Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all,

One of mine has split completely so needs to be replaced, and will do the other side too. Is this fairly easy to do and thinking of the parts order, is there anything that always breaks while doing this job that I need to order at the same time?

I've read up how to do it, and it looks straightforward. The bit of the steering rack that the track-rod-ends thread onto is pretty rusty. Not so much that its going to break but I wonder how easy those ends will unthread and whether they will thread back on. New track-rod-ends are relatively cheap so is it worth getting new ones now (save on postage!). And will the thread that they screw onto (whats the bar called?) be any good if the exposed bit is quite rusty i.e. visible thread is pretty poor.

I don't think the bar they thread onto is available as a single part is it? Just looks like its the whole rack or nothing (apart from track-rod-ends and gaitors.

Thanks

Matt

It's a nice easy job, the trickiest part of the job is getting the innermost clip on and off, if it has a screw in it, and getting the large end of the new gaiter over the rack.

Wire brush the thread on the tie rod, and give it a soak with some penetrating oil. Mine came undone easily.

Mark the tie rod and count the turns to undo it from the track rod end, it needs to go back the same as that's your tracking. If you want you can take the track rod end off the steering arm, you'll need a ball joint splitter to do that.

You can get a screwdriver onto the innermost clip, its fiddly but with patience it can be done.

Pull the old gaiter off, put the clips on the new one. Try as much as possible to keep the outside free of oil and your hands, it makes the next bit easier. Put a wipe of rubber grease or whatever round the inside of the large end, slide it over the tie rod, try to get the large end offset to one side, get it over the edge of the rack and twist the gaiter round, it should then kind of screw on. I found the easiest way is to squat down, dont bother trying to look at what you are doing and just feed both arms in to do it.

Then to do the clips up again.

I don't like the tie wrap option, you've still got do do the inner one up securely, but personal preference there. Before I did the small outer clip up I filled an oil can with ep90 and slid the oilcan up inside and injected a few shots of ep90 in.

Tighten all the clips, reassemble the track rod and whatever else has been disturbed and job done.

Wear a dry glove to get a grip of the gaiter to shove it over the inner end of the rack. Put the steering on opposite lock so the gaiter has plenty of loose folds to slide over. The tie-wrap works fine - never had any problems with that, and ok for the MOT. Most kits come with tie-wraps now anyway.

I like the glove idea, I shall remember that one.

One of the cheap 'stringy' gardening gloves is ideal - then throw it away....

Ive just done this job today on a friends van. Regarding the screw clips, I usually break them off with a big screw driver as I always use cable ties for this job. Ive never had major issues before but the track rod end on his would not shift despite plus gas and heat from a blow lamp and the correct size spanners. We used universal type gaitors available from most car shops, they come with a small cone that you put over the track rod end and slide the gaitor over, meaning you dont have to undo the track rod end off the steering rack. I thought there is no way this will work as it wont be stretchy enough, but it does!

Next time I do the brakes on it I will have another go at shifting it as hopefully the plus gas will have done its job

and very well worth while as when anything is apart on the car is a wipe of anti seize round the track rod threads, and a spray over with some cavity wax or something, works wonders at keeping everything rust free and moveable.