Skip to main content

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Since there are several different steering racks you might have- including the not-quite-stock Ferrari 308, your safest move might be to remove the stock bushing and take measurements from that. Note also that a custom bushing can be made 50% longer than 'stock' which may lengthen bushing life. But if you make it much more than 50% longer than stock, the full-lock turning radius in the right-hand direction will be lengthened as the knuckle moves into the end of the rack casting & impacts the bushing.

Second tip: to do this job, the rack assembly should be completely taken apart. When you do, DEBURR the rack gear completely! In older racks, the rack teeth will develop raised edges on the sides near its center of travel, since the pinion seems harder than the rack. Assembling such a rack gear without first deburring will quickly ream out or at least badly scratch your carefully calculated bushing clearances....

I also do not like rack bushings made of Oilite (any of the 3 known types), since sintered metals have low impact strength and the rack gear gets considerable impact from the wheels on rough public roads. The stock steel & plastic bushing had a rubber liner to absorb road shock & noise. Use some sort of solid bronze; I have a piece of aluminum-bronze I've been using successfully. And finally, at least one vendor sells new boots that are identical to OEM and take the OEM clamps; most do not, so leaks are common.

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×