Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,

Brian's track rod end rubber boots have perished so I'm trying to replace them. The manual says, remove the split-pin, undo the nut and withdraw the track rod end. Ha. The track rod end does not want to withdraw. I've hit it, sworn at it and now have it dosed with plusgas with a valve spring compressor pushing on it in the hope that it will budge.

Any tips/ideas?

Thanks,

Philip

Philip
A ball joint splitter tool is the " weapon of choice ".There are different types, a fork type one you hit to split and a heavy duty one that levers the joint apart by tightening a large bolt with a spanner or socket.
It's possibe to do with two hammers, a small club/ big ball pien ( I hope I've spelt that correctly ? ) placed either side of the tapered joint.One of the hammers absorbs the shock whilst the impact hopefully releases the taper joint.The application of heat sometimes helps...blowtorch/ boiling water/ hot air gun,etc

When you have undone the lock nut to replace the track rod ends, remember to count the number of turns to get the track rod end off.You can then wind on the new ends the same number of times to roughly get the steering back in position.It will be "good enough, using this method until you can get the tracking professionally check ed out.

Good luck

Bob

You can get 2 types of special tool to do these, "a pickle fork" type that works OK but is a bit crude.
Also a press type which uses a bolt to apply pressure to the bolt end.

If you don't have either of these to hand 2 hammers can be used.
Undo the nut several turns then strike both sides where the bolt goes through sharply.
It is tapered and the shock of being whacked from both sides will generally free it off.

I need to learn to type faster

Just to make it clear I'm replacing the boots, not the track rod ends as they seem fine!

Are you planning to stretch the boots over the track rod ends?
Apparently it can be done with another special tool.

They're pretty flexible so should just slip into place if I can get the track rod end bolt bit (technical term there) out of the steering arm.

A method I've used is to place a long bar under the track rod end and resting on the steering arm - you'll find a second person handy to push the bar down as you whack the steering arm in line with it's length, ie not on the side. This has never failed me.

A tip for if you ever get that problem of the track rod end pin turning before the nut has nipped it tight into the steering arm....just a few grains of sand brushed into the hole in the steering arm, to lodge between it and the pin, then bear down on the track rod end with a long bar pushing up against the body somewhere (can't remember the best place, but it's not far away!) and the nut should go up to do it's job. I discovered this after struggling for a while even when using a bar to press the pin down hard into the steering arm hole. I thought I was snookered, as the nut wouldn't go either way. I later never had a problem with the track rod end pin working loose because of this sand, but such a decision becomes your responsibility. One could always use the sand to grip the pin enough to get the nut off again so one could start afresh and find a solution without having to use the sand.
I add these comments because the track rod end pin is of immense importance to safety, and any kind of deviation from normal procedure should be treated with much thought aforehand.
Having said this, it really was just a few grains of sand - almost nothing, but enough to generate some friction and hold the pin.

If you have any mates in the navy.....


One of these might dislodge it. ;)

This is the tool you need- http://www.minispares.com/Product.aspx? ... ER%20SCISS...
S o -are you fiiting track rod boots - ie the convoluted rubber boots over the inner joints of the track rods - where they meet the rack, or is it jsut the little rubber boots on the track rod-nds themselves ?
DO NOT resort to heat to separate these joints - except as a very last resort. The splitter will pop them off in no time. Or - use the two hammers- not painful as long as you keep your thumbs out the way!

Just the little boots, about the right size for our cat I'll have to see if I can pick a scissor splitter up later when I'm in town (It's the Swindon Railway Festival at Steam today)

Sounds good - the Steam Festival that is!

Thanks for all the advice, they came off in seconds The Steam Festival was very good, I even ended up with a picture of Pete Waterman!

You are supposed to take pictures of the Steam Locos - not Pete! And then post them up in the 'steam' thread !