Steering rack out.

[gas mart 1]

Took the wedge to get the tracking set up this week. Unfortunately it could not be done for two reasons.
1 Play in the steering rack (pas)
2 The adjuster on the rear tie bars has been welded for some reason.

The steering rack part makes sense , because the rack feels lumpy and is noisey So a refurb is a good idea. Can anyone offer advice on the removal procedure The car is a 88 350i, also are the rear tie bars TVR parts or from something else.

cheers
martin

[Yatesy350i]

Hi Martin

The rack removal is pretty straight forward. From memory it's just the steering column UJ, track rod end ball joints and the 4? Rack fixing bolts. Something to catch the PAS fluid when you remove the hoses and a bit of a wiggle to get the whole lot out of the car.

Had mine on hydraulic ramps to get under it.

Kyle Clinton in Brum all the way for the refurb!

ATB Karl.

[gas mart 1]

Hi Karl, That sounds easy enough. I will get on with that today, I had read about Kiley Clinton in an old post , they sound like the sort of people you can trust to do a good job.
Cheers
martin

[mrzigazaga]

gas mart 1 said:

2 The adjuster on the rear tie bars has been welded for some reason.

Hi Martin.


I did send you a message, apparently thats correct, as I understand it the adjustment is on the wishbone...Hopefully someone else can confirm...Is the place who are doing it TVR friendly?

Thanks

Ziga

[Wedg1e]

The rear tie rods are a TVR special. Adjusting them usually needs to be done in concert with the adjuster on the inboard end of the A-frame.

[gas mart 1]

Thanks for the replies,, Sorry Mark didn't get your message. I use a local company for tyres and tracking etc, they seem to know what they are dealing with regarding the Wedge, the tracking system they use is Hunter, which I believe is a good piece of kit.I will check out the adjustment on the A-frame.
cheers
martin

[J400GED]

If yours has an A-frame rear wishbone then the toe adjustment is carried out the same as a Chimaera, a pic of which is below:




External locking nut is arrowed green, internal locking nut is arrowed yellow and the adjustment is carried out using the two flats on the inboard end of the external threaded portion arrowed red, once the two locking nuts have been slackened off.

Hope this helps,

Ged

[gas mart 1]

Thanks for the picture Ged. I know exactly what to look for now, and how to adjust it.
cheers
martin

[J400GED]

gas mart 1 said:

Thanks for the picture Ged. I know exactly what to look for now, and how to adjust it.
cheers
martin

Any news Martin?

[gas mart 1]

Hi Ged
No news yet , I'm still waiting for the steering rack, I sent it off to Kiley Clinton Engineering for a re-furb. It should be back next week.
Cheers
Martin

[gas mart 1]

Got the rack back from K C, last week ,if looks are anything to go by, it should feel like a new one... now all back in place with new rod ends and ARB bushes fitted. The rear end is now on stands , so I can check out the adjusters on the A- frame .Also need to adjust the handbrake. I noticed some top and bottom movement in the rear wheels , worse on the offside , could this be the UJ's.

[mrzigazaga]

gas mart 1 said:

I noticed some top and bottom movement in the rear wheels , worse on the offside , could this be the UJ's.

Could be mate...Are the hob nobs tight...Err I mean the hub nuts...

[KKson]

UJ's or wheel bearings but if wheel bearings then would be play in all directions. Both of my rear wheel bearings have been replaced over the last two years due to some play.

[gas mart 1]

I will be checking the Hob Knobs in the morning , The movement is just top to bottom... no front to back at all. .How difficult is it to undo the hub nuts... what socket etc is needed ,
cheers
martin

[adam quantrill]

38mm hex?

[gas mart 1]

The hub nuts were nowhere near tight enough, I managed to undo them with a short bar and very little effort , after tightening , the top / bottom movement went.... took her back to DMC this morning..to get the tracking sorted..at last... and they kindly torqued up the hub nuts , I will be drilling these and pinning em. The difference is considerable... no longer tries to jump in the hedge or career across the road ... at the sight of a small bump in the road... well pleased.

[mrzigazaga]

The O/S doesn't really need a pin...Just put a line across with a permanent light coloured marker....Maybe some thread lock.

The N/S should have a castellated nut and there should be a hole drilled in the stub axle already....Ideally it needs the hole lining up and only drilling the nut collar...Its been known that some have been drilled two or three times and have caused the axle to snap....

[gas mart 1]

Thanks Mark, yep the N/S axle is already drilled... so I marked the line of the hole on the end of the shaft. so hopefully I can drill the nut to line up with this .... I swapped the nuts around ,so the one on the N/S has not yet been drilled.