steering rack inner ball joint

[Keith_M]

I am rebuilding the steering rack for my bugeye. One of the inner ball joints has some play, so I need to replace it. I have pried up the three tabs on the housing, but how do you remove the housing? Does it unscrew or just pull off? The manual says something about unscrewing the seat, but it doesn't say how to get the housing off. Below is a picture to jog your memory.

 

[Rut]

Keith,
IIRC, it unscrews. You might be able to turn it back and forth to get it to move...might even tighten up.
Rut

 

[Keith_M]

Keith,
IIRC, it unscrews. You might be able to turn it back and forth to get it to move...might even tighten up.
Rut

Well, I DID try to unscrew it. Maybe I just need to try a little harder.:hammer:

 

[nomad]

Keith, run your rack out and clamp it securely and padded in your vise. Then a dull chisel or piece of heavy strap iron in the grooves and a whack with a hammer will unscrew it. Then the real problem comes up that requires NLA BMC tool's to separate the housings. That's as far as I've gotten with one that I was going to rebuild. If you can get the housings apart you should be able to remove shim's to tighten it up. You may get lucky and have it unscrew where it need's to when you whack it.

Let me know what you come up with!

Kurt.

 

[Keith_M]

Keith, run your rack out and clamp it securely and padded in your vise. Then a dull chisel or piece of heavy strap iron in the grooves and a whack with a hammer will unscrew it. Then the real problem comes up that requires NLA BMC tool's to separate the housings. That's as far as I've gotten with one that I was going to rebuild. If you can get the housings apart you should be able to remove shim's to tighten it up. You may get lucky and have it unscrew where it need's to when you whack it.

Let me know what you come up with!

Kurt.

Thanks Kurt and Rut. I won't be able to have another whack at this (literally) until tomorrow evening, but I promise to tell you the outcome.

 

[Rut]

A big pipe wrench might be the ticket!
Rut

 

[nomad]

A big pipe wrench might be the ticket!
Rut

The back part of the housing that screw's into the rack only gives you a bout 3/16 of an inch to get hold of and is very tight. I'm thinking of making something equivalent to the factory tool that uses a couple of pins into the back of the housing.

I started on a part's rack just to see what is required and if I could do the job while the one that need's it is still attached to the car. Guess I'll put up with the slop in that one a little longer!

Kurt.

 

[BlueMax]

Why bother with all the labor, tools ect, just install a new rack for $119.00?

https://www.victoriabritish.com/icatalog/sm/search.aspx?searchTerms=steering

 

[Keith_M]

Why bother with all the labor, tools ect, just install a new rack for $119.00?

https://www.victoriabritish.com/icatalog/sm/search.aspx?searchTerms=steering

Good Lord! The entire rack assembly for $119??? Has anyone bought one of these? Are they as good as the original?

 

[nomad]

Good Lord! The entire rack assembly for $119??? Has anyone bought one of these? Are they as good as the original?

Last I checked the only new rack's available were for the later car's. If you can get the early rack's then it might be worth it but I'm betting the quality isn't what it used to be. Also, if you fit the later rack the steering ratio is slower.

Kurt.

 

[Rut]

VB has both racks and $119 is a deal! It's my understanding that they have the same ratio as our early racks.
Rut

 

[Keith_M]

Thanks guys. I kinda want to try and fix mine if possible. It keeps me off the streets.

However, I note that the sale pricing is good until May 25th. That gives me time to play with mine, with a fallback position if I fail.

Keith

 

[nomad]

Hmmmm. I've got a pile of old steering rack's but none without slop. I'm going to have to consider VB.

Kurt.

 

[Keith_M]

Well, I was able to unscrew the inner tie rod assembly from rack using a combination of the techniques suggested. Using a drift, I was able tap against the indentations to get some movement, and then I unscrewed it the rest of the way using a pipe wrench. Unfortunately, I was unable to separate the ball from the socket. I tried clamping the narrow part of the base in my vise and turning with the pipe wrench, but it wouldn't budge. Anyone else been successful in separating the two?

Fortunately, I have another rack that has a good inner tie rod, so I will use that one to replace the bad one. I notice that Moss sells the entire inner tie rod assembly for $165. That's more than Victoria British's sale price for an entire rack, and almost as much as Moss's nonsale price for a rack!

I still hope to be able to separate the ball from the socket; if for no other reason than to accomplish it. Anyone know how to do it?

 

[nomad]

Well, I was able to unscrew the inner tie rod assembly from rack using a combination of the techniques suggested. Using a drift, I was able tap against the indentations to get some movement, and then I unscrewed it the rest of the way using a pipe wrench. Unfortunately, I was unable to separate the ball from the socket. I tried clamping the narrow part of the base in my vise and turning with the pipe wrench, but it wouldn't budge. Anyone else been successful in separating the two?

Fortunately, I have another rack that has a good inner tie rod, so I will use that one to replace the bad one. I notice that Moss sells the entire inner tie rod assembly for $165. That's more than Victoria British's sale price for an entire rack, and almost as much as Moss's nonsale price for a rack!

I still hope to be able to separate the ball from the socket; if for no other reason than to accomplish it. Anyone know how to do it?

View attachment 37108View attachment 37109

That's where I got stopped as well, Keith! According to Bentley the shop tool used a couple of pin's that fitted into the back....I figured on some kind of a duplicate. There have been some NOS assembly's on e-bay for about the same price as the new rack.

Kurt.