mot fail steering rack

[Purple Peril]

Failed mot on steering rack.
Where the rack bar exits the casing on the nearside it moves up and down if you hold
the road wheel top and bottom and tilt/shake vertically. Is this normal? I can't see how you would stop it. Should there be a bush in the casing?
Does all this make sense?
Ade

[Martyn GT6]

There should be a little nylon plug in  the hole in the rack, under the mounting bush, to stop the play in the rack, I Dont believe they are still available so use a suitable plastic plug.

[GreenV8Machine]

Buy a new rack.

[willcolumbine]

Sounds pretty terminal. I'd say get another rack too. When my rack had too much much play in it I was gonna take it apart and rebuild it but everyone told me not to bother. Apparently it's a faff and recon racks are cheap enough and easy to fit. There should be a plastic plug in one side but on most racks it's missing or tape is used over the hole instead. Mine has tape over the hole and it dosen't seem to affect the amount of play in the rack.

[Clive]

I think the plastic plug is to stop rattle or something. I had the same prblem on a rack, get a recon. Have heard or racks being hammered to reduce the play, but that sounds like a bodge too far even for me.
Clive

[Purple Peril]

new rack it is then.

I didn't realise they were so cheap for a re-conditioned one.

thanks all for the help/advice.
Ade

[Pete Lewis]

many suppliers of recon racks do not take into account there are 2 ratio's for 4 pot and heavier 6pots cars
the 6 pot rack has a small groove machined into the splines on the input shaft the 4 pot does not   buyer beware
and Moss show and stock the nylon anti rattle plunger   for pennies         peter

[heraldcoupe]

The anti-rattle plug is usually ignored and discarded (it shouldn't be!) when alloy rack mounts get fitted. If replacting this doesn;t fix it, then a new or re-con rack is the answer. Buy from a good source though, I've seen so many poorly done racks down the years....
Cheers,
Bill.