Steering rack

[Grahamgl]

Hi,

I need to replace the rack on my 4a and I am unsure if I should buy a new unit or a reconditioned one. In view of the comments elswhere on the forum concerning new parts and little workshops in Asia and, my recent experience with a sterring universal joint, would I be wiser to go for the recon. unit on the basis that it would have been made originally by Triumph?

Thanks

Grahamgl

[Richard Crawley]

would I be wiser to go for the recon. unit on the basis that it would have been made originally by Triumph?

Thanks

Grahamgl

Sorry to disillusion you but I don’t think there is any chance of that whatsoever! Original parts do turn up from time to time (at a premium) but any recon. rack you buy now will almost certainly not have been rebuilt by Triumph; it may even have been refurbished more than once! The parts used in recon. units will probably be the same repro items you can buy yourself over the counter!

 

I not entirely sure but believe the rack to be the same as the 6; if so, they are probably one of the toughest & easiest to refurbish yourself & unless it’s too far gone is largely a matter of adjustment; all mine needed was re-shimming of the pinion, adjustment of the tie rod bearings & a new rack bush.

Edited March 16, 2008 by Richard Crawley

[TR 2100]

Does your rack have a nipple for greasing?

 

If so, keep it and recon it.

 

AlanR

[ChrisR-4A]

Hi Graham, 3 years ago I had 2 recon racks from one of our major suppliers and both were worse than the one I took off, so I returned them both and bought a recon unit from Revingtons, there was no comparison, the steering is now excellent and after about 1200miles the rack is performing as good as when first fitted.

It was worth every penny and if I had gone to Tr Rev first I would have avoided doing the job 3 times. I also use poly rack mounts, they ar much harder than rubber but more comfortable than alloy.

 

From memory the cheapest recon was less than £40, and the TR Rev unit was about £95, as they say - you often only get what you pay for.

 

Best Regards Chris

[ianc]

The steering rack is a primary safety item. In my book, that means I want the best - cost is NOT a factor. I had my own rack re-built via a certain supplier based in Somerset - not cheap, but I'm worth it!

Ian Cornish

[PaulAnderson]

Look at this earlier topic entitled Steering rack, No nipple!

http://www.tr-register.co.uk:80/forums/index.php?showtopic=7936 ://http://www.tr-register.co.uk:80/for...showtopic=7936

Paul

[Alec Pringle]

You get what you pay for . . .

 

Back when I was motor factoring, we supplied budget recon racks and pukka re-engineered racks. The figures I'm quoting are 15 years ago, by the way.

 

In terms of manual racks, budgets came in at £15-25, resold at £25-40. How much work do you expect for twenty quid ? A mix of decent old parts, new gaiters bushes and seals, and a splash of paint. Quite acceptable, good for 20K miles, which is all you need for an ageing runabout in its autumn years.

 

Properly re-engineered racks cost us £60-100, going out at £80-130. Driving-wise they felt like new racks, and were good for probably 60-80K miles.

 

The proprietor wouldn't entertain budget racks for performance vehicles, just wouldn't supply them - on the grounds that punters had to be protected from their own folly. Which might not have seemed commercially realistic, but on the other hand he still has a thriving business when most independents have long gone to the wall. So maybe he was right after all.

 

In my book, I'd much rather send a genuine rack (with grease nipple) to a specialist who can either exchange it or recondition it to a proper standard. But don't expect that for a hundred of today's pounds. You don't get a skilled engineer for the price of a semi-skilled fitter.

 

Cheers,

 

Alec