Worn steering rack

[Mark B]

My 2000 MPI failed the Nct, worn steering rack, it has 13" wheels, only 44000 miles on it. Do the sports packs normally get wear in the racks.
There is a big difference in the price of a genuine rover rack and the non genuine, is there much of a difference in quality.
Mark

[BERT]

You could get a good second hand one,the only difference with a sportspack is they have two nylon sleeves to stop the rack turning as far so the wheels dont rub the arches

[pick up man]

I would go for a new steering rack. I know it's a lot of money. I had a 96 mini cooper and one day I drove home from Dublin down the M4 I pulled into the petrol station in killcock to fill up. I pulled onto the road and the steering rack snapped at the pinion in the rack losing all steering so I hit the kerb. Lucky I was only doing around 10 mph so I did no damage but if that happened on the motorway I would have been fecked. That happened with no warning and their was no play in the rack. That's why I always buy new when it comins to steering now.

[Dylan8660]

Mark, what was the resolution to this. I'm having the same trouble, two racks, two fails both nearside but it seems to be the rack moving in the housing rather than the rack ball joints so I'm wondering if it just needs to be re-packed with grease in the same way as radius arms need to be packed to stop play. Anyone else with experience/opinion on this before I have the awkward expensive fix.

[Mark B]

Hi Dylan
Paul Kelly said to try tightening the u bolts so I did that and it passed the NCT.

Mark

[woody]

Zakgt failed on this aswell so I striped the rack to recondition it as I've done on some older racks. There is a nylon bush in the LH side that wears and can be replaced. Unfortunitly the bush on later racks ('92 on I think ) is different to earlier ones and as yet I cannot find a source for them. The bush is the same on sportspack and non sportspack racks. At the moment you may have to buy a new rack but keep the old one as at the rate they are now failing somebody will come up with a replacement bush and the repair isn't too hard to do.
To check if your bush is worn ,sit in the passanger seat and place your feet firmly on the floor where the rack bolts on. Have somebody drive your car down a bumby road and you if you feel a small tapping below your feet the bush is gone or your U bolt is loose.
If regreasing the rack make sure to use semifluid grease not regular grease.

[Dylan8660]

I've had a good look at my other rack that failed and there is some play but with this one the boots had worn holes so the prospect of it running dry was there, I took the plastic screw out and pumped it full of regular grease and the film of grease covering the shaft took a great deal of play out, so I think the one that's currently on the car might just need re-lubing to get it through. Although these racks are meant to be sealed units I think their age is beyond the remit of the manufactures brief so re-lubing may have to be part of a regular service schedule. But, and probably for the first time on a Mini this potentialy complex job has been made easy as the plastic screw sits just behind the rubber grommet covering the hole for LHD cars. So the addition of a grease nipple in place of the screw could be just the job.
Woody, Is the semi fluid grease easily availabe? I was thinking that a tube of white Lithum might just have to do. If the bushes are just regular plain bearings then IGUS should be a good source.

[woody]

The semi fluid grease is like a thick oil so any holes in the gaiters and it will flow out unlike regular grease which would cling on. I got it Ledwiths in Drogheda, they had it in stock.

[woody]

Heres a picture of the early bush on the right and later bush on the left with the locating tabs.


Heres the difference between standard and sportspack racks

[Dylan8660]

Thanks for that Woody, good info. I'll be popping into Ledwiths tomorrow and booking the Mini for the re-test.

[Dylan8660]

Quick update, It wasn't the steering rack at all but rather the flex from poly front rear to floor subframe mounts from minisport that I put on a while back to "stiffen things up" I have the solid alloy ones on order now. So a complete mis-diagnosis by the NCT wasting my time and nearly a whole heap of cash. I just need a couple of new tower bolts, anyone? and find the electrical glitch that's sending my emissions all over the place and it should be good to pass, 4 months late.