:29-0400

NorwegianRT said:
Thanks for the info Ron, much appreciated.
This sounds like a job to be done while in winter storage as there is much to remove. The play I can live with the rest of this season, but will ask my local dealer to order the shaft as soon as possible.

Sounds like a plan. I'd get it ordered ASAP. If it's already in the US, you're good to go. But if it is still in Canada... Well, just order it right away.

On another note, BRP needs to beef this part up some. They wear out faster than they should.

Mikey · 2026-09-10T19:54:19-0400

I for one would get my hand in there to make sure it is the universal joints with slop before I bought the parts. And have you ever had the nose off that 2012? There's quite a bit of room and access to a lot of things in there when you do it. Just saying!! That assembly looks like it's on a splined shaft set up like the shifting rod, it has a bolt that holds it together and, on the shaft, it may have lost a bolt, and you may be ripping the teeth off the splines on the shaft or rod!

Peter Aawen · 2026-09-10T21:07:40-0400

NorwegianRT said:
Thanks for the info Ron, much appreciated.
This sounds like a job to be done while in winter storage as there is much to remove. The play I can live with the rest of this season, but will ask my local dealer to order the shaft as soon as possible.

BajaRon said:
Sounds like a plan. I'd get it ordered ASAP. If it's already in the US, you're good to go. But if it is still in Canada... Well, just order it right away.

On another note, BRP needs to beef this part up some. They wear out faster than they should.

That's probably not quite so much of an issue, seeing that @NorwegianRT is in Southern Norway.

Play in the power steering, is it fixable?

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