Steering

[Mike Wattam <101714.1343@domain.elided>]

The differences would include;

mounting points
LH vs RH (exciting if you fit the wrong one!)
in front of or behind axle
angle of and position of steering column shaft
piston sizes in ram
ratio of gears
length of rack shaft - essential for bump steer geometry
sensitivity - degree of assistance vs steering column torque

In fact so many differences that I would have thought the possibility of
one rack fitting (let alone bieng suitable for) another unrelated car was
virtually nil.

I think the heart of this problem is that the rack itself (the solid lump
through the middle) tends to wear, so the population of good racks is
decreasing, making servicing the rack more and more difficult.  Rebuilding
a steering assembly with an old worn rack means that the seals may rapidly
become worn out, and securing reasonable backlash at the centre point
versus on each lock is impossible.  Thus high warranty claims, thus nobody
wants to know.

As the rack is not made any more, if there was one available which was
almost identical I believe somebody would have 'found' it by now.

I think there are two ways out of this dilemna;  

1  a painstaking search for an assembly or rack shaft which might fit
2  remanufacture rack shafts - not I would have thought too difficult.

Anybody fitted a non-original rack?

Mike Wattam
Triumph Stag Register