Steering Gaiter Again

[Vanden Perre]

Triumph parts being much easier than Lotus ones to find here in Belgium, can someone confirm me that steering rack gaiter set for a Triumph Spitfire is the same as the one for a S3 Elan?
Thanks.

Olivier

[lotusfan]

Olivier

Yes, it is and also late MG Midgets 1973/4 onwards. I recently bought a set from Moss.

[Vanden Perre]

Does someone know what is the inside diameter of the large opening of the gaiter (driver side) in order to fit properly on the rack tube and pinion housing?
The one I bought (for a Triumph Spitfire) seems much to small to adapt on the housing (45 mm ID for the gaiter and probably not far from 60 mm OD for the housing)
Thanks.
Olivier.

[lotusfan]

Olivier

The set of gaiters for a Triumph Spitfire that I bought fitted the Elan rack correctly. The most difficult part was fitting the passenger side gaiter over the ball joint at the end of the rack.

To answer your question - the inside diameters of the gaiters will be the same as the outside diameters of the ends of the rack. It sounds like you have been supplied with the wrong gaiters.

[Vanden Perre]

I haven't started yet with the passenger side but indeed it looks like a tricky job.
Just got an answer from Moss that the inside diameter of the big opening on the driver side gaiter is 44 mm. This is what I got here in Belgium and it looks hard to fit it on the outside diameter of the ends of the rack which is around 60 mm.
Now I wonder if the rack is standard or if it has been changed by the previous owner of the car. I keep trying to find an answer.
Olivier.

[billwill]

Olivier

The most difficult part was fitting the passenger side gaiter over the ball joint at the end of the rack.

Are you not supposed to unscrew the track rod ends to do that?

And then of course screw them back to exactly where they were before

[ppnelan]

The one I bought (for a Triumph Spitfire) seems much to small to adapt on the housing (45 mm ID for the gaiter and probably not far from 60 mm OD for the housing)

Some of the 'universal' kits consist of two identical gaiters with 'stepped' open ends. Because (from memory) the two ends of the rack housing are different diameters, one of the gaiters needs to be cut back to match the other diameter.

Matthew

[lotusfan]

The ball joint that I was talking about is the one at the end of the rack, NOT the track rod end which hopefully has been unscrewed the 25 turns. Certainly the gaiter kit I bought had two different gaiters.

Is there any chance that Olivier can post a photo to illustrate the problem?

[billwill]

The ball joint that I was talking about is the one at the end of the rack, NOT the track rod end which hopefully has been unscrewed the 25 turns. Certainly the gaiter kit I bought had two different gaiters.

Is there any chance that Olivier can post a photo to illustrate the problem?

Ah yes...

Long time since I did one...