Steering rack / column

Hi

I am starting to rebuild the front end of my Mk 2 Elf and starting from a bare shell I have fitted the new Mk2 Mini steering rack complete with new U bolts, plastic non slip thingys and a new dust seal. Moving inside the car I have replaced the top and bottom bushes on the column and thought all I had to do was slip the bottom end of the column onto the splined steering rack shaft having lined up the cut out for the securing bolt.

However it all slides together nicely BUT the bracket on the column does not line up with the mounting plate on the dashboard bottom rail. It is as if the column needs to be anothe quarter of an inch onto the splined shaft

What am I doing wrong ?


Stuart

Is the rack turned in the brackets so that it is lined up straight on to the column? It might make a difference of a quarter of an inch if it's a bit cocked. I know that it makes a difference if you have a column drop bracket installed, so it doesn't take much of an angle to throw things off.

The bracket should slide up and down the column...

Just relocate the bracket, as suggested.

Make sure you do not tighten the rack in place until after you have installed the column. It is important that the rack be free to rotate so that the pinion and column are directly in line.

Hi

Thanks for the advice folks. I shall slacken off the U bolts and try putting the column in before I tighten them

Regards


Stuart

Thank you for the advice. I slackened the rack off and concentrated on getting the steering column correctly fitted first. I then tightened up the rack mounting u bolts and that worked fine.

Now for the front subframe !

Stuart

Nice one!