Clunking Steering Rack Upon Tightening Clamps

[Paulr2]

Whilst replacing the camshaft I thought I would tidy up the front of the engine bay. This included removing & repainting the steering rack.

Upon refitting it makes the noises in the attached video which it didn't before. I had previously fitted Superpro poly bushes

With the clamps torqued to 14 lb/ft the noise isn't there. It appears at 16 & is worse at 18lb/ft which is the upper value of the Haynes manual recommendation of 16-18 lb/ft

Any suggestions?

[TR4Tony VC]

It sounds very much like the clamps could be over tightened and you’re compressing the tube onto the rack itself - and there is a high tooth or the rack inside is slightly bent ? It’s worth checking this carefully.
 

also, depending on the type of tack you have there are some small tabs / holes on the alloy mount that need to line up to hold the rack in the correct position. If these are lined up, you end up squeezing a dent into the tube as you tighten the mount up and you get the above. Early horizontally mounted racks for this. Later racks have the metal plate / hoop arrangement so thus can’t happen, but you can pull the u bolt in too tight as above.

The other thing it could be (and I think the first to look at) is the lower joint above the pinion housing ? Is this turning onto something and is the rack refitted so that the angle from the splined output and the lower steering column rod as straight as it can be ? Essentially you need to roll the rack over so that the lower joint has the minimum angle possible on it. If you have the standard TR4 rubber joint they can catch.

Regards

Tony 

 

[Z320]

Hi Paul,

with a helper on the steering wheel I would touch the rack and feel where the noise is comming from.

Ciao, Marco

[Paulr2]

Sorry I should have stated that it is the later vertically  clamped rack

[Ralph Whitaker]

Watching the video carefully there seems to be a protrusion on the rubber coupling and the noise seems to correlate with that protrusion passing bottom dead centre with each rotation, might be worth checking there first.

Ralph

[roy53]

Dose this noise go when you put it on the ground?  Eg under load

Roy

[Z320]

35 minutes ago, roy53 said:

Dose this noise go when you put it on the ground?  Eg under load

Roy

Good point!

[stillp]

Shouldn't the bellows be clamped to the track rod?

Pete

[Paulr2]

Thx All

I'm now away but will try again with wheels on ground upon return & report back. Also thx Pete I'll get some cable ties on the end of the gators

 

[Z320]

I have a different view - again:

don‘t fix the gaithers, let them slide.

This reduces stress and damage

Edited February 4 by Z320

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

Top and bottom rubber couplings not aligned?

[Z320]

1 hour ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

Top and bottom rubber couplings not aligned?

Good point, a like from me!

[Paulr2]

Took some time to find but turned out to be a relatively simple problem.

Bottom rubber coupling was clamped to close to the rack meaning on of the bolts that go through it was catching on the engine mount bracket, sliding the coupling up 10mm cured it. It did mean readjusting all the other clamp points & took some but at least it wasn't anything serious

[stuart]

1 hour ago, Paulr2 said:

Took some time to find but turned out to be a relatively simple problem.

Bottom rubber coupling was clamped to close to the rack meaning on of the bolts that go through it was catching on the engine mount bracket, sliding the coupling up 10mm cured it. It did mean readjusting all the other clamp points & took some but at least it wasn't anything serious

Unless the bolt was too long and catching somewhere  the clamp bolt can only go through where the slot is in the rack input shaft which should give clearance anyway?

Stuart.