Help fixing steering column movement

[tarynus]

Hi, I just got the rack out, the faulty bit seems to be the pinion and maybe the inner track rod.
Do you have any advice where I could a good recon one (not sure the club have them in lhd) or alternatively where I could get all the parts I need to do the reconditioning myself?
Thanks!
Tom

[Richard the old one]

I would start by checking to see if the steering rack damper can be adjusted to take out the play in the pinion. This is can be done by removing a shim or shims from under the retaining plunger until the rack becomes tight to move along its total travel. It may be tighter at the ends of travel as the rack tends to wear more in the centre. It is then just a matter of adding an extra shim so that it moves freely.

If you also have play in the inner track rod end as you call it I have in the past obtained extra shims, part numbers 130031 (2TH), 153516 (4TH) and locking tab PART 120957 from Moss-europe.co.uk but this was several years ago.

The hardest part I have found if you want to completely strip a steering rack can be getting the pinion end plug to turn. This may require some heat to get it to move.

[Toledo Man]

Do these pages from the parts catalogue help?

[Jon Tilson]

Fitchetts or Alun Nicholas....

Jonners

[tarynus]

Thanks for help guys i have sent an email to alun

[MIG Wielder]

One interesting bit is that from the above parts diagram ( Thanks Dave ) it looks like the only difference between LHD and RHD cars is the rack tube itself. ( 307528 for RHD and 307529 for LHD ). Does this mean that the rack itself, the pinion, the various bearings, shims and washers can simply be swapped over from RHD to LHD from a new rack ?
Tony.

[Richard the old one]

In answer to your question. It certainly looks as if all the parts except for the tube are the same on the LH and RH racks.

[tarynus]

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a replacement upper UJ, would anyone have one to spare, or know where I could get one better than the one from rimmers? Otherwise i'll take this one http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-157659 but I hear they are not very reliable...
Thanks!

[Galileo]

Would have been better to create your own thread, but if I was buying I'd get this one:

http://www.jagspares.co.uk/Abingdon/par ... tno=157659

(Ignore that the URL is Jag Spares, they do Triumph as well.)

[Jon Tilson]

Sorry I havent yet replied. I havent had a chance to look - its in a box burried deep in the garage.

Just be sure it ist the u-j that has the play and not the flexible coupling.

I find the u-j's usually just get a bit stiff. The play is almost always in the flexible coupling, You can get poly "washers" to repair
these.

Jon

[Karlos]

One interesting bit is that from the above parts diagram ( Thanks Dave ) it looks like the only difference between LHD and RHD cars is the rack tube itself. ( 307528 for RHD and 307529 for LHD ). Does this mean that the rack itself, the pinion, the various bearings, shims and washers can simply be swapped over from RHD to LHD from a new rack ?
Tony.

Will you need an "OPPOSITE HANDED" pinion? As it is angled to the left on LHD rack but to the right for RHD.

[Toledo Man]

I think the LHD pinion is different. Didn't James467 have one sent to him in error? It is documented on his resto thread.

[tarynus]

Thanks for the link galileo (I did create this thread, was just a while ago )

No problem Jon, yes it is definitly the UJ, I have replaced the flexible coupling and the rack.

@ karlos and steve it is the UJ i'm looking for, the rack pinion did have play, but it's been fixed.
Thanks

Tom