Mk1 Steering rack bush passenger side

[rolesyboy]

I have just removed and stripped my Mk1 Steering rack. The rack had a fair bit of free play which surprised me. When I took it apart the Philips screw that secures the bush housing on the passenger side has been tightened but missed the cage that bush sits in. That appears to have allowed it to float around in the rack housing and wear prematurely
It’s got a serrated, triangular outer edge and appears to be made of a brown nylon material (possibly Tuffnell??)
Is it possible to get these from anywhere? Or can I get one turned up in a suitable bronze material (oilite??)
Seems a shame to replace it with a Mk2 type rack when the only thing I can see wrong with it is this bush.
Lots of Mk2 rack repair advice but I can’t see much on this earlier type
Thanks in advance
Mark

[Andrew1967]

From memory Mark, when I did the rack bush in situ on 9748KO, I used one of these and cut the bush to suit the metal holder.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185554522282 ... gK1WfD_BwE

I think it may be possible to use the longer metal holder of the Mk2 rack in a Mk1 set up .. but not absolutely sure on that.

[Peter Laidler]

If I was you...... I'd get a bronze or brass bush made to suit the exact dia of your rack and the exact o/d of the hole into which it fits. In other words, dispense with the collar. After all, what is the collar meant to do?

I'll tell you what the collar was meant to do. Straight from the horses mouth. It was made so that a cheap heavy duty felt OR cheapo nylon bush could be used, The collar sealed one end and a large washer secured the inner end and a self tapper held it in place because without the collar, the plastic or felt bush would move.

Press into place and drill/tap 2BA bolt into old retaining screw hole to secure. End of.......

If you lived locally, we'd have that machined and fitted in half an hour - or an hour if we rushed the job! Even quicker if you brought a 6 pack of Grolsch with you!!!!!

[iain1967s]

Heavy duty version from Japan https://classicminisjapan.com/products/ ... nylon-bush

[rolesyboy]

Thanks folks.
Peter, if you can turn me a bush up I will happily send you a pack of Grolsch.
Are you saying there is meant to be a washer behind the carrier? There wasn’t one in there when I dismantled it earlier today.
Andrew- Does a mk2 rack have a different carrier or do I just cut down a nylon mk2

[Andrew1967]

I can't recall a washer there either, I thought the bush and carrier went up to a shoulder and the self tapper prevented from moving back .

The Mk2 carrier from memory is twice as wide as the Mk1 and therefore the bush doesn't need cutting down like it doesn't when fitting it into a mk1 carrier.

I'll have a look to see if I took any photos of the job in hand.

I think these other modifications are probably a good idea but I havent had any problems since doing it using the nylon bush and it was quite a few years ago now

[rolesyboy]

Looking at where the self tapper sits I have a suspicion you’re right as I don’t think a washer could fit in there. Perhaps there are a few variations of rack. Wouldn’t surprise me.
If Peter declines my offer to get him drunk I will order a Mk2 bush and get the 9 inch disc cutter out!!
Annoyingly I am certain I have a new one in a box somewhere that I come across sporadically . Not a hope in hell of finding it now I need one

[Peter Laidler]

Good suggestion Roly but the bush has to be an EXACT fit ON the rack and IN the tube. I will PM you.

So far as I recall/remember, there is a washer that fits into the tube. o/d the same as the tube with the i/d the same as the rack. Then the collar with the plastic or nylon bush slides (?) in to abut against the washer. Otherwise the bush would (?) slide inwards. I always make the bush longer - makes for a greater surface bearing area

The self tapper simply prevents........ anyway.

There's a bit more to steering racks than this.

[jcr227e]

I recently did the modification where I replaced the bush with a machined bronze one. It sorted the knocking issue out. There was definitely no washer on the rack.

I have had machined a few spares bushes, which I plan to sell on when I get round to it.

If you want one then PM me

Richard

[Peter Laidler]

I have found that the problem with pre-made bushes is that there's no taking into account wear, albeit slight wear, on the original but old rack.

After browsing through the arts lists I'd say that you were right about the internal washer - that IS present in the Mk2 racks., There MUST be a reason why. I'd say, to cure a previous problem. But I could be wrong of course. So to cure ant future problem I never fit one - but just use a larger dia bush. Problem sorted - and invisible

I hope that you're looking after Gill and Dave's JCR Rich.........

[jcr227e]

Certainly am, car has done about 5k miles this year. Parked up for winter now.

[minibitz]

Heavy duty version from Japan https://classicminisjapan.com/products/ ... nylon-bush

This is a later style bush for 90's racks. The outside diameter is larger than earlier racks as it fits into rack housing directly without a sleeve. There is a machined groove inside the rack for the 3 little ears to locate into. That is how this style bush is held in place.

This is the earlier style bush sold by Minispares - http://www.minispares.com/product/Clas ... o%20search

[Peter Laidler]

For all you home repairers and re-bushers, it's always worth remembering the the 3 outer longitudinal slots MUST remain clear. That is because these 3 slots are there to allow the EP oil to migrate left and right along the rack. For more tech info and illustration re this, read article about modifying the Mk2 rack.

Added a bit later: If you are machining up your own bush, especially from nylon, you could make it lomger, say 1" in length. Might be a little more friction but more surface area too.

[robanzac]

Heavy duty version from Japan https://classicminisjapan.com/products/ ... nylon-bush

This is a later style bush for 90's racks. The outside diameter is larger than earlier racks as it fits into rack housing directly without a sleeve. There is a machined groove inside the rack for the 3 little ears to locate into. That is how this style bush is held in place.

This is the earlier style bush sold by Minispares - http://www.minispares.com/product/Clas ... o%20search

Thanks for this reply , I always wondered what the classicminisjapan offering was

[Peter Laidler]

Steering rack wear is a regular feature on the forum. It's be worth doing a comprehensive article on the subject including a sub-article just on bushes and re-bushing. (And another on setting up the track-rod housing adjustment and locking systems). It really is no more that a simple hypoid bevel geared gearbox. But, alas, with a modern, cheaper and far inferior rack assembly being available, there is little point.

[rolesyboy]

If you ever do make that article Peter (& you should) one thing I would add is to add some flats to the drumsticks to make them easier to rotate when setting the tracking.

[Peter Laidler]

GOOD idea. But if the track rod (T-Rod) is mated/matched properly with the track rod housing nut, greased and then and locked, you should be able to turn the T-rod quite simply with a simple pair of pliers. The problem arises - in my very limited experience - like the ball joints, when the wear pattern between the two becomes upset through wear. But that's another part of the rack enigma........

ADDED LATER...... someone just asked me why re-seating. mating or re-matching the t-rod and the housing nut was necessary. Here's why
For the last 30 years, your t-rods, retained by the locked housing nuts, have moved in one direction only. That is up and down with the suspension. They do move a degree or so left and right to articulate as you steer. (Have a look and see in reality the arms move left and right compared with up and down). This causes the ball of the TRod and corresponding mating surface of the nut to form their own distinct paths. Don't forget, neither can rotate so the wear pattern is set - to your detriment! As a result, after you have taken them apart to overhaul the rack and grease up, they will probably feel notchy as you attempt to align the wheels. If you want them to feel notchy, fair enough. Or just buy a new set of each.

It's an easy fix. Hold the t-rod shaft in a lathe chuck with nut on its shaft. Smooth grinding paste on the Trod ball and turn lathe on at slow speed. hold nut onto/into the T-rod ball and repeat, rotating/twisting the nut as the t-rod rotates....., until there is no notchiness and there is a clear corresponding or perfectly matching ring on both the nut and the t-rod. No lathe, then just use your variable speed battery drill. I clean down and test for exact mating with engineers blue.

Just the same as I do with my ball joints.

[Spider]

It's a good idea Mark, but I wouldn't advocate removing any material from these ends. It would weaken them, there's not a great deal of meat on them to start with and removing enough to get 'workable' flats would leave them in my view, uncomfortably thin but doubtfully to a point that would cause a failure in the ordinary course of things. Where such a modification could come unstuck is if there was ever an insurance claim and it was noticed or under 'adverse' situations.

I get that you'd like to be able to turn the ends to get an alignment done without scratching off your lovely powder coating. This can be done using a strap type wrench or you could fit a second nut on the End, wind it up to the end of the thread and locktite it in place. If a Gaiter needs to be replaced, 2 nuts could be fitted to the End and locked against each other to get that first nut 'cracked' and bob's yr uncle etc,,,, or is it PC incorrect to say that these days ???

[rolesyboy]

Fair point re thinning of the drumsticks.
Good shout on the powder coat.
Dunno about that last comment. Feel a bit uneasy
Cheers
Bob .