Steering rack removal/replace

[terrygahl]

Is it possible to disconnect the steering shaft from the rack and pull it up enough, undo the tie rod ends and rack clamps and pull the rack out one side or the other without lifting the body?

I could not find this one answered by searching.

Thanks, Terry

[type26owner]

Welcome! On the LHD baby Elans it's not a problem. I've had mine in and out several times. You are talking about the forty year old rear-wheel driven Elans though, correct?

[terrygahl]

Keith - yes, the steering rack removal question was related to my 67 S3 DHC with LHD...Sorry forgot to mention what I was working on.

While in there doing front shocks I noticed one tie rod end was very stiff in its cup and the rack looked dry so I want to get it out and clean it up and fix what might be worn as I do have some play.

tks, Terry

[type26owner]

Terry,
The rack wears the tooth out in the straight ahead position eventually. Where you would expect a bushing to exist instead the end of the rack on the drivers' side is constrained by the spring-loaded fit of a plunger on top pushing the rack against the pinion. The gear teeth on the pinion are hard the rack is soft. When that tooth wears out on the rack you know it because as you turn the steering wheel and when it goes across being centered the tierod spherical connection will dip down about an 1/8". It acts like a detent. If you don't have this symptom then there is little to be gained by pulling out the rack. The lubrication can be done in place. It should be relubed at intervals of 25k miles I'd guess. I detailed what's the best greases to use in the archives here.

[RotoFlexible]

According to the manual (and my experience), you need to cut square access holes in the bodywork above the rack to pull the clamps off the rack. Someone may have found a way around this. Also, I found the flexible joint very difficult to dislodge from the spline on the pinion, even after loosening the clamp. It is in an awkward location (what isn't, on an Elan?) and bringing sufficient persuasion to bear was not easy.

It is pretty straightforward to service the cup-and-ball tie rod inner ends in situ, and to lubricate the rack as Keith says. However, another place that wear can occur is in the bushing at the passenger-side end of the rack. If you are getting some up-and-down motion in the rack at that end, you may need to pull the rack to replace that bushing.

[garyeanderson]

Hi Andrew
This is only on the S1's and S2's, Lotus modified the molds for the later Elans so that it is not nessesary to cut the square holes to lift the rack clamps through.

Gary

[terrygahl]

Thanks for the help everybody. Will try to see if I have the wear detent in the straight position this weekend and then decide what to do.

It is so nice to have the car running again after the ring gear falling off the flywheel for the second time.

regards, Terry

[type26owner]

Terry,
It was normal practice to tack weld the ringgear to the flywheel. Mine is done that way in six places.

[terrygahl]

Keith,

I did tack it the second time, but it fell off again anyway. Turns out the stock flywheel, which I had lightened to the specs in the David Vizard book, is cast iron and the ring gear is steel and we could not keep it from cracking so I just gave up on that and bought one of JAEs gorgeous light steel ones.

terry