Originally Posted by Zach
I have a 1999 4/4 which is fitted with a Jack Knight steering rack. Less than a year ago the Gaiter split so I ordered a new one it cost £127. I was not impressed when it arrived, the material thickness is about 2.5 mm at one end and O.85 at the other. I queried this with Morgans but they told me that this was about right, so I fitted it. Less than a year later it split so I decided to make my own.

Hi Zach,

We need more like you!

The Jack Knight gaiter is flimsy. and priced predatorially. Frankly, they were so when they cost 27 quid. They gaiter system shouldbe changed as Quaife did when they began supplying their R&P to Morgan in 2007. They likely spotted the J&K problem at a glance. I was going to do the same as you 10 years ago. I still have the new aftermarket gaiters I bought in spares. But I figured out the J&K systems and became lazy after they stopped splitting for decades, not months. Incidentally, I have been told these gaiters were made by silicone coating a form many times...cheapest method possible. But their cheap material is not the cause they split.

First point is that these gaiters, J&K or Quaife are not made to be pressure or liquid proof. They are there to keep fine road debris from sticking to the oily pinion. (duh)

Second point is that very few materials, rubber, neoprene and especially this cheap silicone stuff can stand being squeezed to high torque, which is exactly what we do when we install the plate go pop-eyed installing the two bolts that attach the tie-rod plate to the steering rack. If you look at these J&K spacers that slot into the rack's pinion carefully you will see that their outer side has a machined raised circlet around the bolt holes. This keeps the plate and spacer proud of the gaiter and prevents squeezing the gaiter material, allowing movement and preventing splitting and tearioing. 3 We must place the gaiter holes over these circlets and use washers that are NO LARGER than the holes. Your washer marks give you away. They held the gaiter immoveable and it ripped. Did you also reve tough a dim memory tells me I ran across o=it one. They show the R&P spacers but not the little raised criclet. The Quaife and your system avoids all that..Andre Koopman, Morganwerkstatt (Germany) sells one very much like yours.

Well done. I will be doing it.

May I post it to gomog with a link to this thread?

gmg