Steering Rack?
Discussion
Well after a few years lay off while i tried to get the new place sorted, I have finally got around to sorting out the old orange shelf in the garage.
First off I thought it was front wheel bearing play but it seems the side to side movement of the front wheels is play in the rack.
Its not much but its there.
Read the Haynes and it seems like you need to dismantle a lot to get to the rack (B***** minis). The car passed an MoT 2000 miles ago in 2007, is there an acceptable amount of play in the rack, and is there a way of tightening it up without dropping the subframe. I cannot see that the tower bolts will remove easily, if at all after 40 years.
If its a case of dropping the sub frame and all that that entails, I can see the car returning into the shadows of the deep dark woods again.
Knew I should have sold it back in 2007/8..Someone (no names) on here said I'd regret it by 2010....
First off I thought it was front wheel bearing play but it seems the side to side movement of the front wheels is play in the rack.
Its not much but its there.
Read the Haynes and it seems like you need to dismantle a lot to get to the rack (B***** minis). The car passed an MoT 2000 miles ago in 2007, is there an acceptable amount of play in the rack, and is there a way of tightening it up without dropping the subframe. I cannot see that the tower bolts will remove easily, if at all after 40 years.
If its a case of dropping the sub frame and all that that entails, I can see the car returning into the shadows of the deep dark woods again.
Knew I should have sold it back in 2007/8..Someone (no names) on here said I'd regret it by 2010....
It is not as bad as it looks like. Tower bolts ususaly free easily even on old minis.
To remove the rack, You have to remove the tower bolts and the subframe rear mount bolts (subframe-chassis or suframe-mount-chassis). After this put a car lifter under the front of the subframe and lift it up a bit, untill the subframe and the engine gets into a bit tilted position.
Then remove the rack u bolots and the steering column. Rack goes out easily.
Rack can be repaired, but not that expensive to replace it.
C'mon, do it!
To remove the rack, You have to remove the tower bolts and the subframe rear mount bolts (subframe-chassis or suframe-mount-chassis). After this put a car lifter under the front of the subframe and lift it up a bit, untill the subframe and the engine gets into a bit tilted position.
Then remove the rack u bolots and the steering column. Rack goes out easily.
Rack can be repaired, but not that expensive to replace it.
C'mon, do it!
Been back out there this evening.
The play in the rack seems to be only, or mainly, on full drop. With a jack under the suspension it is just about gone.
There is still a bit of play in the wheel bearings but the Haynes says anything up to 6mm at the wheel rim is ok. That sounds excessive to me. Am I being picky or over concerned?
The play in the rack seems to be only, or mainly, on full drop. With a jack under the suspension it is just about gone.
There is still a bit of play in the wheel bearings but the Haynes says anything up to 6mm at the wheel rim is ok. That sounds excessive to me. Am I being picky or over concerned?
camelotr said:
A bit of play is ok. 6mms is a way too much.
Try retorquing the bearing.
Try to find the source of the steering play. If You are lucky, its the inner ball joint, which can be fixed without removing the rack.
I think 6mm is way too much too, but thats quoting Mr HaynesTry retorquing the bearing.
Try to find the source of the steering play. If You are lucky, its the inner ball joint, which can be fixed without removing the rack.
Inner ball joint?, if you mean the one at the end of the track rod, ( I think it possibly is that) how do you do that. Local garage has suggested removing gaiter ( he thinks there'll be no oil left in it) and peening the joint but looking at the book I cannot see how that would work, or how you get to it. (Most play at the drivers side)
Remove the gaitor first.
Then ask somebody to move the steering wheel and check for play (easiest by touching the shaft, You can feel it sooner then seeing it). If the ball joint is loose, You have to unlock it and set the ball firm again.
If You feel unexperienced ask for help at this point. It is not something one can learn from a forum.
Come and bring You car to my garage and we can do it together (10 miles east from Pecs city).
Then ask somebody to move the steering wheel and check for play (easiest by touching the shaft, You can feel it sooner then seeing it). If the ball joint is loose, You have to unlock it and set the ball firm again.
If You feel unexperienced ask for help at this point. It is not something one can learn from a forum.
Come and bring You car to my garage and we can do it together (10 miles east from Pecs city).
Pecs City?
Thanks for the offer though.
Looked at the gaiter last night, the outer clip is off but the inner one has the screw facing forwards and is not reachable. Riving with a screwdriver will destroy the gaiter. (which strangely looks pretty good for 40 years old).
Cars not been on the road under its own steam since 2008, done more miles on a trailer (which is currently 370mile
away)
Thanks for the offer though.
Looked at the gaiter last night, the outer clip is off but the inner one has the screw facing forwards and is not reachable. Riving with a screwdriver will destroy the gaiter. (which strangely looks pretty good for 40 years old).
Cars not been on the road under its own steam since 2008, done more miles on a trailer (which is currently 370mile
away)
Then You need to remove the rack. Anyway it is much easier to work on it while it is out. Or even better You can go for a reconditioned (30ish) or new rack (60ish) and replace it in no time. Why not going for a nice quickrack then? 
Pecs is a major town in Hungary. Sorry. It was a bad joke. Although still open to do the work together if it is worth the journey.
Pecs is a major town in Hungary. Sorry. It was a bad joke. Although still open to do the work together if it is worth the journey.
i swopped the rack in my cooper s this weekend (outside in the rain...)
jack the car up, stick it on axle stands (under the body), take the weight of the frame on a jack, undo all the frame mounts, disconect the trackrod ends, shocks etc, undo the colum and the u bolts, drop the frame, wriggle the rack out, look at it in disgust, slide new rack in, reconect everything.
done.
mine was a little easier as i had to flick the the engine and box out the previous week thanks to a gearbox blowup, so the weight of the front frame wasnt so bad.
jack the car up, stick it on axle stands (under the body), take the weight of the frame on a jack, undo all the frame mounts, disconect the trackrod ends, shocks etc, undo the colum and the u bolts, drop the frame, wriggle the rack out, look at it in disgust, slide new rack in, reconect everything.
done.
mine was a little easier as i had to flick the the engine and box out the previous week thanks to a gearbox blowup, so the weight of the front frame wasnt so bad.
Gassing Station | Classic Minis | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff