Play in steering rack

[ukkid35]

Luckyone said:

If the rack bar is also worn that would need replacing but that is currently showing unavailable https://tvr-parts.com/tvr-parts/part-details/tvr-h...

HOWEVER copied directly from that link "This rack bar is for the 7 tooth pinion and the rack bar length is 602mm. This rack bar will not fit TVR Tuscans, Tamoras, T350s or Sagaris which all have longer rack bars."

So it sounds like later racks are not a good idea, that is my worry with a Scooby rack too.

Several years ago I was sold a rack for a 98 Cerb by one of the breakers, but of course it wasn't it was for a T car (and possibly v late Cerbs as well)

It has the longer rack bar and came with shorter tie rods, so it physically fits.

However, that's a great way to make the car handle horribly, as I found out about a week later at the Ring.

I immediately returned to the original rack, so I have a T car rack for sale, it was in the classifieds for months with no interest at all.

I'm hoping that it will become invaluable to a T car owner in due course...

[Luckyone]

ukkid35 said:

I may have got the orientation of the flat on the pinion wrong.

With the bar centred, there is only one position of the pinion where the flat is either horizontal or vertical (ie where the UJs will be perpendicular).

It's maybe easier to see at the other end, this is where mine UJs are in the straight ahead position right now.




Not really perpendicular...

[Luckyone]

ukkid35 said:

I'm hoping that it will become invaluable to a T car owner in due course...

I know that feeling

Not with different racks but plenty of other bits...

[Luckyone]

It only too the removal of a few tie raps to get the pinion out in the end but it looks in very good condition really the machining marks are still evident on the tips there is slight pollished effect on the sides of the teath as you'd expect. Still at least I could put it back a bit closer to the correct position.

Unsurprisingly it still felt much the same with it all back in.

[Luckyone]

However I've just realised quite a bit of the play was actually in the column reach adjustment slider, not all the play but enough to notice.

On a closer look I see the sleeve has cracked


Any one know what car they are off? Something in the back of my mind says Rover but I'm not sure.

I don't know if the crack is the cause of the play there but it has to be worth trying to put a new bit on if I can get
one.

Edited by Luckyone on Wednesday 24th May 23:13

[Luckyone]

I thought I'd try something else before getting any new. So I pulled the top of the steering column out, cut a suitable notch from some scrap to support the triangular adjuster part and pressed three sides down a little equally in turn.

It's definitely an interference fit now!

It needs a bit more persuasion to get it on & pushed right back down but it's back enough to try quickly & it feels great. Though I need to check it properly when I can turn the wheel all the way from lock to lock.

The reach adjustment will be very stiff, but we never really move that anyway.

I think there is always a bit of play in the rack pinion but it's mostly as the rack adjuster lower plastic part moves back up against the spring a bit so there is enough resistance to give a little feeling to the movement in the steering wheel, the slop in the rack adjuster had no resistance so felt horrible.

I didn't spot it earlier as there was more play in the rack adjuster with the wheel a certain points, it was one of the first things I checked but it must have been a spot where it wasn't moving much when I did.
The movement in the pinion was misleading as you can't tell if the movement has any resistance when turning the UJs by hand.

I just hope I don't prove all that wrong when I get it back together fully tomorrow!

[pmessling]

The pinion does look good. Plenty of meat on that. Mine was like a knifes edge.

Good spot on the sleeve.

There will
Always be a slight amount of play. Even a millimetre per uj plus any black lash in the rack and pinion would all feel more than it is. I drove my for sometime with the movement I had.

Was only when it was described as "it's fooking damgerous" by someone that I knew it was time to sort it. I was used to it so didn't bother me that much

[Luckyone]

Yes I thought I was going mad but it had been off the road for a good 5 years getting a full rebuild, though I was sure there was no play before the rebuild so to suddenly have it after was annoying to say the least!

That is one of the problems with rebuilding the whole car, there are so many things you've taken apart with no chance to drive it in between each it very hard to work out which bit you got wrong. I was sure it was the rack as I'd I'd changed the seal.

The actual problem it turns out was that there are actually two sleeves inside the column reach adjuster. I took the top off of the column off in the rebuild and had not got the main shaft of the column engaged in the second sleeve (having no idea it was there) when putting the steering wheel assembly back on, it had just got pushed back up inside towards the steering wheel.
So there probably wasn't any real need for my use of the press, but at least it's super tight now!

I just need to work out how tight to set that little adjuster on the rack now I'm happy it's a good one.