Steering rack adjustment.
Discussion
I'd like to tighten my rack very slightly, is it just a case of loosening the lock nut and turning the Allen bolt an 1/8 of a turn clockwise. It's obvious I know but steering racks have me worried!
If I loosen the nut am I in danger of more leaks!
Shirley not but I'd like to be sure before I bugger something up.
If I have resistance on the Allen bolt would that indicate it's already nipped up and the play is just what it is.
It's not drastic but it is there.
My UJ's are nice and taught.
Any advice would be great.
You can take a little play out by using the adjuster but if there is resistance then that's it!
no grease necessary in the gaiters although a light wipe over the moving parts is fine.
The old play in the tiv rack us why I went Scooby
Just check there is no play in the track rod swivels.
no grease necessary in the gaiters although a light wipe over the moving parts is fine.
The old play in the tiv rack us why I went Scooby
Just check there is no play in the track rod swivels.
Edited by phazed on Sunday 18th May 13:30
Last year Powers changed the gators and rod ends anyway.
No play as I can detect, all seems tight. I've got a plan to ask you about the Scooby rack on Thursday.
I'll have a play with the adjuster later, one thing with it, without liquid in the rack it feels notchy as I turned the pinion shaft?
Probably normal as it's running over the gearing or it's on it's way out. I'll persevere and see what happens.
Old school mechanics. Trial and error.
No play as I can detect, all seems tight. I've got a plan to ask you about the Scooby rack on Thursday.
I'll have a play with the adjuster later, one thing with it, without liquid in the rack it feels notchy as I turned the pinion shaft?
Probably normal as it's running over the gearing or it's on it's way out. I'll persevere and see what happens.
Old school mechanics. Trial and error.
There shouldn't be any oil under the rack pad adjuster just grease. Typically you should back off the nut, tighten the Allen key set screw until you feel resistance then back off 1/8 to 1/4 turn then tighten the nut again. (Make sure the set screw dosen't move when you tighten the nut) I must confess I have never had a TVR rack apart but
every rack I have had apart has been done this way. The notchy feeling you describe is normal in my experience so wouldn't worry about that. There is a heavy spring that the adjuster bares up against holding the rack pad against the rack and the rack against the pinion.
Much respect for your commitment to the task Personally I panic when I disable my chim and can't get it back together the same day.
every rack I have had apart has been done this way. The notchy feeling you describe is normal in my experience so wouldn't worry about that. There is a heavy spring that the adjuster bares up against holding the rack pad against the rack and the rack against the pinion.
Much respect for your commitment to the task Personally I panic when I disable my chim and can't get it back together the same day.
Excellent NZfan. I'll have a go after lunch. I've gone so far I can't stop now is more the reality.
Funny that for sbout 18 months I felt like that then all of a sudden I just realised it's the only way I can to do it, yourself.
If I'd payed someone for all the work I've done it would be a small fortune. Better than that is I'm learning all about my car. Very rewarding and in the future the car doesn't alarm me quite so much. I re positioned the horn out of the air flow of the radiator earlier, re painted it and bracket,new stainless bolt etc, another job off the list.
I've dreamt of doing this to a car since I was a boy so even though it often feels difficult it's supposed to be making a dream turn to reality.
Thanks for the wise words regards rack.Al
Funny that for sbout 18 months I felt like that then all of a sudden I just realised it's the only way I can to do it, yourself.
If I'd payed someone for all the work I've done it would be a small fortune. Better than that is I'm learning all about my car. Very rewarding and in the future the car doesn't alarm me quite so much. I re positioned the horn out of the air flow of the radiator earlier, re painted it and bracket,new stainless bolt etc, another job off the list.
I've dreamt of doing this to a car since I was a boy so even though it often feels difficult it's supposed to be making a dream turn to reality.
Thanks for the wise words regards rack.Al
Little update,
Since nipping up the adjuster screw on rack I tested the car and it was perfect, no play. In the interests if longevity I've loosened adjuster back a very small amount and tested the car again and it now has a small amount of play, in real terms as soon as your driving it feels instantly direct and very smooth.
As I'm talking steering racks I also replaced the oil seal on the pinion shaft as it was leaking quite badly.
Thanks to you guys and some sound advice I replaced the seal myself.
So this thread can help others in the future pinion shaft oil seal replacement goes as follows.
Assuming rack is out of the car
1 Remove white plastic dust cap.( slowly prise it up the splines of the pinion shaft)
2 use internal circlip pliers to remove circlip
3 remove thin shim, I used a pointed instrument to gently get under the shim to prise it up.
4 remove oil seal. I used a small screw driver to push under the inner seal part and slowly work up and out. It's really important to keep everything spotless and do not let the driver scratch any part of the walls the oil seal sits in.
Replacement is reverse of above.
When replacing oil seal you'll need a very long reach socket to tap it back in, you could use some cut tube or just a drift.
That's it.
It's more than possible to do this repair with rack in place but there's always a risk some crud will drop in to the rack. Bad news.
To date, (two days) my rack is installed and I've done a number of test drives and so far so good
End results
No leaks, yippee
Steering feels direct and very smooth. New fluid so that might be helping. ( I drained the rack)
No noise from pump, it used to whine on full lock.
The adjustment screw was well worth doing as I had a fair bit of play.
It only takes a couple of mm turn to nip so be very ginger if you do mess about with it.
I hope this helps guys,
It's cost five quid.
Since nipping up the adjuster screw on rack I tested the car and it was perfect, no play. In the interests if longevity I've loosened adjuster back a very small amount and tested the car again and it now has a small amount of play, in real terms as soon as your driving it feels instantly direct and very smooth.
As I'm talking steering racks I also replaced the oil seal on the pinion shaft as it was leaking quite badly.
Thanks to you guys and some sound advice I replaced the seal myself.
So this thread can help others in the future pinion shaft oil seal replacement goes as follows.
Assuming rack is out of the car
1 Remove white plastic dust cap.( slowly prise it up the splines of the pinion shaft)
2 use internal circlip pliers to remove circlip
3 remove thin shim, I used a pointed instrument to gently get under the shim to prise it up.
4 remove oil seal. I used a small screw driver to push under the inner seal part and slowly work up and out. It's really important to keep everything spotless and do not let the driver scratch any part of the walls the oil seal sits in.
Replacement is reverse of above.
When replacing oil seal you'll need a very long reach socket to tap it back in, you could use some cut tube or just a drift.
That's it.
It's more than possible to do this repair with rack in place but there's always a risk some crud will drop in to the rack. Bad news.
To date, (two days) my rack is installed and I've done a number of test drives and so far so good
End results
No leaks, yippee
Steering feels direct and very smooth. New fluid so that might be helping. ( I drained the rack)
No noise from pump, it used to whine on full lock.
The adjustment screw was well worth doing as I had a fair bit of play.
It only takes a couple of mm turn to nip so be very ginger if you do mess about with it.
I hope this helps guys,
It's cost five quid.
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