Frankie,
Doug is right, this is NOT the way to adjust backlash. If you do all that
happens is you will still have back lash but have won some stiffer (or
freer) steering as well.
Once the rack has been set (from new or rebuild) unless you distort the
firewall it is clamped to, there should be no need to touch this pre-load at
all. It generally lasts throughout the life of the vehicle.
You should have noticed low tyre pressure from the bulge at the bottom of
the tyre and the floppy grip with the road(!)
Steering geometry and out of track tends to come along after big holes in
the road, large pavement edges or collisions with other vehicles. You
should know if you have had any of those. A further cause is lending the
motor to a friend and finding it comes on just after you have it back!
This leaves dry steering connections and /or bad rack lubrication. Service
items that tend to be forgotten!!!
If the rack was correctly lubricated when fitted and you haven't noticed any
weeping from the gaiters this will probably be OK but look at the manual to
see how yours should be checked and what it should be filled with.
Out of these two latter options it normally leaves absence of the grease
gun!
Some-one else mentioned very early on about checking the bolted connection
between the column and rack. Good advice; very good advice; very, very good
advice. Wear on the steering pinion tends to produce backlash and/or sloppy
steering rather than heavy steering.
Finally ..... In answer to your the question every-one has avoided, yes, you
can adjust the tension on the pinion by shimming the damper cap
Best of luck
Guy R Day
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Altman" <doug_altman at yahoo.com>
To: "Frankie Clarici 4th" <clarici at verizon.net>; "EasternOshitGroup"
<EasternOshitGroup at yahoogroups.com>
Cc: "Spridgets List" <spridgets at autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, September 09, 2011 2:58 PM
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] Steering Rack adjustment
> According to the workshop manual, Heavy steering can be caused by:
>
> Incorrect steering geometry
> Excessively low tyre pressures
> Insufficient lubricant in steering rack
> 'Dry' steering connections
> Out of track
> Incorrectly adjustedsteering gear
> Misaligned steering column
>
> And, I have never changed the shims
> between the rack damper cap and the rack body from what was there from the
> factory (I assume), but isn't this the way you adjust the back-lash
> (either
> too tight or too loose) between the pinion and the rack? Just some
> thoughts.
> Doug ....o~'o
>
> ----
> At 09:04 PM 9/8/2011, Frankie Clarici 4th wrote:
>>Is
> there any adjustment on the steering rack? I was driving my Sprite the
>>other
> night and noticed the steering felt real tight. I know on my VW I can
>>adjust
> the tension on the pinion. Is there any way to do this on my Sprite?
>>
>>Thanks
>>Frankie
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