89 Biturbo Spyder rack end wanted

[tappets]

Greetings to all,

I'm chasing a steering rack end for my above car as the RH one has seen better days. It is a TRW rack with rack ends of approx. 120mm long not including tie rod and have internal thread that screw onto the rack. Apparently most rack ends have external thread that screw into rack. David Askew is having trouble finding me a good used set!

Can anyone please help?

 

[Wally]

which part of it is worn? is it the power-assisted version?

 

[Needamaser]

I needed one a couple of months ago and Eurospares had them new but David supplied me a new one at half their price.
Might be talking cr@p but think rack end is the same part as the track rod end. Again I think ES list them as different part numbers but in reality it is the same part. Apologies if this info is rubbish!

 

[finlandese]

If you are talking about the inner tie rod end, please be aware that there are two variants, even though Maserati recognizes only one. If you have the rarer one, you cannot get a new part but it is not very hard to modify the non-power steering older type inner tie rod to fit perfectly (just shorten the outer shaft).

 

[tappets]

Hi Chaps,
here's a pic of the rack end on the right is the one from my car the one left is the external thread type that I was sent in error!

 

[tappets]

To clarify the top one is from my car.

 

[Needamaser]

Sorry Terry, not the part I thought you were referring to.
TRW rack may have been fitted to other cars?
Perhaps a call to here to see if they can shed any light? https://www.trwaftermarket.com/en/

Thread last year on steering suspension might help?
http://www.sportsmaserati.com/showthread.php/22149-Biturbo-Steering-rack-track-rod-ends

 

[finlandese]

To clarify the top one is from my car.

Yep, you´ve got the part that doesn´t exist according to Maserati...

Not to worry, the solution is easy. Buy a set of non-power steering four bolt suspension Biturbo inner tie rods, and have machinist to shorten and thread the outer rod. Will fit perfectly. Just had the same issue this summer on my ´89.

BTW, don´t be too ******* your parts seller. Very few of them know about this issue, as Maserati publishes only one part number for this part, even though there are two different variants.

 

[tappets]

Thanks finlandese, are you saying these rack ends were only fitted to 89 Maserati TRW steering racks then? Seems very odd they'd do that! Mine is a TRW rack standard. Cheers.

 

[finlandese]

Thanks finlandese, are you saying these rack ends were only fitted to 89 Maserati TRW steering racks then? Seems very odd they'd do that! Mine is a TRW rack standard. Cheers.

I don´t know. I am assuming that it is an issue with the early Biturbo II power steering cars (Meccanica attiva front suspension). Mine was built in ´88 as it is one of the last 150 Zagato Spyders that were imported to the States.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWUopOlZcKY&t=5s