Steering rack boots

[s p a c e m a n]

I was trying to change the boots on my steering rack, but I appear to have fitted a pair of ballons by mistake.

The ones that I have fitted are so air tight that they ballon into a weird shape when shrunk up, are the original ones a bit loose to allow air flow? I threw the old ones away weeks ago so can't check them. The only other thing that I've done is hamerite the rods, this wouldnt have any adverse effect would it??

[s p a c e m a n]

Photo for your amusement

[ProjectChimaera]

I fitted new ones from racetech last week and they seemed OK. You can see in the pic from my refurb log.
They look like they may be too long or not far enough down the shaft? What are they like in the neutral position?
If you would like me to measure mine please let me know.

[s p a c e m a n]

It's weird, they're the correct length and fit perfectly, it's just that they're completely air tight so either suck in ehen extended or balloon when compressed. I must admit I've never had to do rack boots before so didn't know if it was something I'm buggering up. They work absolutely fine when there's an air gap, I've cut up a bit of the red straw thing you get with a can of wd40 and fixed it under the small end of the boot and they work perfectly.

[TVRees]

Have you tried loosening the seal on the track rod end a little ? There may also be a problem with the position of the seal. There may possibly be a small groove on the track rod, in the position where the seal ring should sit.

[Hedgehopper]

My rack boots do the same. Evidently some rack bars, though not TVR, are drilled from end to end so the air pressure can equalise from side to side.

The problem with creating an external vent is that although it will release pressure outwards, on the opposite lock it will suck air in which may of course include dirt and dust.

[semaj]

I use universal boots from any reputable motor factor and pin hole them at the high edge of the 'bellow' to vent with no probs so far. Use a red hot point to do it and it will not split during use. I do remember being able to get boots with a breather outlet on each side to link with a rubber pipe but not sure if these are still around, they were not TVR part specific, probably Jaguar??

[phazed]

As above. I'm sure I've had boots with a very small hole in them as standard but can't remember for what car they were for.

[s p a c e m a n]

Yeah my rods are solid and the boots that were on there before didn't have any way to equalise the pressure from what I saw when I cut them off... Although they were both split so maybe they actually exploded

My straw under the end solution seems to have worked so I'll just leave it like that, sod knows how they're supposed to work though.