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TR6 Replacing steering rack and mounts TR6..help

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Flummoxed

Senior Member
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Okay, I'm a lousy mechanic (if you can call me that), so if this is obvious, sorry. But, I received a new steering rack and new clamps and mounts (rubber). The place I received this from has no tech assistance, so I come here. First, should there be any fluid (I've heard 90 gear oil) within the rubber gaiters? Might it have come with this already? Secondly, if I add 90 gear oil to the box on the rack, would this fluid reach the rubber gaiters? Finally, looking at my new enclosed rubber mounts, I don't understand how the new rack is supposed to go through the hole on these mounts. Must the new steering rack be taken apart in order to slide the inside of the rack through the holes of the mounts?
 
Yeah, VB. No help, whatsoever. If these rubber mounts are supposed to be on the inside of the rack, why does no part supplier offer a new rack with these things already on the rack? I must be missing something obvious. If the hole for the rubber mounts is meant for the rack, how does one get it on the inside, when that bar is completely solid in the area the mounts are supposed to be?
 
I haven't figured out why people use them. Even the catalog lacks.
 
The mounts typically already have a slice through one side so they can be mounted on the interior portion of the rack. As for adding 90 weight gear oil to the rubber gaiters that is unnecessary. Simply use some grease on the pinions and moving parts then put on the gaiters.
 
Slice them, really? Well, these ones from Moss have no pre-slices. Thanks 71TR and Bill, big help as always. As for greasing the pinions, I would hope the complete rack I got from VB would have already had this done. But, I suppose it would be worth cutting the plastic ties to have a look inside the gaiters. Geez, it's kind of frustrating when you can't get this detailed info. from the parts places you actually buy from (some of them, at least). Thanks.
 
Flummoxed said:
Geez, it's kind of frustrating when you can't get this detailed info. from the parts places you actually buy from
Click to expand...
So change it ! Buy only from places that do give technical support.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with the gaiters, just add some grease to the pinion. Even quality components don't usually come pre-greased.

OTOH, considering the source, maybe you should look to see what evils lurk /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Flummoxed said:
But, I suppose it would be worth cutting the plastic ties to have a look inside the gaiters.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't do that, they are a pain to get on! After a few minutes they get all slippery and nasty. Just give the rack a few squirts of oil and run it back and forth. You are not trying to fill the gaiters.
 
For the mounts, definitely slice them to get them on - best to compare them to your old ones if you still have them. I'm very surprised your new ones were closer to original -especially if they came from Moss.

When you get ready to mount everything back, take a peek at your manual on how they advise to put it together. I don't know the exact dimensions but the rack mounts aren't meant to just be tightened down - you need to compress the rubber mounts somewhat before tightening everything. There used to be fancy tools to do that, but I just used some clamps/vicegrips and it seemed to work fine for me (so far).

Randy
 
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