Steering column...and swearing

[Byff]

I've so far dropped the subframe which I thought was going to be the big job, but that little b'stard bolt that holds the steering column to the rack just refuses to budge.

I'm now onto my 5th hour of twisting, pulling, bashing, heating, cutting, WD40'ing, cursing and bashing again.

I'm not a happy bunny.

[Orcadian]

Hell, it's only a 1/4" bolt (7/16" A/F socket) You should be able to shear it off easily and punch the broken bit out. Have you got the nut off or is that stuck too? If they have been overtightened, the split closes up a bit and bends the bolt slightly - try tapping a thin chisel in the slot, aiming to miss the bolt.

Let us know if you succeed

Ian

[Skyedriver]

Just done my rack, and my worry (see past thread) was the Tower bolts which just undid (after 42 years!!)#The little bolt through the bottom of the column (and the rack u-bolts also just undid. In fact the only one I had any trouble with was one of the subframe through floor bolts(solid mount) which succumbled to an angle grinder.
Surely with a good spanner on the nut (or bolt) and a good single hex socket on the other, you'll either undo it or shear it. Have you lined up the bolt with the floor to give you maximum room for access?

[Byff]

Orcadian said:

Hell, it's only a 1/4" bolt (7/16" A/F socket) You should be able to shear it off easily and punch the broken bit out. Have you got the nut off or is that stuck too? If they have been overtightened, the split closes up a bit and bends the bolt slightly - try tapping a thin chisel in the slot, aiming to miss the bolt.

Let us know if you succeed

Ian

The nut is off, it will not punch out. I can tap it about 3-4mm each way before it seizes solid. Going to have another play with it today and experiment with opening the split up to different gaps, it can only be due to a bent bolt.

[Skyedriver]

Bigger hammer

(I'm a Precision Engineer, different size hammers for different jobs)

[annodomini2]

Skyedriver said:

Bigger hammer

(I'm a Precision Engineer, different size hammers for different jobs)

This!

[Byff]

It's finally out. Had to inch it backwards and forwards, cutting bits of it off each time, then with a aid of a hilti hammer drill, it finally popped out.

The result:

[Orcadian]

It's always the way with Minis, the most inaccesible bits are usually the worse to do but I'm glad you succeeded in the end. It's definitely been left slack at some time and then brutally overtightened, probably in response to some MOT guy complaining (correctly) about play. You need to check that the hole in the column still has good splines to fit on your new (hopefully?) rack pinion.
New bolt should be high tensile too.

[Byff]

The Mini hasn't finished giving me problems yet.

Got the old steering rack out and laid it out next to the new rack. Put new track rod ends on to the same length as the old rack so they are both identical lying on the floor, one brand new, the other old and worn.

Put the new rack in, centered it correctly but left the U bolt nuts a little loose for any fine adjustments.

The tracking looks totally wrong, nearside is on full lock left and offside is heading straight ahead.

WTF have I done wrong now?

Starting to wish I just paid a garage to do it now.

[guru_1071]

that bolt doesn't look as if its the right one - it should be a shouldered 1/4unf threaded one.

that looks almost metric - I wonder if someone at sometime has hammered the wrong one in?


ive had the misery of a stuck bolt here before - its not fun as there just isn't room to get a good enough swing on the hammer

[Byff]

Just thought why the tracking isn't right.

The subframe is still hanging supported by the jacks, no the friggin wonder the wheels are akimbo.

I'll be putting a correct bolt back in and I'm sticking a new pair of subframe mounts in while it's all apart.

[and31]

when i did my steering rack last year, worst part of the job was trying to remove the pancake filters off the twin 1.5 su's,then trying to remove the carbs themselves(they had to come off to get clearance when the engine was dropped at the rear to make room to pull the rack out)i had to cut a spanner down so it was only about two inches long.pain in the arse this was lol!!