Mike,
I don't have an immediate answer, but I have had my rack apart. One end is
bushed and seems to have complete 360 degree support. The other end has a
spring with a hardened curve tipped piston fitting to the diameter of the
rack. The tension is set with shims. I too found it rather odd that the rack
would move in the housing, especially on the pinion side where you think it
would strip the gears or skip teeth!!!. For what reason I'm not sure (soften
the jolts through the tires???) Rootes does call it a damper pad.
The manual calls for ".003 clearance between the end of the damper pad and
the cover plate." If you take it apart check the rack and piston for scoring.
In my case nothing looked excessively worn so I polished up the fewscuff marks
and put it back together as I found it. Again, the Rootes manual indicates
that it "should require no attention until the car has completed
considerable mileage."
I did find that I had to play around with certain materials to find an
appropriate gasket. In the end whatever I used (sorry, I can't remember) had
the same compressed thickness as the original gaskets. This was only found
through trial and error. Usuallly when I make a gasket (from who knows what) I
paint it and use a very light coat of silicone to help it hold up.
Regarding the internal ball joints, I found mine to to have enough
"stiffness" to support their weight, and left them alone. There is a special
locking cap that is available from CAT that should (must???) be replaced if
the joint is opened. You can't get the rack completely apart withoutremoving
one of the joints.
Finally I found that the tie wraps provided with most boots didn't seal
very well. I scoured the wrecking yards and found that Audi and Volvo Turbo
hose clamps were the right diameter and width for the big end. The Volvo
clamps has a slight curve up on the ends and and seemed less likely to cut the
boot. I also attached a short, alloy wheel style tire valve (with center stem
removed) to the highest point on the outer pleat of the boot on one side. This
allows me to use a tipped bottle to replenish the rack fluid if
ever needed. Just don't forget to re-cap the valve stem when done.
Anyway, this is not an answer, but I hope it provides a direction.
Tom Witt B9470101
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