Steering Rack

[speed demon]

Anyone know what the replacement part no. is for the steering rack on the cerb or what car its from?

[TooTall Paul]

Don't no the part number but i do know they are 799+vat IF you can find one. I've just got mine back from Greenwich power steering 130 +vat i have not fitted it yet so cannot comment on it but everything looks and feels a lot tighter.

Cheers Paul

[Ireland]

It doesn't seem to have been established what it is out of.

Does anybody know?

Surely the donor car is something obvious and the part won't have been too expensive.

Ford, perhaps?


Let's see if we can finally nail this one down, folks.

[Ffirg 005]

I had mine reconditioned recently here in NZ - the old boy running the place has seen a few racks over the years but didn't recognise it, thought it was possibly Ford-derived (Granada?). The casing has TVR stamped on it and my guess is it's quite modified from the original part, whatever that was.

[ridds]

I believe the casting is a TVR special I'm afraid and so a recon is the only option.

Not a problem though as the internals are all readily available.

[Extra 300 Driver]

I understand its a BMW casting with ford internals, or maybe the casting is bespoke to TVR. Julian64 overhauled his and has a lot of info on them.

[simonsparrow]

I've always understood that the steering racks were the first output of the Al Melling/TVR collaboration, and as such is a fairly bespoke thing.

[Ireland]

If this is the case, there isn't an option of getting an off-the-shelf new unit or even a service-exchange unit.

A rebuild is the obvious option....

.... or someone actually stumbles on a unit out of another car that's similar enough to fit the Cerb and we're all laughing.

Have any of the people who've got track cars fitted any easy-to-get racks to their cars???????

[Julian64]

Alternatively anyone know who can supply the bits to recon the rack?

[Ireland]

Julian64 said:

Alternatively anyone know who can supply the bits to recon the rack?

Good point.

We need to keep our hands dirty, eh?

[bindit]

How much play is considered acceptable?

I can wiggle mine and some slack can be felt, at least an inch play each way on the wheel.

[alderley]

bindit said:

How much play is considered acceptable?

I can wiggle mine and some slack can be felt, at least an inch play each way on the wheel.

Ouch. If you crash because of a steering fault, it really will be 'ouch'.
Have you checked for steering column UJ wear and whether the UJ bolts have loosened off. If the play really is 1 inch it is several times more play than my car has.

[bindit]

alderley said:

bindit said:

How much play is considered acceptable?

I can wiggle mine and some slack can be felt, at least an inch play each way on the wheel.

Ouch. If you crash because of a steering fault, it really will be 'ouch'.
Have you checked for steering column UJ wear and whether the UJ bolts have loosened off. If the play really is 1 inch it is several times more play than my car has.

Well i'm sat in the office trying to imagine the amount of play. It's certainly noticeable, maybe not an inch though, but you can feel the play as it takes up the slack and meets resistance. Only had the car a few days, will get underneath this weekend.

[Julian64]

bindit said:

alderley said:

bindit said:

How much play is considered acceptable?

I can wiggle mine and some slack can be felt, at least an inch play each way on the wheel.

Ouch. If you crash because of a steering fault, it really will be 'ouch'.
Have you checked for steering column UJ wear and whether the UJ bolts have loosened off. If the play really is 1 inch it is several times more play than my car has.

Well i'm sat in the office trying to imagine the amount of play. It's certainly noticeable, maybe not an inch though, but you can feel the play as it takes up the slack and meets resistance. Only had the car a few days, will get underneath this weekend.

UJ or Quill pin . UJ's are easier.

time to mention one of the laws of cerbera ownership.


NEVER EVER EVER TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.

[bindit]

Julian64 said:

bindit said:

alderley said:

bindit said:

How much play is considered acceptable?

I can wiggle mine and some slack can be felt, at least an inch play each way on the wheel.

Ouch. If you crash because of a steering fault, it really will be 'ouch'.
Have you checked for steering column UJ wear and whether the UJ bolts have loosened off. If the play really is 1 inch it is several times more play than my car has.

Well i'm sat in the office trying to imagine the amount of play. It's certainly noticeable, maybe not an inch though, but you can feel the play as it takes up the slack and meets resistance. Only had the car a few days, will get underneath this weekend.

UJ or Quill pin . UJ's are easier.

time to mention one of the laws of cerbera ownership.


NEVER EVER EVER TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.

Funnily enough i've just done a search and came accross your rack stories, some good info there. It would appear that some play in the wheel is commonplace.

Is power steering standard? I don't think mine has it, it's as heavy as other TVR's i 've had with no PS.

Thanks for the advice, duly noted!

[southendpier]

bindit said:

Julian64 said:

bindit said:

alderley said:

bindit said:

How much play is considered acceptable?

I can wiggle mine and some slack can be felt, at least an inch play each way on the wheel.

Ouch. If you crash because of a steering fault, it really will be 'ouch'.
Have you checked for steering column UJ wear and whether the UJ bolts have loosened off. If the play really is 1 inch it is several times more play than my car has.

Well i'm sat in the office trying to imagine the amount of play. It's certainly noticeable, maybe not an inch though, but you can feel the play as it takes up the slack and meets resistance. Only had the car a few days, will get underneath this weekend.

UJ or Quill pin . UJ's are easier.

time to mention one of the laws of cerbera ownership.


NEVER EVER EVER TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.

Funnily enough i've just done a search and came accross your rack stories, some good info there. It would appear that some play in the wheel is commonplace.

Is power steering standard? I don't think mine has it, it's as heavy as other TVR's i 've had with no PS.

Thanks for the advice, duly noted!

Trust, me you must have it - it may just be weak. The wheels are very, very difficult to turn without, as those of us who have had to move the car without the engine running will be able to testify!

[ridds]

I love electric steering. A little noisier yet I can roll the car around in the garage on my own with the engine off.

[Steve_T]

Julian64 said:

bindit said:

alderley said:

bindit said:

How much play is considered acceptable?

I can wiggle mine and some slack can be felt, at least an inch play each way on the wheel.

Ouch. If you crash because of a steering fault, it really will be 'ouch'.
Have you checked for steering column UJ wear and whether the UJ bolts have loosened off. If the play really is 1 inch it is several times more play than my car has.

Well i'm sat in the office trying to imagine the amount of play. It's certainly noticeable, maybe not an inch though, but you can feel the play as it takes up the slack and meets resistance. Only had the car a few days, will get underneath this weekend.

UJ or Quill pin . UJ's are easier.

time to mention one of the laws of cerbera ownership.


NEVER EVER EVER TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.

Julian, can you explain why please. What happens?

Thanks,

Steve.

[ireland]

While I was in the garage tonight I had a look at the steering rack and it appears it is a part made by, or at least for, TVR.

There is a marking on the casting that says "TVR 11/02 ** MCO".

That's as much as I could read off it as the writing is on the top of the rack and I was underneath looking with a mirror and a torch.

[Julian64]

Steve_T said:

Julian64 said:

bindit said:

alderley said:

bindit said:

How much play is considered acceptable?

I can wiggle mine and some slack can be felt, at least an inch play each way on the wheel.

Ouch. If you crash because of a steering fault, it really will be 'ouch'.
Have you checked for steering column UJ wear and whether the UJ bolts have loosened off. If the play really is 1 inch it is several times more play than my car has.

Well i'm sat in the office trying to imagine the amount of play. It's certainly noticeable, maybe not an inch though, but you can feel the play as it takes up the slack and meets resistance. Only had the car a few days, will get underneath this weekend.

UJ or Quill pin . UJ's are easier.

time to mention one of the laws of cerbera ownership.


NEVER EVER EVER TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.

Julian, can you explain why please. What happens?

Thanks,

Steve.

There is a very thin shaft that runs down the centre of the steering shaft. As you turn the wheel fractionally in either direction the twisting of this shaft opens a set of holes. With the engine on this allows pumped oil to gush through the holes and push on the steering rack screw plates.

Without the engine on, the shaft simply twists till it hits a stop, and then the major shaft of the steering takes the weight of moving the wheels.

The problem is the twisting shaft is centred on the main shaft with a small machine pin about a cm long sitting inside a simple mild steel hole. With the engine on the weight gets taken off this pin. With the engine off this pin takes full whack.

Play in my steering. about an inch before the rack moved, was caused not by the UJ's but by this pin working loose in its hole. It can't come out, so there is no problem with sudden loss, but the steering will have more play around the centre.

The fix is quite tricky and involves either machining the next size hole up with a new machine pin, or the old fashion soft solder fix.

Either way at rest with the engine off two finger movement to find play at the centre of the steering should find none.