Mk1 Escort Steering Rack / Column don't fit.

[RS2OOO]

Came across a few problems today whilst dry fitting the front end.

Here's the first one I need help solving.

The rack pinion and column are too close to each other causing the column to bottom out in the knuckle before I can get the rack on far enough to bolt to the cross member. The rack only needs to go up about 10-12mm for the mounting bolts to align.


Photo showing distance between pinion and column with rack fitted:






Photo of group 4 knuckle, which can't go up the column far enough to allow the rack to mount because the column bottoms out in the UJ of the knuckle:




Here is a close up of the rack pinion:



The fault lies with either of the following:

1) World Cup Crossmember has rack mounting holes too high
2) I'm using the wrong knuckle and need a shorter one, however my knuckle is already shorter than virtually all the ones available for sale.
3) Some sort of problem with my column (would be annoying since I sold my very last spare column 2 weeks ago!).
4) The pinion on the rack is too long (Mk2 quick rack).

Looking at photos of other quick racks for sale and comparing against mine, I have a suspicion the pinion on my rack might be too long, but quite a big expense to buy another if that isn't the cause but if anyone has a quick rack and could measure the length of the pinion that might offer up some clues.


Any ideas or suggestions?

[Forest_rallying]

You are certainly using the correct GP4 joint RS2000, that's the short one you have there. Have you tried bolting the joint onto your steering rack and pushing the column through from inside the car making sure that the flat on the column splines are inline with the pinch bolt. The column should push in until just short of touching the centre of the UJ, hopefully then your column bracket should line up where it bolts to the dash.

I have a look at my steering rack tomorrow for dimensions but from the photo I can't see a lot wrong with yours.

[RS2OOO]

Thanks @Forest_rallying , no, I've not tried it like that.
I fitted coupling to rack but as stated it won't go far enough up the column for the rack to meet up with the crossmember mounting holes.

Are you suggesting there is some adjustment that can be made in the car where the column mounts up?



Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[Forest_rallying]

Are you suggesting there is some adjustment that can be made in the car where the column mounts up?


Yes, the column will slide into the coupling quite a way if it's free to move on the splines, give it a try.

[Forest_rallying]

I have measure the steering coupling on my Mk2 this morning and the distance from the end of the coupling where it bolts onto the steering rack pinion and the flange where the the two bolts are on the rack is just over 19mm or in old money 3/4 inch.

I measured a short Gp4 steering joint and that measured 80mm total length.

[RS2OOO]

I have measure the steering coupling on my Mk2 this morning and the distance from the end of the coupling where it bolts onto the steering rack pinion and the flange where the the two bolts are on the rack is just over 19mm or in old money 3/4 inch.

I measured a short Gp4 steering joint and that measured 80mm total length.

Really appreciate you doing that, very kind of you, thank you.

Using that info I believe possibly the stem/pinion on my rack is too long (but not guaranteed as we have different rack casings).

Will post up explanation and pics this evening.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[RS2OOO]

First off I tried the suggestion of undoing and working the column from inside the car to see if there's any additional adjustment. With the column correctly connected to the rack it had now moved too far past the dash mountings:




With the rack fitted in the correct location for the pinch bolt to go through the distance between rack flange and coupling was 24mm:






When I pushed the rack further into the coupling to reduce the distance between rack and coupling to 19mm ( to match exactly the measurement given by @Forest_rallying ) everything fitted and lined up perfectly but obviously the pinch bolt wouldn't go through.

So given that I don't want to modify the column, and I believe it unlikely the rack mounts on the WCXM are misaligned, I suspect the culprit is the rack stem/pinion being too long so I drilled a new groove in the rack stem to enable the pinch bolt to fit lower down.




And with the gap from bottom of coupling to rack reduced to 19mm and the pinch bolt fitted, everything lines up as it should and the column bolted back up to the dash correctly.






Not sure I feel overly comfortable modifying the rack pinion since its quite a critical component. Wouldn't have thought twice about it 20 years ago, but that's probably the least of my worries after realising all that's preventing me from being impaled by the column in an accident is the 2 phillips headed set screws attaching column to the dash!!!

[Forest_rallying]

It's good to know you are getting sorted RS2000 but what concerns me is, by moving the coupling closer to the steering rack have you still got the full amount of spline from the pinion going into the coupling? You need to check! I would also use good quality high tensile bolts with a shank on them going through the coupling and not a set screw that's fully threaded. There's less chance of any movement with the former type of bolt.

I think I would of been in favour of modifying the bracket on the column where it fastens to the dash.

[RS2OOO]

It's good to know you are getting sorted RS2000 but what concerns me is, by moving the coupling closer to the steering rack have you still got the full amount of spline from the pinion going into the coupling? You need to check! I would also use good quality high tensile bolts with a shank on them going through the coupling and not a set screw that's fully threaded. There's less chance of any movement with the former type of bolt.

I think I would of been in favour of modifying the bracket on the column where it fastens to the dash.

They are valid concerns.

There is now less total surface area of splines inside the coupling but there is a full ring of splines above the pinch bolt and a full ring below, and the pinch bolt has been done up tight. Maybe not perfect but with the pinch bolt tight I can't see any chance of slippage when you consider the column part is almost D shaped and only has splines 3/4 the way round.

The bolts through the coupling have shanks. They are from Retro Bolts and identical spec to the original ford bolts, although obviously standard Ford couplings were different to group 4 couplings.

If there's any money left after the restoration a replacement rack will be on the list.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[GavinR]

Hi,

That is an odd looking quick rack but you should be fine with what you have done as there are still splines for the full length of the coupling

The other alternative is to move the inner column up the column tube - I know on a Mk2 there is a roll pin which can be knocked out then the inner column can be pushed upwards
I assume it is the same on a Mk1 and have heard of people redrilling the hole for the roll pin in the past

On one of mine I have the opposite problem with not enough splines in the coupling, so I moved the inner column down and fitted a couple of washers above the roll pin to keep it in the right position

[RS2OOO]

Cheers @GavinR

There isn't spines on mine for the entire length of the coupling as the pinch bolt ring in this pic is fully inside the coupling, then I've drilled a new groove 6mm below it to get pinch bolt through in new position. However, I do think it should be ok.



The rack is an old Rally Design "Tec-Rac" one from about 20 years ago. Its hardly used so otherwise nothing wrong with it, but on searching them up now I find quite a few dodgy reviews, even one mentioning their rack jumping teeth and a few comments about poor build quality - which adds to my suspicion the rack isn't right so I emailed Burtons for the pinion dimensions on their racks and will see if there's any difference and buy a replacement to be on safe side if I have to.

As for the column, I think Mk1 and Mk2 columns are constructed quite differently and haven't noticed a roll pin on mine but will have a check.

Your issue with the lack of splines could potentially be resolved with a longer coupling/knuckle as there are varying lengths available up to around 12cm.

[GavinR]

I remember having a Tec-Rac many years ago, but I think it just wore out rather than anything more serious!

My set up was done due to lowered rack mounts - when the coupling wears out, I'll replace it with a longer one

[Forest_rallying]

They are valid concerns.

There is now less total surface area of splines inside the coupling but there is a full ring of splines above the pinch bolt and a full ring below, and the pinch bolt has been done up tight. Maybe not perfect but with the pinch bolt tight I can't see any chance of slippage when you consider the column part is almost D shaped and only has splines 3/4 the way round.

The bolts through the coupling have shanks. They are from Retro Bolts and identical spec to the original ford bolts, although obviously standard Ford couplings were different to group 4 couplings.

If there's any money left after the restoration a replacement rack will be on the list.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

I was referring to the amount of spline into the coupling from the pinion and not the column.

[RS2OOO]

I was referring to the amount of spline into the coupling from the pinion and not the column.

So was I 👍

Reference to column was that there isn't many splines in coupling as standard on column side as it is almost D shaped where it has a flat side for pinch bolt. On that basis the rack side still has more splines in coupling even after I drilled a new groove.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[RS2OOO]

I remember having a Tec-Rac many years ago, but I think it just wore out rather than anything more serious!

My set up was done due to lowered rack mounts - when the coupling wears out, I'll replace it with a longer one

Just read the first 200 odd posts on your FLY thread.... Incredible stories.

It was watching the start line at a rally stage in Newtown as a kid that ignited my interest in Escorts.

Couldn't believe what the green "banger" my Godfather took me to school in was capable of, and from then on I was hooked.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[RS2OOO]

Having guessed the likely cause of this issue is the pinion length on my existing rack I decided to bite the bullet and just buy a new rack.

Ordered a Heavy Duty 2.4 rack from Burton and it was instantly obvious on delivery that this would fix the problem.





And it did fix that problem with the column now fitting perfectly and rack mounts vertically aligned with the cross member mounts.

But this rack has a different problem worth being aware of and that is the rack mounts are not in the correct position, they are a few mm over to one side so to enable the pinion/column to line up you have to loosen crossmember and fully adjust it over towards the drivers side (excuse blurry photo but you can see enough to identify the issue).

[Forest_rallying]

Don't discard you old Rack, you should be able to sell it to someone to use with lowered Rack mounts on their crossmember.

You'll have piece of mind now over the coupling splines now they are fitting right.

It a shame the Rack manufacturer couldn't have fitted the correct clips around the gaiters instead of a cheap and nasty tie wrap.

[RS2OOO]

It a shame the Rack manufacturer couldn't have fitted the correct clips around the gaiters instead of a cheap and nasty tie wrap.

100% agree. This isn't a cheap rack.

Good point about the rack bring suited to lower rack mounts.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk