Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Steering Play

Hi All,

I seem to have some play in my steering, which I understand from GoMog should not exist. If I open the bonnet I can rotate the steering column from side to side by hand a very small amount (Obviously I am not turning the wheels at this point as I simply wouldn't have enough torque/strength to do so).

I've read the GoMog advice on checking the rack and pinion steering etc. and I need to undertake a more thorough inspection, but my first quick look seem to suggest the play was coming from the final UV joint connecting column to rack.

Couple of questions:-
1. Is any degree of play normal or acceptable in a 2002 4/4?
2. Has anyone else had a similar issue and if so what was the route cause
3. Has anyone else experienced a similar problem with a steering column UV joint?

The car steering has always felt a bit vague and seemed to wonder, but after fitting BRB's and new tyres recently, this seem to transform the car. Now I'm wondering whether any previous improvement was in my head, or maybe I've just had some bad luck and now have another steering problem to deal with?

Thanks in advance

Have you checked the rack mountings for play ?

I remember a post on here a while ago where there was play in the rack. Link here: https://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/640890/1

My 2014 4/4 has no play at all - but I don't know when or if the rack being used was changed.

My car suffers of steering play as well... (+4 / 2006 / 40000 miles) but on closer inspection it seems to originate from the channel where the spacers run/slide along.
I would consider UV-joints a rather non-typical problem. To quickly check the rack you can grab the bracket where the steering rods are joined together and move it vertically up/down. If there is no play/movement, the play may originate from the UV-joints.
In my case, the channel seems be worn out as the tube is made of alloy and the spacer of steel, guess where the wear is. The channel is now about 21.2mm wide (0.8mm wider than the spacer), that is a lot of play. Don't know yet how to solve this, maybe I manufacture sleeve which goes over the spacer to increase the diameter and reduce play.




Cheers, Peter

Cerberas

These racks cost a fortune for what they are! Quaife won't deal direct with the public, well not yet anyway! Take the rack out and find an engineering shop that will re-mill the channel out to a larger size then make two new spacers out of silver steel to fit the larger channel and, harden and temper them. You might think hardening is not needed as steel is already harder than alloy but the increased hardness will in fact prevent the spacers from picking up the alloy from the slot edges and then acting as a file between the two surfaces!

I have mentioned servicing steering racks in a previous post and DaveW has an excellent article on how to adjust free play at the rack and pinion gear so a look there would be beneficial. So, two things to do first. If your rack body is secure to the crosshead and the play you have is a rocking movement which can be seen at the inboard (centre) connections of the track rods then this is wear to the slot/spacers and or wear to the pinion gear. Adjust the gear mesh using the rack adjuster as per DaveW's article. The other thing to do and frankly this applies to all owners with a Quaife or jack knight racks, is to lubricate the damn thing! You will find that the rack has the merest smear of grease to the linear rack and to the pinion gear (at the end if the steering column). I have found that making sure your gaiters are sound and functional is vital. When you are satisfied to this end, cut the retaining zip ties to the rubber rack ends (caps) and remove the rubber by pulling it away from the ends of the rack. These are where the rack extends into when greater lock to the steering is applied. I start with the end closest to the pinion gear. Being right hand drive its the right side. I then apply full R/H lock and using a bladder syringe (100ml) I inject about 60-80 ml into the rack aperture. I then fill the rubber end cap with the grease and refit it. Caution here! there is a groove on the rack and a ribbed end on the rubber cap, this is where you fit it, make sure you don't push it on too far as the rack in its travel range will go straight through it! The rack travels into this rubber cap for the full distance!
When all is secure. I then slowly work the rack side to side and with slightly greater turns of the steering wheel to spread the grease into the rack without forming any point pressure until this is achieved. I then repeat this procedure on the left hand side until the rack is fully lubricated and smooth in operation.

Now this is important! The grease I use, and its readily available, is called slumping grease, It is an almost thick liquid grease for use in such things as steering boxes, axle boxes etc. It's designed to be used where movement takes place and is always being redistributed to provide adequate lubrication. A normal grease would displace and sit in areas where movement could not re distribute it! Thus leading to poor lubrication. I have learnt that this is the best way to maintain and service these racks even with some wear to the channel the spacers run in you will notice a huge improvement. I can guarantee that anyone with a car with these racks fitted and with say 3000 miles on the car, go sit in the car and turn the steering from side to side until resistance is felt at the wheel and you will hear the slight knocking noise as the direction is changed. This is the rack gear trying to rotate within the outer tube and the spacers knocking on the slot edges! And they didn't think that would lead to wear!


Potts
You seem to have done good maintenance so far,, just tracking to check to see if that is causing your wandering. again as above an adjustment to the loading on the rack and pinion gear meshing might be in order as per the DaveW article. Its possible that a column UJ has worn but if not again suspect the rack. First though go through all the inspections logically.
With someone in the car rocking the steering side to side slowly start at the track rod ends by the wheel for wear. then to the inboard ends at the rack. are these inboard ends trying to go up and down with a knocking feel or noise indicating wear at the slot/spacer. Check again that movement left and right at about 3/4 lock each side; is it the same or less. the rack slot will wear more in the centre area as this is where most movement occurs through steering input. also don't forget that the steering column has 4 UJ joints along the shaft, one inside the car! check them all. small wear to all can add up and a small rotation of the steering column which feels huge at the steering wheel rim! With someone in the car holding the steering wheel tightly and the front jacked up you can physically try rocking the wheels left and right by hand checking both sides for uniformity too.
Again if the same this points to the rack or column.

Hope all gets sorted for you both!

That raises an interest point when renewing the steering rack gaiters sewin. Mine went in to dealers twice whilst car was under warranty to cure rack leaks. The second time when dealer fitted the supple universal gaiters I supplied, I confirmed the liquid grease lube that had leaked out had been replaced.

Absolutely Richard. That shows yours had been fitted/serviced correctly but I have seen many that just have a smear of protective grease from manufacture/assy and wondered how it could hold up to the constant movement a steering rack has to tolerate. I too use the universal gaiters and think the extra length prevents the stress, and they are clearly stronger as well. Yes they don't appear as tidy as the Morgan option but functionality and the faff of changing them if they fail is a no brainer for me. some think I put too much lubricant in but my findings have been remarkable in the feel of the steering and the slumping grease is so fluid that I get no pressure shift within the rack from moving grease.

Are you sure it's a Quaife rack, my previous Roadster had a Jack Knight (who no longer exist)

I believe the switch from Jack Knight to Quaife happened when the former ceased trading in 2007. That would likely leave Peter's +4 having a Jack Knight rack. Hopefully the Quaife ones although of similar design are less susceptible to the slot wear.

The physical dimensions of the Quaife and Jack knight are the same so If your JK were to fail its a straight swap for the Quaife unit. lubrication and service are really identical except the JK has the one piece gaiter that you have to fiddle the spacers through and whatever side fails the whole thing needs to be changed so its a more challenging job.
However a lot is written about loosing the centering but this isn't the case for either rack. Yes mark the rack position in relation to the crosshead brackets for a rough alignment but if your steering is fine prior to the removal then as long as you maintain the steering wheel position and don't adjust the the track rods all is usually fine. to keep the rack/pinion position I remove the rack end rubber caps and I have two large washers that slide over the linear rack gear each end and sit against the outer body. I then wrap a strip of rag arount the rack outside the washer and zip tie it in place

i only do this for ease but you should measure each distance of where the rack sits in relation to the outer body for true centre and then set the steering column/ wheel appropriately. Finally if on refitting your steering wheel is slightly out of centre just loosen the rack clamps and move it slightly sideways to micro correct. if it is further offset than a small amount then you will have fitted the splined drive of the steering column a little out, easier than you might think even when marked prior to separating it!