I think this is a steering rack shim. How many of these should I have? Where exactly do they go?

Steering gear shims are thin and I mean thin copper plate. They are more oval shaped. Rack shims goes on side opposite from the rack and on that side only.

Kevin,
If the part number is 2A 6129 it's a 3/32" packing washer for the rack-mounting bracket to frame. There are 3 different thickness listed in the AKD books. 3/32, 5/32 and 7/32. I would guess only one needed but it's listed as A/R (as required). So what your car needs as far as the thickness (possible qty) I don’t have the background to say.
Dug

One on the passenger side only.

That is one in fact. Looks like the thick one.

I have only ever seen this size and have had three Bugeyes down to the sheet metal. Shrug.

The rack shims are used to accomodate the slight angle of the steering column relative to the centerline of the car. The steering column leaves the rack and heads towards the driver on a line towards the outside of the car, away from the centerline. Whether RHD or LHD, the shim must go on the driver's side to set up the steering column angle. I have no idea what the complex-shaped shim was that was shown earlier, but the little sucker at the top of this thread is a rack shim.

Glen Byrns

On the driver's side? Are you sure about that Glen?

I'm pretty sure it goes on the passenger side.

Untill you said drivers side I was sure it went on pass side, that is where mine is. Now I need to check I guess.

Will get back to ya

Mine was on the passenger side, probably been there since the car was new as the rack didn't look like it had been disturbed.

Oh fiddle de de. On the (factory) Service Parts List (Illistrated Parts Breakdown) it surely looks like it goes on the drivers side.

Not only that but when you think about it it only stands to reason it should be on the drivers side.

Sometimes I feel so dumb.

Thanks for the catch, now I have something to do.

Moss Europe lists the shim as "SHIM, packing (nearside)" -- nearside begin defined as "the side of a road vehicle closest to the kerb." i.e. the passenger side.

I could certainly be wrong, but that's where mine was.

Think about the angles, the stearing column comes off the rack at a right angle, 90 degrees. Now if the stearing column goes to the outboard side the drivers side of the rack would need to move forward to keep the angle at 90 degrees would it not?

I think maybe additional research is needed here.

More info, it is called a " seating mounting bracket-rack" and says two are required.

Going to go look at an untouched 74 tomorrow and see what I see.

Jack, the pinion is NOT 90 degrees to the rack, IIRC.

I always thought nearside and farside referred to a position relative to the driver's seat.
Live and learn. I love this forum!

Google is my friend! I've heard that term for some time, but never had it clear in my head. Now I do.

On the rack shim question, spritenut cautioned me about it in a earlier post (I just remembered):
http://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/topics/574623

Oh me, you got my attention now.

Wonder what that rack was orginaly designed for, no telling.

You know my steering column fits smoothly into the rack pinion with the thing we are calling a shim on the passanger side.

Ok all, if Frank said it goes on the passanger side, I must get in line, enough said. Great question for Monday evening though.

If I remember correctly, the rack was originally for a Morris Minor, but flipped over for the Sprite -- so a RHD Minor rack is a LHD Sprite rack.

I rechecked the Morris' and Sprite. The Morris uses the same rack. There are no shims on the Morris rack, the column makes a 90deg angle with the shaft. The design of the Morris allows this to place the steering wheel in the right spot relative to the driver without any shims. On my bugeye, the column meets the rack at 90deg. like the Morris, but the column angles towards the outside of the car as it heads towards the driver. Putting the shim under the front of the driver's side column mount sets up this built in angle. Thats how I set mine up and its steers great, and the steering column slides smoothly onto the splined nub of the pinion which it wouldn't do if the shim was angling the rack the other way.
Play with a T-square and a penny and you'll see what I mean.

Glen