Serious stuff! Is that the quick-ratio unit from Moss USA? That one, they
claim, is a heavy duty unit designed for competition. I have their unit for a
Spit/GT6 application and would like to figure out if the issues are universal.
If possible, please email or post some pics on the Facebook site so we can see
exactly the areas you have identified. Thanks for the info Tony.
Thanks,
Chuck Watson
> From: tr4.tony@virgin.net
> Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2013 12:59:48 +0000
> To: fot@autox.team.net
> Subject: [Fot] Reproduction Steering Racks
>
> All
>
> I thought I'd give you all a heads up on my position with reproduction TR4
> steering racks made in Argentina and supplied by MOSS or via others.
>
> I have had another near lethal failure this weekend on the Rally of the
Tests,
> costing me a high placing and a class win as well as the car or worse.
People
> could have been hurt very badly. This is the second time.
>
> The issues are threefold in my experience, the first two are serious safety
> matters hence my email to this group.
>
> 1. The main steel rack tube is pressed without any notching or machined
> scoring into the alloy pinion housing, meaning that on left hand lock the
rack
> tube parts from the housing and control is lost. This is because the rack
has
> nothing to bear against and therefore the wheels end up pointing in
opposite
> directions. The alloy housing appears to be made from a material of
> insufficiently high quality in my opinion and the press fit is poor.
>
> I am aware of 7 failures now, 6 on competition cars, one of which was mine
and
> which I was lucky to walk away from.
>
> 2. The nut and spring on the top of the pinion housing (which allows the
rack
> preload / play to be adjusted) unwinds and falls off, causing loss of
control
> and excessive play in the rack, as well as ingress of material as it's open
to
> the atmosphere. This is another potentially lethal failure mode and caused
> because the peening of the pinion housing / nut fails and the nut just
spins
> itself off. Again my opinion is that this is due to poor material, design
and
> manufacturing.
>
> I am aware if two such failures now, one on my car again which we were
lucky
> to survive unscathed.
>
> The cast alloy pinion housings also appear to be poorly cast, with blow
holes
> evident in the assembly indicating poor material, process and quality
> control.
>
> 3. There is a third problem in that the threads on ends of the rack are not
> cut properly, so track rod ends will not fit. Theses need to recut and
again
> is evidence of poor manufacturing and dimensional control.
>
> I am working with TR Enterprises in the UK to develop a short term fix
(which
> we have done) and ultimately have some racks made that are fit for purpose,
> however meantime my opinion is that anyone who has one of these 'Made in
> Argentina' steering racks should talk to their supplier and satisfy
themselves
> of their safety in use.
>
> I for one will not be using such a rack in an unmodified form and will
replace
> it as soon as is possible with a product that is designed to be safe in
use.
>
> Needless to say I wish to discuss this with MOSS and I am awaiting their
> response.
>
> Regards
>
> Tony
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