Steering Rack

[Chris Edgar]

Car is wife's 1958 Convertible

so I bought pre 1959 TREs, having looked at the supplier's web sites & seeing 2 types....

but it is obvious, even before taking off the old TREs, that the track rods on the car are too thick to fit the ones I have bought. So it looks like someone has replaced the steering rack with the later (thicker track rods) steering rack.

My question is:
other than the thickness of the track rods, are the early & late steering racks the same & can either be fitted to the car, the only difference being in the sizes of the TREs?
Do both early & late types fit to the steering column (which appears to be correct for the car i.e. horn & indicators attached to the column)?

regards
Chris

[bmcecosse]

I never knew there were two types........sorry - can't advise!

[Chris Edgar]

Thanks for the reply anyway, Roy

Enquiries elsewhere indicate that the only difference between the <1959( 9/16" BSF thread ) and the later ones ( 5/8" UNF thread) is the thicker track rods on the later ones (& of course the need for TREs with a larger "hole" in them to match).
Other than that, all is the same.

I should have checked first, by comparison with the Traveller, which is 1967.

Anyway, my query is now answered. Happy days.

regards
Chris

[katy]

Possibly your car was late production and was fitted with the updated steering rack at the factory.

[Chris Edgar]

Could be...it looks as if it's been on at least 50 years!

Chris