Steering Column To Rack

[Jez Morton]

So the cars just passed mot, all good not quite?

Noticed when I rock the steering there's a knock, I've narrowed it down to the column connection to the rack. There's no rotational play but there is play up and down, like the front bit of the spline is tight and the rear isn't. Almost like it's rocking on the pinch bolt, the pinch bolt is M8 with a smooth shank and is done up tight as I dare 30Nm. Any suggestions, is the bolt the right size, is there a fix known. I think the rack is RH supplied escort mk1/2 with longer arms and the column extension is the RH Sierra triangle to spline.

 

Thanks

[Bob Tucker]

Make sure there is still a gap between the flanges after the bolt tightens up.

[Al Milton]

I had a similar issue with shouldered bolts, the shoulder was a couple of threads too long, preventing the nut/bolt being tightened properly.

A simple and cheap fix as I thought initially that the lower UJ was knackered.

 

Forgot to add that also fitted a new nyloc, just to be sure

Edited April 8, 2016 by Al Milton

[fry61]

Make sure there is still a gap between the flanges after the bolt tightens up.

Good call, measure the gap with feeler gauges before & after tightening the pinch bolt, nothing wrong with adding a washer (or 2 ) under the bolt head.

[Bob Tucker]

If not, use a very thin angle grinder disk to remove a little

material from the mating faces.

 

I failed an MOT because the hub bolt was fully tightened,

but the powder coating on the dummy strut had worn away,

& it wouldnt tighten up no matter how tight the bolt was.

Above method sorted it.

[Jez Morton]

Thanks for the replies, I'm going strip out down later to have a proper look. I'm sure the bolt is okay re the thread so I'm hoping it's just the ident. I straightened the steering wheel last year and the only way to keep the indicator cancel correct was to adjust at the rack. Will post later what I find.

[Longboarder]

In the old days some builders had problems to the extent that this joint was pulling apart. Two things to note.

1. There is a master spline on this joint so the outer clamp will only fit properly and fully engage in one orientation.

2. The pinch bolt must go through the cutout in the rack pinion.

 

Nigel

[Jez Morton]

I've had it apart and I cannot see a master spline, it is fully engaged with bolt in groove. Going from 20 to 30Nm reduces the play, seems like it needs more torque which I doubt an M8 bolt will take. Another thing the hole in the column is 8.5mm and an m8 bolt is 7.8mm, would fitting a 5/16 bolt help?

[fry61]

5/16" is smaller than 8mm but if you have a 5/16" UNF HT bolt it will be a finer thread so may give more squeeze to the clamp, but be careful it's only malleable steel not rubber.

Edited April 9, 2016 by florin metal works

[Guest 2b cruising]

There should be a master spline as Longboarder stated.

The bolt must be a hardened one as fmw has said.

You might find the shank of an 8 mm bolt is more like 8.5mm, however once again as fmw has stated 5/16 would possibly do.

The next bit I am not absolutely sure of but all the ones I have seen have locking wire or at least locking tabs on them. I think this is a legal requirement for IVA. It should have a mechanical locking device anyway, IVA or not.

Your safest and best way out would be to buy a new lower universal joint to suit the parts you have fitted. Otherwise you will have a very difficult job, not just tightening it but also keeping it solid and tight.

It seems to my it has been loose for some time and the parts have worn on the UJ.

This was possibly at least part of your notch you seeing if not all of it.

New uj's are not expensive so you can take any stress of worrying about future failing if new fitted.

I was not going to post any more on the forum, but I can't let you go on struggling for my own possibly silly ways.

Good luck with your project and I hope you get it sorted quickly.

 

Edit. Possibly the master spline has been marred by the UJ being fitted in the wron place.

Have you put a wire brush on it to try and find it.

Edited April 9, 2016 by 2b cruising