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 Posted: Sep 16, 2018 07:08PM
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I purchased the column shaft complete from Minisportusa for less than the Aussie end piece, shipping should be quicker too.
If your steering rack has the notched spline and not the groove all around i have used a 5/16" bolt which locks it in place so if the splines fail it will not slip.
Buy the best stock rack you can and use the plasic restrictors.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Sep 16, 2018 08:10AM
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US
 Posted: Sep 15, 2018 10:48PM
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GB
Price up a new rack (don't go recon) and two restrictors vs a Sportspack rack...
I may have a rack.

Getting hold of the splined part of the column is difficult, I don't think any of the big boys sell them.

 Posted: Sep 15, 2018 04:40AM
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US
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex

It's almost certainly the bottom of the column that's gone rather than the pinion as the column is much softer metal.  I had the same thing on Tubbs.

Tightening the pinch bolt does diddly if the clamp is already tight - you can heave on the spanner until you or the bolt ruptures, but you won't affect the clamping force.  In all probability on strip down you'll find the clamp very tight but the splines stripped...

Racks are easier to buy and change than finding a decent column, but with Kreachers conversion that may not hold true !

If it is the rack, just get a brand new one and fit the MPi end stops if you need to.

So it's just the added stops on a standard MKII and up rack that makes it a Sportpack rack? I'm fairly certain what I have now is the standard one, but I do have a bit of wheel rub at full turn. I'll probably go with the Sportpack one if it comes with the stops. My trusted British mechanic may just weld a new splined end onto my old column. 

 Posted: Sep 15, 2018 02:06AM
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GB

It's almost certainly the bottom of the column that's gone rather than the pinion as the column is much softer metal.  I had the same thing on Tubbs.

Tightening the pinch bolt does diddly if the clamp is already tight - you can heave on the spanner until you or the bolt ruptures, but you won't affect the clamping force.  In all probability on strip down you'll find the clamp very tight but the splines stripped...

Racks are easier to buy and change than finding a decent column, but with Kreachers conversion that may not hold true !

If it is the rack, just get a brand new one and fit the MPi end stops if you need to.

 Posted: Sep 14, 2018 11:58AM
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US
Jedduh, possibly some extra wear at the outer ends due to changed steering arm geometry, but I doubt that would have any affect on the rack play or the column to rack alignment. Most likely a poorly built rack combined with possible misalignment with the column splines, I would think. 

Does anyone know from experience whether there's any difference between the Sportpack racks and the standard MkII+ racks, other than the reduced lock radius? 

 Posted: Sep 14, 2018 06:20AM
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US
More than likely the Splines of the steering shaft failed  vs the 'rack ' actually failing.    There could be some rack spline carnage from the issue= but more than likely you're looking at a shaft need. (Steering shafts are known to fail more often than a rack failure)

13' wheels = Funky Vtec frame alginments will cause some extra wears

 Posted: Sep 13, 2018 12:29PM
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US
BC, any idea where these new Sportpack racks come from, or whether they're any good? 
Steering-Rack-Left-Hand-Mini-Cooper-With-Sportpack

 Posted: Sep 13, 2018 11:52AM
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red.. I had two break off in my wagon..   me thinks  just poor quality from India.. only had about 200 miles on them together..  try to find an OEM steering rack. NOT a rebuilt one..  later bc

 Posted: Sep 13, 2018 11:10AM
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US
Well, I must have a guardian angel. Been driving Kreacher, my Elf all over the place since I finally got the fuel system working better. Anyway, all over Charleston, over all the big bridges, over concrete expansion joints on those big bridges, etc. Wham, wham, wham, wham! Pulled into the garage and heard a clunk. So I figured that's going to need to be checked out before I take it out again. Couple days later and I'm moving things around to make room for all the garbage cans, etc inside the garage pre-hurricane Florence, and cranked the wheel and BRRRRRRRPPPPPP. No more steering. Just clicks as I turn the steering wheel all the way around without affecting the front tires one little bit. Well, at least it didn't do that at 80mph into the guardrail on the Wando bridge 90 feet over the flood plain. 

The left hand drive rack is about ten years old, same age as the VTEC conversion when we switched it out from right hand drive, but I've been noticing maybe a 1/4 inch play in the steering lately. And there was one other time probably 6-7 years back when I noticed the column pinch bolt was loose and cranked it down. 

So without tearing it down, I'm thinking at minimum to replace the rack, and evaluate and possibly replace the column or weld on a new bottom splined clamp if it shows sings of being stripped out.

Any suggestions on the best rack to use? I have 13x6 inch wheels running the ubiquitous 175/50-13 A539 Yokos.