Member Since: 25 Aug 2018
Location: Lincoln
Posts: 373
Track rods are the wrong length?!
I'll preface by saying it is booked in on Monday for a proper alignment however I would like to get it relatively sorted before arriving.
I've just swapped out my steering rack (3rd one in 3 years ) and rough alignment is causing me a headache.
I've got the wheels pretty much where I want them however the steering wheel is 30 degrees clockwise out of whack. The left rod end is wound all the way in so can't turn steering wheel any further anticlockwise to straighten up.
Obviously where the column meets the rack, it can be adjusted 180 degrees, but this would put it 150 degrees out anticlockwise and in this situation, there is not enough adjustment in the right wheel to bring it in, and the left would be hanging on by a thread.
Unless I'm missing something (I hope so), my conclusion can only be that the pinion shaft has been put back in the wrong position by the refurb company, leaving me with the only option of removing the steering wheel and putting it back on straight.
If by some miracle you've understood the above, feel free to pass on your thoughts.
Ta
Last edited by Harry365 on 6th Mar 2023 6:39 pm. Edited 1 time in total
Wasn't there someone just recently with same problem and it was the new bits that were wrong?.
Dean
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2011 D4 XS - OBD port protection, RLD spare wheel protector, All LED interiors lights, Timed Climate enabled, iiD tool paired.
2011 D4 Landmark - Stolen from same dealer before I paid for it
2011 D4 GS - Stolen whilst at dealer ... All LED interiors lights, DRLs, Spare Wheel protector.
1996 300Tdi - Eaten by tin worms
3rd Mar 2023 5:38 pm
Kilovolt
Member Since: 29 Jun 2015
Location: South Derbyshire
Posts: 1020
I am just about to fit a steering rack into this girl this weekend as part of a winter refurb project.
When the refurb rack turned up it was not centred. I used a pair of soft grips and turn the input shaft (as though you were turning the steering wheel) and put it back to the centre (the same amount of protrusions from each end of the rack).
Any chance you were off-centre before you installed it? Remove both arms (I can hear you swearing now) and centre the rack (it should measure an equal amount at each end) and then put the arms back on with equal turns of course. You should be back in the centre.
By the way - I am an electrical engineer "Track day running - Don't put your foot back on the accelerator until your absolutely sure you don't have to take it off again"
Current Ride: D4 XS Commercial Baltic Blue SDV6 fully loaded with heated everything
Track Days: BMW E36 M3 Evolution MY 1996 (3.2 Litre 377 BHP sat in 1,250 Kgs of car, with a pro safety cage and some serious braking power)
3rd Mar 2023 5:39 pm
Harry365
Member Since: 25 Aug 2018
Location: Lincoln
Posts: 373
I'm a bit lost. Am I not right in saying the rack can only be adjusted in increments of 180 degrees out due to the bolt hole/groove and as mentioned, there isn't enough adjustment in the rod ends to make up the difference. To me it seems more like the pinion is just a couple of teeth off on the rack. I'm guessing your BMW has a toothed input pinion shaft allowing for finer adjustment?
Correction, the rack can only be adjusted in 360 degree increments however 180 degrees can be achieved vie the lower column to upper collum connection
3rd Mar 2023 5:58 pm
Kilovolt
Member Since: 29 Jun 2015
Location: South Derbyshire
Posts: 1020
My bad if your rack is not as my Beemer one. I assumed all racks work the same way? You rotate the input shaft one way or the other and the control arms move left-right etc.
So before you fit it you can alter the output centring?
I did say electrical engineering "Track day running - Don't put your foot back on the accelerator until your absolutely sure you don't have to take it off again"
Current Ride: D4 XS Commercial Baltic Blue SDV6 fully loaded with heated everything
Track Days: BMW E36 M3 Evolution MY 1996 (3.2 Litre 377 BHP sat in 1,250 Kgs of car, with a pro safety cage and some serious braking power)
3rd Mar 2023 6:05 pm
Harry365
Member Since: 25 Aug 2018
Location: Lincoln
Posts: 373
I think you've nailed the basics principle.
I think your E36 looks like this, lots of adjustment for centering.
Where as the D3 looks like this, basically no adjustment.
Honestly I don't really get what's going on here.
3rd Mar 2023 8:14 pm
Globetrotter448
Member Since: 21 Mar 2017
Location: Londonderry NSW
Posts: 1780
You did check that the rack end are the right way round as left and right are different lengths
5th Mar 2023 9:27 am
Harry365
Member Since: 25 Aug 2018
Location: Lincoln
Posts: 373
I don't think its possible to get them the wrong way round, they are different sized threads no?
5th Mar 2023 2:57 pm
Harry365
Member Since: 25 Aug 2018
Location: Lincoln
Posts: 373
Spoke with WPS this morning and they have said its either one of two things.
Least likely, the pinion was put back in wrong
Most likely, the rods are the wrong length
They confirmed that it is not possible to get left or right the wrong way round due to different thread diameters at rack end, however there seem to be different length rods available and the wrong ones may have been fitted.
I am slightly confused because I've not heard of that before. I know there are two types of rods when the outer tie thread diameters changed circa 2009 but I wasn't aware that the lengths changed.
Going to take measurements this afternoon.
6th Mar 2023 12:19 pm
Philw1
Member Since: 31 Jan 2023
Location: boston lincs
Posts: 71
If what they are saying and the rods are the wrong length did you get just the bare rack as in the photo off them ? are you using your original rods ? if so it sounds like they have given you the wrong s/rack for your disco the wrong year ? .
7th Mar 2023 3:15 pm
Harry365
Member Since: 25 Aug 2018
Location: Lincoln
Posts: 373
The rack pictured is just off the web. The rack arrived fully assembled less outer ends. I haven't had the opportunity to measure them yet but hopefully get round to it this afternoon. Will compare to old rack and hopefully a 3rd rack. I just not aware that any of these things actually ever changed in length. Spoke with Advanced factors and they also have never heard of the rods changing length. which to me means that they aren't even the LR part.
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) and rough alignment is causing me a headache.
... All LED interiors lights, DRLs, Spare Wheel protector.
