The Great Rack Debate 400SE
Discussion
The Great Wedge Rack Debates contnues...
So let me start by saying that her indoors has a great rack, but sadly she stopped me posting an image to prove, so lets talk Wedge Racks...
Found out today my rack is fooked! The car is horrible to drive, i kinda knew but didnt want to say or give in to it, i was hoping Ball Joints, a lot cheaper to replace.... But our man who looks after our everyday fleet advised me to take the car home now and put it into the garage as it just aint safe the way it is...
It steers ok one way but turning right is kinda heart stopping..
Anyway - now the issue of locating one..
I hear ye all, its a cortina one (not a Toyota Supra or SUPRA, who ever they are)..
So fellow 400SE owners - anyone replaced a rack on there 400.. I've spent ages cleaning, rubbing and scraping oil and paint off the rack looking for a wee FORD badge or some sort of reference number to use as a guide..
Nowt, then bingo, some numbers.... And arent they just a pest to get too.. Thank god for the iphone 4's handy light and camera..
So! - There is an embosed triangle, then 3 s's in a circle and what looks like a date 2 7 90 (my cars reg'd 1991, so i think that prob a build date) then on the worst part of the rack i felt some numbers, using the phone i photographed or video'd the numbers.. The camera was too close as i only had 1/2inch to try and get a piccie, it kept coming out blurred so i video'd it.. "I was at the dentist this morning, as her indoors rightly said, you really need a dentists mirror.. She's a great help.."
Anyway, the local factor thinks its a cortina, so i've left him the numbers to try and cross reference, which presently its not.. So i called Kiley Clinton in Birmingham, he was very helpfull, as a few questions and asked me to send an email of the rack, (done), he asked if the n/s of the rack was held in place with a strap and bush (a la Ford), no. Its firmly bolted on both sides through the casing to the chassis... SO he now thinks it could be SD1 - -
Ahhhhh - i give in... Its what its going to cost to fix im worried about... I really think i should convert to manual steering and save a few quid..
So, 400-ers, shout up if you've replaced... More so, if anyone local to Edinburgh and what were the charges...
Im on hols on 2 weeks, her in doors is gonna do her nut if its more than £56.50... Good news my stone gaurds arrived today.. And my new oils are enroute. So i will be busy even if i cant drive it anywhere..
Si
I am sure your guy has checked everything but I had just the same sort of symptoms and everyone and their dog said rack knackered refurbed etc etc... Oh no it wasn't it was simply the two column U/J's both had gone south. Bit of a bugger to do but I got hold of both and did the bulkhead column bearing and the car was transformed with normal silky steering and normal service resumed. Just worth a proper look before you start tearing out the rack fella
Chris
Chris
I hate to tell you Si but you have a supra rack there my friend its the same as mine. There where only two types used, Ford Cortina and Supra Engineering racks its the Supra rack that has the three s marks. I have researched the hell out of this and as i have said in the other debate on racks i have talked at length to the chap who put them together for TVR at the Supra company. Your rack my have been worn oval at one end which is the common fault with them.
That thar bain't no Cortina rack boy... [hack, spit, ding] 
See now there's the good rack, the bad rack, and the ugly rack... and you'm totin' all three
Exactly the same mounting method as the Cortina PAS item though. The Ford rack has Ford logo and the CamGears 'CG' logo on the 'back' of the left-hand alloy casting (the rack is two alloy castings separated by a steel tube). I'd agree that the sequence of numbers is a casting date. If Supra didn't cast in-house then there may well be a foundry mark as well (e.g. WYF for West Yorks Foundries or MCL for Metal Castings Ltd. - there were a lot more foundries around in the 80s than there are now
)
If Glen is right and the rack housing is worn oval then I'd expect you to be able to feel it if you put some lock on then try to move the track rod up and down (or fore-and-aft).
Get it off, strip it down, find the problem then look for an engineering solution that won't necessarily involve anyone claiming to be a TVR specialist
You never know, on the way you may find one or more other issues that need to be addressed (I usually do 
)...
See now there's the good rack, the bad rack, and the ugly rack... and you'm totin' all three
Exactly the same mounting method as the Cortina PAS item though. The Ford rack has Ford logo and the CamGears 'CG' logo on the 'back' of the left-hand alloy casting (the rack is two alloy castings separated by a steel tube). I'd agree that the sequence of numbers is a casting date. If Supra didn't cast in-house then there may well be a foundry mark as well (e.g. WYF for West Yorks Foundries or MCL for Metal Castings Ltd. - there were a lot more foundries around in the 80s than there are now
)If Glen is right and the rack housing is worn oval then I'd expect you to be able to feel it if you put some lock on then try to move the track rod up and down (or fore-and-aft).
Get it off, strip it down, find the problem then look for an engineering solution that won't necessarily involve anyone claiming to be a TVR specialist
You never know, on the way you may find one or more other issues that need to be addressed (I usually do )...There's no play on the o/s but sadly on the n/s it's a different issue. Lots of play. The knuckle or both, seem hunky dory.. So I'm emailing steering rack refurbishers to get prices. Exchange or refurb my rack..
I just wanted it to be ball joints.
So I'm now on the edge of I've spent so much getting the car spot on I think it might be time to think of a change. Maybe something I can get bits for more readily.. But still fun.. Just a thought...
So it's just sit back and wait for replies. Sadly I can't find a refurbished closer to home.
Si
I just wanted it to be ball joints.
So I'm now on the edge of I've spent so much getting the car spot on I think it might be time to think of a change. Maybe something I can get bits for more readily.. But still fun.. Just a thought...
So it's just sit back and wait for replies. Sadly I can't find a refurbished closer to home.
Si
Si,
For the cost of a call why don't you give my guys a ring in Brum and tell them what rack you have and get a exchange or refurb price.
http://www.steering-racks.co.uk/
If it's affordable at least you'll be replacing your with one that's as new.
Phil
420 SEAC
For the cost of a call why don't you give my guys a ring in Brum and tell them what rack you have and get a exchange or refurb price.
http://www.steering-racks.co.uk/
If it's affordable at least you'll be replacing your with one that's as new.
Phil
420 SEAC
simboy1973 said:
So I'm now on the edge of I've spent so much getting the car spot on I think it might be time to think of a change.
.... which seems a bit ironic really 
You've spent the money, you may as well enjoy the car (unless you can sell it for a fat profit, in which case some would say you're not a Wedge enthusiast really ).Now now. The forums supposed to be a friendly place to visit.. It's easy to be critical I suppose when sitting infront of your of iphone/pc/tablet not knowing another's personal situation and i think sometimes we forget for some of us Wedges are toys, it's not a religion.
Me personally, i don't have gold lined pockets (please no tears ) and over and above my wedge I do have other interests, some with 4 wheels and an equally big engine that also require pennies.. It's certainly nowt to do with not being a car nut let alone a wedge one, I don't think you'll meet a bigger car enthusiast.
Tut tut. !!
Me personally, i don't have gold lined pockets (please no tears ) and over and above my wedge I do have other interests, some with 4 wheels and an equally big engine that also require pennies.. It's certainly nowt to do with not being a car nut let alone a wedge one, I don't think you'll meet a bigger car enthusiast.
Tut tut. !!
Edited by simboy1973 on Monday 20th August 07:22
simboy1973 said:
Now now. The forums supposed to be a friendly place to visit.. It's easy to be critical I suppose when sitting infront of your of iphone/pc/tablet not knowing another's personal situation and i think sometimes we forget for some of us Wedges are toys, it's not a religion.
Me personally, i don't have gold lined pockets (please no tears ) and over and above my wedge I do have other interests, some with 4 wheels and an equally big engine that also require pennies.. It's certainly nowt to do with not being a car nut let alone a wedge one, I don't think you'll meet a bigger car enthusiast.
Tut tut. !!
I wasn't being critical, well not intentionally... as I said, it would seem ironic to get the car where you want it only to then get rid and perhaps buy something else that may also have a list of troubles as long as your arm. It's fair enough (IMHO Me personally, i don't have gold lined pockets (please no tears ) and over and above my wedge I do have other interests, some with 4 wheels and an equally big engine that also require pennies.. It's certainly nowt to do with not being a car nut let alone a wedge one, I don't think you'll meet a bigger car enthusiast.
Tut tut. !!
Edited by simboy1973 on Monday 20th August 07:22
) for some ratty old mass-market tin box to be passed from pillar to post but when there were only ever less than 2500 Wedges and as so many have already gone, it needs people to do as you, I and several other enthusiasts do, which is to put in the time and money to try and keep the cars in workable condition... but to do all that and then pass the car on sharpish doesn't smack of enthusiasm, it smacks of profiteering. One would expect an enthusiast to want to enjoy the fruits of his work/ investment. Maybe I'm just a beardy-weirdy inside I don't have deep pockets either; if it wasn't for my hard-learned talents and a refusal to be beaten I couldn't 'afford' a TVR. I don't have an iphone, ipad or even an ipod, I have a 10 year old Nokia 6021 and a Creative Zen MP3 that I bought off Ebay for £4. My PC is 8 years old. I don't have a telly. I don't even own a 'normal' car...
As for normal cars, we own wedges. They're not normal cars..
As of the rack, after my din dins, I'll pack away my iPad and start stripping the rack, changing the oils and I have a clutch master cyl to attack.. I am and will keep this auld beast on the road.. But I'd rather sit in the back garden with a cool Magners as its presently 22 degrees outside.. But no, I need to crack on..
I will reiterate I am an enthusiast but also as the owner of the car have the to right to keep or sell.. You see I luuuuuuv cars ( I'd be a well off man like a lot of us if it wasn't for the love of all things automotive) but do at times get very bored when thing don't go my way, hence I've now had in excess of 70 cars to my wife's, and first wife's grumbles.. Yup get bored with them too!
I don't think it's right that others should judge when someone buys, sell or keeps a wedge.. It's not the kind of car you make money on. We buy 280's, 350's, 390's 400's etc for what would and is the going rate, use and have fun and either keep or move on and get another TIV. (You dont profit on a wedge, normally because we've spend alot keeping it going) Sometimes a Griff or Chim or something more exotic.. Which after selling my 390SE is what I wanted to do, but the Griff was a little out of my budget and the Chims I saw within budget (after selling the family car) just didn't cut it, hence the want for another wedge.. Now it may stay, it may go but I will not be criticised for my choices.. It's just a car.. But in the meantime, I'll enjoy, show off and repair when it goes wrong until funds dictate a reliable euro box replaces it.. In saying that though, my 350z goes like the brown stuff off a shiny shovel and sounds and looks the mutts nuts too (it's a very rare GT4 of which only 176 made and only 76 in yellow, so rarer than my 400). But it ain't a wedge.. My Octavia, lovely reliable old bus, does what it says on the tin, it ain't no wedge..
I don't want to get into previous toys, a rare factory MGB GT V8, no 2144, now living in Germany..
I think I can tick that Enthusiast box.
Now, finish T, and attempt to get that dam rack off..
S
As of the rack, after my din dins, I'll pack away my iPad and start stripping the rack, changing the oils and I have a clutch master cyl to attack.. I am and will keep this auld beast on the road.. But I'd rather sit in the back garden with a cool Magners as its presently 22 degrees outside.. But no, I need to crack on..
I will reiterate I am an enthusiast but also as the owner of the car have the to right to keep or sell.. You see I luuuuuuv cars ( I'd be a well off man like a lot of us if it wasn't for the love of all things automotive) but do at times get very bored when thing don't go my way, hence I've now had in excess of 70 cars to my wife's, and first wife's grumbles.. Yup get bored with them too!
I don't think it's right that others should judge when someone buys, sell or keeps a wedge.. It's not the kind of car you make money on. We buy 280's, 350's, 390's 400's etc for what would and is the going rate, use and have fun and either keep or move on and get another TIV. (You dont profit on a wedge, normally because we've spend alot keeping it going) Sometimes a Griff or Chim or something more exotic.. Which after selling my 390SE is what I wanted to do, but the Griff was a little out of my budget and the Chims I saw within budget (after selling the family car) just didn't cut it, hence the want for another wedge.. Now it may stay, it may go but I will not be criticised for my choices.. It's just a car.. But in the meantime, I'll enjoy, show off and repair when it goes wrong until funds dictate a reliable euro box replaces it.. In saying that though, my 350z goes like the brown stuff off a shiny shovel and sounds and looks the mutts nuts too (it's a very rare GT4 of which only 176 made and only 76 in yellow, so rarer than my 400). But it ain't a wedge.. My Octavia, lovely reliable old bus, does what it says on the tin, it ain't no wedge..
I don't want to get into previous toys, a rare factory MGB GT V8, no 2144, now living in Germany..
I think I can tick that Enthusiast box.
Now, finish T, and attempt to get that dam rack off..
S
So the rack left with the courier today to get refurbed
Thankfully someone who was recommended in middle englandshire is doing the job. I ideally wanted to keep my business local but someone up this neck of the woods wanted £340 plus the dreaded vat and delivery. And I'd have to sign a disclaimer that if they couldn't fix it as its a rare rack then tough I'd get a box of pieces back. Not ideal or helpful.
So it's been wrapped as if it was the family heirlooms and off on its journey to be sorted.
So, new bushes, track rods and a refurbed rack, it's ready for drifting. Not!
Si
Thankfully someone who was recommended in middle englandshire is doing the job. I ideally wanted to keep my business local but someone up this neck of the woods wanted £340 plus the dreaded vat and delivery. And I'd have to sign a disclaimer that if they couldn't fix it as its a rare rack then tough I'd get a box of pieces back. Not ideal or helpful.
So it's been wrapped as if it was the family heirlooms and off on its journey to be sorted.
So, new bushes, track rods and a refurbed rack, it's ready for drifting. Not!
Si
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