Play in my Tr7 rack

[swordfishdani1960]

Wasnt enought to fail its Mot ,has more play in the drivers side than other,
has new track rod ends, and ball joints. bush look ok ,has any body had this problem ,also fitted new shocks to .no vibration on steering wheel at any speed

[Beans]

Track rods inner ball joints (BAX1467) probably worn.

[Hasbeen]

Yep, first check for wear in the inner ball joints.

However if this is not the problem, the clearance between the rack & the pinion controls the amount of free play in the steering. This is controlled by the shims under the large nut in the front of the rack, opposite the column.

This is very sensitive. Removing 5 thou of shim is usually enough, & removing 10 thou on a friends TR7 rack caused it to near bind on full lock on one side.

As most steering racks in 7s went for years without ever seeing fresh grease, most racks are somewhat worn in the centre, where they do most work. Be aware of this when adjusting the shims, as perfect free play in the centre often means binding, or very heavy steering at full lock.

Hasbeen