ahebron Posted April 28, 2020 Report Share Posted April 28, 2020 I removed the rack from the Vitesse 6 and dismantled it to check everything over and give it a clean and grease. Working with the manual I set up the 7 tooth pinion to minimum play with the shims which was as it came apart. Bush at passenger side is ok and usable but could probably be replaced some time. Setting up the pressure pad under the large nut with the grease nipple was relatively easy using my vice grips which happen to be 8 inch lightly clamped to the pinion and a spanner that weighed 2 pounds hanging off the end. It now binds when the steering rack is central using the hole in the rack lining up with the grease hole, if I wind the nut back the binding goes away. Has anyone had this type of problem. I also tried to find the hole in the rack tube for the nylon pressure pad but this rack doesnt have one, the old Herald rack I have in spares does have the hole. Did Triumph make racks with and without the hole though I cannot see a reason for the latter. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted April 28, 2020 Report Share Posted April 28, 2020 did you set the damper pad with rack in the central position ? im sure the design is to be stiff at centre and play on lock backing off a little is to me Ok . no idea the anti rattle plug is normally found missing if ally mounts have been fitted ive not seen any without the hole , its just a simple anti rack rattle on rough ground maybe an alternative supplier design dint need it ???? no idea Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahebron Posted April 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2020 Thenks Pete I am pretty sure I set it at centre position but will recheck tomorrow. Its fun removing the rack from the Vitesse😉 Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted April 28, 2020 Report Share Posted April 28, 2020 It seems that not all racks have the centering hole. Not sure it’s as simple as early/late. I’ve seen quite late ones (well, early 70s) with holes. Usual problem with setting the slipper tension is that the rack bar is most worn in the centre section (which sees most of the action) so if you get it right in the centre, it binds at the ends. You just have to experiment for the best compromise. Slightly on the slack size gives the nicer driving experience IMO. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted April 28, 2020 Report Share Posted April 28, 2020 3 minutes ago, ahebron said: Its fun removing the rack from the Vitesse😉 Adrian 😳 Fun? Strange man......😛 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahebron Posted April 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2020 Mine has the centreing hole but doesnt have the anti rattle plug hole. I have managed to work the lh rack clamp on and off with out adjusting the engine and I have no engine valances at present plus the car is 3 feet off the ground so all in it makes it a more pleasurable experience than it could be. It seems that the factory manual settings are an ideal for when the cars were new 50 years ago and we now set them up as best we can using the factory settings as a target to aim for. Luckily the slipper pad can be easliy accessed while the rack is still in the car so I will try set it to best feel. And just confirming Vitesse pinion is 6 tooth. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted April 28, 2020 Report Share Posted April 28, 2020 the 6 cyl rack pinion has a small annular groove added to the input splines to identify it as 6 tooth where 4 cyl are no groove 7 tooth Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahebron Posted April 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2020 I took the rack out drilled the anti rattle hole which is 1/4", made a anti rattle pin which is 1/4" dia by 3/16 long (dimensions supplied form Triumphexp). Removed the Herald/Spitfire pinion and fitted the Vitese/GT6 one with the appropriate number of shims. Then I set the rack slipper pad up with my vice grips again gently on the splines with a correct weight spanner hanging off the end. Once that was done a 13mm Bahco ratchet spanner fits on the splines so I was able to check for binding and general movement so I added another fine shim to the pack. I reasonably happy with the rack. Getting the rack in and out is surpisingly easy once you have done it a few times, its all about getting the clamps on the right angle. It probably helps that everything is clean and fasteners are all new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted April 30, 2020 Report Share Posted April 30, 2020 8 hours ago, ahebron said: It probably helps that everything is clean and fasteners are all new. ...and then of course you have to fit the rubber bellows, and everything is covered in grease and slides about... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahebron Posted April 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2020 Just now, Colin Lindsay said: ...and then of course you have to fit the rubber bellows, and everything is covered in grease and slides about... When I dismantled the older rack to get the correct pinion I noticed some tape on the passenger side of the rack. I gave this some thought and realised it was there to stop the boot from sliding off when it gets greasey. I wrapped some electrical tape round my rack outer put a cable tie on the boot and it worked. Fitting the boots was simple, the drivers side was a doddle and to get the passenger one over I stretched it open with my fingers inside the boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now