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Urgent! Mini steering problemDarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
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Anyone any ideas? On our Mini, the steering wheel has suddenly started to move independantly of the road wheels... EG - you turn the steering lock all the way to right, then straighten the roadwheels. The steering wheel is, say, straight. Then you do the same again, and when the road wheels are straight, the steering wheel is 90 degrees out! There's a clonking when you turn the wheel, from the column somewhere... Any ideas? The nut holding the steering wheel on seems tight (and anyway, the steering wheel is on a spline so it can't move independantly of the column??), any ideas?
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is the pinch bolt at the bottom of the column to the rack done up nice and tight??
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Sounds like the rack is moving to me Surley the rack can't move very far because of the pinion poking through the body. It sounds like the columns not connected to the rack or the pinion has shed its teeth.
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Doesnt sound like anything to worry about!
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1972 Fiat 130 1985 Talbot Alpine 1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 + 1986 Mazda 929 Koop + Wagon 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!! 1979 Datsun B310 Sunny 4-dr 1984 Audi 200 Quattro Turbo 1983 Honda Accord 1.6 DX GONE1989 Alfa 75 2.0 TS Mr T says: TREAT YO MOTHER RIGHT!
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Urgent! Mini steering problemDarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
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Well, I managed to tighten up the pinch bolt by a turn or so. It's improved things a lot, but the nasty clonking noises from the column/rack somewhere (I can't figure out where!) suggest it's more serious...
New rack I think.
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Sounds like it, thank god there cheap. dropping the engine is an though.
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Urgent! Mini steering problemDarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
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I won't be doing it myself (no chance!!) so although the rack is cheap enough, the labour sure won't be Ah well, it IS getting on a bit now (1989) so I guess you have to expect these things...
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I'd check all the balljoints and track rod ends before you stump up for a rack just in case.
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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Urgent! Mini steering problemDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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Yeah, the track rod ends could be knackered, although it does sound like the rack has had it. My mates mini has the same symptoms, and his rack is knackered
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Does sound rather like a rack to me
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erm, you don't need the engine out to swap the rack, mine was done on the street outside my house, couple of hours tops, bit of cursing but not a bad job.
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Could also be the splines on the bottom of the steering column that go in to rack.
About 18 years ago I had to go and Rescue a Girls 1978 Mini Estate that had done this. The column splines had completely striped (must have been loose/wearing for some time) and you trying pushing a Mini with not knowing what direction it will go ;D.
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ImpManiac
Part of things
Imps... Imps... Imps...
Posts: 868
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Do Minis have articulated steering shafts? A lot of cars use UJs in the steering shaft to allow it to circumnavigate exhaust manifolds or whatever. If so, how are the UJs in the steering shaft keyed on? Are they separate from the shafts and keyed on using pinch bolts or are the yokes for the UJs cast or forged onto the parts of the steering shaft like a propshaft UJ? From what has been said, it does sound as though the splines on the pinion shaft have been chewed up. The pinch bolt may have been loose for some time. New rack time! Darren, you could try pushing the steering wheel and steering shaft down onto the splines more. On the Imp, I have to push the steering shaft some way down the pinion shaft on the rack before I tighten the pinch bolt - probably a couple of inches. Loosen the pinch bolt, push or hammer down (using your palms or a soft mallet) on the steering wheel. Do not use a hammer because you risk damaging the pinion shaft bearing if you do. I'm
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Last Edit: Nov 10, 2005 9:09:01 GMT by ImpManiac
1966 Singer Chamois sprint/hillclimb car in white over blue two tone 1975 Triumph Stag long term project (over 20 years so far) in colour TBA 2003 Vauxhall Vectra GSi 3.2 in black sapphire
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Nov 10, 2005 10:01:58 GMT
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Do Minis have articulated steering shafts? nope.
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Urgent! Mini steering problemDarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
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Nov 10, 2005 10:04:26 GMT
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There wasn't any noticeable movement in/out when I pulled/pushed on the steering wheel. Tightening the pinch bolt seemed to sort the movement I think, I drove it round for about twenty minutes this morning and it all felt OK, the steering wheel stayed where it was supposed to be. But it's sort of clonking from the column (or something directly attached to it), I think it's from where the bracket holds it to the dashboard. I've dropped it into a friendly local garage, he's going to have a look on the ramps for me and let me know later what he finds
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Last Edit: Nov 10, 2005 10:05:30 GMT by DarrenW
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Nov 10, 2005 10:32:13 GMT
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Pull the carpet back Check the rack mounting U bolts are tight There are 2 pairs of 2 nuts on the toeboard. These being loose will give the symptoms you decribe.... It was an old trick to sell you a Rack, slacken them off and the rack moves about a bit like it was worn ;D "Sorry sir/Madam, you will need a new steering rack which will be X-amount, come back and collect it tomorrow" All they then did was tighten the nuts up again and charge for a rack+ labour Check it and see if it makes a difference...... HTH Dom
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Urgent! Mini steering problemDarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
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Nov 10, 2005 10:48:05 GMT
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I checked those last night, forgot to say... Yeah they were tight. The garage it's at is perhaps the only non-VW specialist place I'd ever let near my Golf, and he's done loads of work on our cars over the years.
Just got the phone call - it's the rack. The pinion is almost-but-not-quite jumping on the teeth from what I can gather... Should be ready tomorrow evening!
£130 all in, not too bad I don't suppose. I vaguely remember doing one on my old red Mini, an episode I've blanked from my mind it was so traumatic ;D
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Last Edit: Nov 10, 2005 10:48:59 GMT by DarrenW
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