Steering rack play.

[Tahiti6]

Hello, my steering rack is about 18 months old and has developed some play on the steering wheel. The rack is fine at both wheels and there is no movement/play, but the input shaft (steering column) rocks from side to side... to the point that I can feel it driving and I think will be an MOT fail.

Can these be re-adjusted or shimmed, or is one of the internal bushes going? can anyone advise before I opt for a another new one!!

Cheers

Doug

[mikeyb]

side to side is column bushes.

circumferential play could be track rod emds, rack internals or most likely the UJ/rubber couplings in the lower column/steering shaft itself.

Or possibly as I found on the GT6, just a loose pinch bolt on the steering shaft to column joint, allowing a bit of movenet in the splines.

[TRTOM2498]

As per Mike, sounds like teh Nylon bushes in the steering column. Some movement is acceptable, but no movement is better. !


Cheers.

[Tahiti6]

Yes sorry its not side to side i.e. column bushes. Track rods fine, and rack to chassis etc... to describe better, if i put my hand around the lower universal joint that connects to the rack I can rock it from side to side (circumference), would estimate around 5 degrees left to right, I would say it will fail the MOT. When driving I can feel it in the rack.

Also forgot to say it was a recon rack, so could be a duff one??

[Hogie]

Hi Doug,
            are you saying the  bottom UJ that attaches to the steering rack spline is rotating (slightly) about the spline.

If you have the metal UJ as fitted to most TR6's then the clamp on the splines needs tightening.

However if you have the rubber coupling then there is a problem. The 2 clamps on the rubber couplings cannot be tightened fully as the steel clamp has/was manufactured badly.
If you study the clamp you will see the gap that should provide the clamping has metal in it.  This metal needs cutting away.
I shall try and post a pic - but it may not work.

Roger

[Tahiti6]

The rubber u/j at the top end of the engine bay is ok nice and tight. The bottom u/j is also nice and tight, it's the input shaft on the rack that has the rotational play. It's the pinion, item 30 on the drawings in the mss catalogue. I am wondering if the plunger/spring is not shimmed correctly... Can these be re shimmed to adjust the rack to pinion?

Thanks.

Rgds

Doug

[mikeyb]

sounds like a worn pinion to me, suggest you sling the rack back to the supplier. Even if it might respond to shimming, it still ought to have been good from purchase

[GT6 M]

Pinnion can be shimmed, you take off the bigg nut,and take one out.
then re try it
best with wheels oft grun to feel if its too tight.
there is a bush in the bottom of the housing, this bush does wear, so it may be 2 things
worn bush,not adjusted right.
see the smooth bit ont bottom of pinnion, this fits into the bearing inside the housing at the bottom
but that bearing aint shown its still int housing.  it just taps oot thru,t bottom.




M

[Tahiti6]

Great bit of info thanks!! Thats really what i needed.... I can check the pinion out as well.

Many thanks for your help and the photo.

Rgds

Doug