steering rack gaiters..help please

[skiver]

I have been trying to slip the inner ends of the new gaiter over the rack end casing lip,but it's a tight fit and won't be pushed on.It needs to be opened up all round somehow to enable it slide on over the lip.
Is there a way to do this with the rack in situ or will it have to be loosened or even come out?

thanks, Stuart

[phillpot]

Shouldn't be that tight


If you're pretty sure they are the right ones I'd try pushing the outer end well up, squeezing the gaiter up and giving it more inclination to want to go on, then bottom on first and try to work around and it should "pop" on.

Have you tried a little bit of lube on it

[skiver]

I've tried everything!
Problem is there is a lip on the inside of the gaiter as well as on the casing and there is no way it will slide on unless it is opened out. I've tried doing this with a thin metal sleeve inside the gaiter and over the casing but can't get to enough of the gaiter end for an even push on.
(The gaiters are from the best known TVR dealer in the south so I'm sure they're right!)

[Hedgehopper]

Not an easy job at all. You really need to put the gaiters on before you bolt the rack down as you can then lift it slightly clear of the chassis cut-outs.

Other than loosening the rack I have found that rolling the gaiter end back (like a condom) will help. As you say the lip doesn't help but at least it won't slip off whilst in use.

[phazed]

I've had mine on and off several times on the 4.6 when I was playing silly buggers with racks and never had a problem.

I suggest your new ones aren't correct.

[JWzed]

The gaiters for a manual rack are smaller than those fitted to a PAS rack. Have you got the correct ones?

[skiver]

Thanks for all your input, but I persevered with the metal sleeve method today and,refreshed from a nights kip, managed to get them both on in less than an hour after much faffing about yesterday in the wrong frame of mind
Loosening the rack would have made it easier but they were very tight, although the correct ones for my manual rack