Track Rods

[Klive]

Has anyone changed one of these before?
I believe the knuckle joint of mine may either be loose (hopefully) or worn. To be checked as soon as I can jack the car up high enough to get my axle stands under.
Looking at the Eurospares site I see they have a Tie Rod kit at £36, but after speaking to them this doesn't include the joint nor the track rod end. They said that if the joints gone then I'll need a new steering rack (you ready Parisian..... a mere £830 + VAT!!!). If I can't find just the part I need, if I need it, then I'll make one myself.

 

[Parisien]

....£830 plus........pifling amount........I would double check that Klive.......if it need replacing.

2nd....a good used one won't do...off David Askew?

P

 

[Klive]

Used is certainly a possibility and maybe preferable to my own design. I'm concerned that I don't know all the stresses down there so my iinitial concern is about material selection.

 

[Parisien]

http://www.maseratilife.com/forums/coupe-spyder-gs/12183-split-boot-steering-rack.html

Pm Loz about this issue.......


P

 

[Klive]

Some research has revealed
1. Unsurprisingly I'm not the first to have encountered this!
2. Emblem have had their own inner joints made to avoid replacing the whole rack. Around £80, not sure if that includes fitting.
3. A company called Power Steering Services could manufacture them if they have a sample.

Things are looking better already. With a bit of luck it may just need tightening.

 

[Parisien]

.......good man Klive.......one in the eye for the greedy and unscrupulous......


P

 

[RSM Masser]

Check the ball joints first - or have a local tyre specialist jack the car up and give the wheels a wobble, once the weight is off the wheels and suspension components wear is easier to spot

 

[Klive]

Thanks RSM. Although I haven't got my axle stands under yet I have had the wheel off the ground. There's no play when moving the wheel up and down only side to side. This points to a steering issue. It's not the track rod end. I can feel some movement when squeezing the gaiter which suggests the inner joint or possibly the rack itself.
From memory when you changed your gaiters, is the tie rod and male part of the joint 2 pieces. It looks as if they are screwed together on page 7 of your presentation.

 

[Parisien]

RSM you have a pm

P

 

[rs48635]

Hope those are replaceable, and are the fix rather than the steering rack.

Done similar job on our old 911, swapping standard rods with horrible "universal joint" for "turbo tie-rods". Mine look just the same as these. On the 911 a spacer was needed between the end face of the rack itself and the tie-rod. On that car the tie rod has a male end which screwed into the rack. The whole setup above ^^^ looks exactly liek the 911. Not much room for slack or solp in the tie-rods I fitted. Maybe a loose ball joint? or the split joint in the rod itself?

 

[RSM Masser]

Thanks RSM. Although I haven't got my axle stands under yet I have had the wheel off the ground. There's no play when moving the wheel up and down only side to side. This points to a steering issue. It's not the track rod end. I can feel some movement when squeezing the gaiter which suggests the inner joint or possibly the rack itself.
From memory when you changed your gaiters, is the tie rod and male part of the joint 2 pieces. It looks as if they are screwed together on page 7 of your presentation.
View attachment 6422

I dont think they are two pieces - I did not look that closely, certainly the track rod end joint unscrews from the tie rod - you need to remove this from the tie rod to get the gaiter off, whether the tie rod can be removed I am not sure, would not think so. The ball and socket joint in the photo is inside the gaiter. The gaiter itself fits on the larger piece on the right and expands / contracts as wheel is turned.
Looking closely at my picture it does appear the tie rod is 2 pieces, once gaiter is removed it should be obvious, it will be tight though

 

[Klive]

Thanks guys.
I got the car jacked up tonight. I'll peel back the gaiter, get some photo's and details in the the next couple of days.

 

[Klive]

I confirm that the Tie Rod and male part of the inner ball joint are 1 part. The photo below shows it a bit cleares. My confusion came from the grove to locate the outer part of the gaiter.

I also now know that the inner ball joint is not my problem. Hmmm!