This gaiter takes a bite out of your finances

[SixasStandard]

Hello All,

I've spotted that my nearside steering rack gaiter (RTC2218) has a split, and as my car is due for its MOT in July I'm going to replace it. Taking a look at what's on offer, the Rimmers item is identical to the one I currently have fitted, but the shipping cost of 7.95 more or less doubles the price, whereas there's a Chic Doig listing on E-Bay for a pair of gaiters (RTC2218 & RTC2219) for a combined all in price (incl. shipping) of 13.50

The Rimmer and Chic Doig items look different (pictures below), so my question is: are the cheaper versions ok? and has anyone got experience of them with regard to quality and longevity?

Any help or advice appreciated.

Ian   

[Pete Lewis]

having the different diameter tube fitting they are the ones you need , trying to stretch the small over the big does  not work well 

unless you like being covered in grease and sticky plasters  !!!!! and a sense of failure looming 

Pete

[SixasStandard]

4 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

having the different diameter tube fitting they are the ones you need , trying to stretch the small over the big does  not work well 

unless you like being covered in grease and sticky plasters  !!!!! and a sense of failure looming 

Pete

Sorry Pete.......I'm obviously being a bit dense here........are you saying that the gaiters in the top photo (Chic Doig) are better? or the bottom photo (Rimmer)?

I did have quite a bit of Pinot Grigio last night.......so not at my most mentally acute this morning!!

Ian  

[Clive]

top ones better, the rounded edges don't split like the sharp edges of the other offering. Chics are a much better copy of the OE gaiters, the rimmers are the fitzall type.

Not to mention the fact Chic knows his stuff, and Rimmers are "variable" in that area.

[SixasStandard]

2 minutes ago, clive said:

top ones better, the rounded edges don't split like the sharp edges of the other offering. Chics are a much better copy of the OE gaiters, the rimmers are the fitzall type.

Not to mention the fact Chic knows his stuff, and Rimmers are "variable" in that area.

Thanks Clive.

Ian

[Colin Lindsay]

11 minutes ago, clive said:

top ones better, the rounded edges don't split like the sharp edges of the other offering. Chics are a much better copy of the OE gaiters, the rimmers are the fitzall type.

Not to mention the fact Chic knows his stuff, and Rimmers are "variable" in that area.

Rimmers have a lot of 'overheads' hence their higher prices and higher shipping costs. Many of the parts come from the same manufacturer in any case. Chic is great for phone discussions on parts, advice on fitting or alternative parts and an excellent returns / refund policy if there are any problems.

[Pete Lewis]

yes  i meant go for the top ones , each end of the rack is a different diameter, so there should be two different gaitors in a 'kit'

the one size  option fits very little , unless youre a gynaecologist

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

That lower one looks very strange; is it a new pattern or just a generic photo and not of the actual article? Any that I have ever ordered have been the same as the top pair and you need four hands and twenty fingers to fit them.

 

[alan.gilbert_6384]

I replaced mine, what a pig of a job with all that bloody grease, then saw a video of someone using a cut up coke can (ends off, then split down the middle) which goes around the steering gear and guides the boot on to the larger diameter you then just pull it out.  Really wished I has known that before I fitted mine, would of saved the knuckles a battering and some expletives to go with them.

[SixasStandard]

3 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

That lower one looks very strange; is it a new pattern or just a generic photo and not of the actual article? Any that I have ever ordered have been the same as the top pair and you need four hands and twenty fingers to fit them.

 

Colin,

The lower picture is taken from Rimmers website, and shows their version of RTC2218, which is the nearside gaiter. They list the offside gaiter as RTC2219 (not pictured), so they do provide the specific part for each side, not a generic item. The nearside gaiter on my Vitesse is identical to the Rimmer one, and looks to have been on the car for some time, so they've obviously been selling them for quite some time. I've ordered the Chic Doig set, so will 'look forward' to fitting them in due course!

Ian  

[Colin Lindsay]

The top photo of the pair is the set I'm used to; one large and one small if that's the way I can put it. The lower one is so odd I was just wondering if it was from a different range - they do other marques as well - and they had just used a photo of any gaiter from their stock, not necessarily the one they supply. 

Fitting is.... fun... plenty of grease, false starts, restarts, and a feeling of: " you won't defeat me, gaiter..."

[SixasStandard]

12 hours ago, alan.gilbert_6384 said:

I replaced mine, what a pig of a job with all that bloody grease, then saw a video of someone using a cut up coke can (ends off, then split down the middle) which goes around the steering gear and guides the boot on to the larger diameter you then just pull it out.  Really wished I has known that before I fitted mine, would of saved the knuckles a battering and some expletives to go with them.

That's a great tip Alan, thanks for posting.

Ian

[SixasStandard]

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

The top photo of the pair is the set I'm used to; one large and one small if that's the way I can put it. The lower one is so odd I was just wondering if it was from a different range - they do other marques as well - and they had just used a photo of any gaiter from their stock, not necessarily the one they supply. 

Fitting is.... fun... plenty of grease, false starts, restarts, and a feeling of: " you won't defeat me, gaiter..."

Colin,

Any advice on type of grease? I'm presuming that any Lithium grease would do the job, just not the '3-in-1' spray lithium that I have in the shed. Back in my feckless youth in the 1970s I had a jumbo tin of Castrol LM which I appropriated from my Dad, who'd had it since the early 1960s........that tin never seemed to run out.........those were the days!!

Ian

[Colin Lindsay]

I just used Lithium 2, same as I use on bearings. Rubber glove on, handful of grease and extend both sides of the steering rack to liberally coat the teeth. The stuff will get everywhere, the bigger end of the gaiters will slide about and cause all sorts of frustration, every time you think it's on it will jump off again, but you'll eventually get a bit on, then more, and finally enough that it will stay on on all sides, long enough to get a cable tie round it. The hardest part after that is judging where to clamp the skinny end on the steering arm, so that it's not strained but stays on when the steering wheel is turned.

[SixasStandard]

3 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

I just used Lithium 2, same as I use on bearings. Rubber glove on, handful of grease and extend both sides of the steering rack to liberally coat the teeth. The stuff will get everywhere, the bigger end of the gaiters will slide about and cause all sorts of frustration, every time you think it's on it will jump off again, but you'll eventually get a bit on, then more, and finally enough that it will stay on on all sides, long enough to get a cable tie round it. The hardest part after that is judging where to clamp the skinny end on the steering arm, so that it's not strained but stays on when the steering wheel is turned.

Thanks Colin.

Ian

[Peter Truman]

In the depths of my mind I remember a recommendation when servicing the rack to use diff hypoid oil at the regular servicing ie 6 pumps thro the grease nipple reason the old grease in the rack can go hard and stop lubricant pushing along the rack tube.

don’t know where I got the idea from, but I’ve done it that way 30 years when I’ve undone the rack boot on the near side oil has been there!

if I was rebuilding a rack I’d do as Colin recommends ie smear grease along the rack before assembly subsequent servicing your choice

 

[Colin Lindsay]

The old grease is usually pretty manky and cleans off with petrol or the like; I get as much off as possible more for cleanliness sake than anything else! Greasing the rack when it's visible gets more grease round than trying to use the grease nipple afterwards. I've done three during lockdown and while they get more familiar they don't get any easier... same struggle with the gaiters. It's worth it all in the end, though.

 

[Mad4classics]

2 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

In the depths of my mind I remember a recommendation when servicing the rack to use diff hypoid oil at the regular servicing ie 6 pumps thro the grease nipple reason the old grease in the rack can go hard and stop lubricant pushing along the rack tube.

don’t know where I got the idea from, but I’ve done it that way 30 years when I’ve undone the rack boot on the near side oil has been there!

 

Grease in the steering rack seems to be a Triumph thing, don't know why ???.

Mini, MG etc lubrication for the steering rack states fill with 1/3 pint SAE 90 oil, the top up usually being by releasing the gaitor clip and injecting there (no grease nipple). Equally messy job and difficult to gauge 1/3 pint content when you've got a leak!

David

[SixasStandard]

Hello All,

Made some interesting discoveries whilst starting the job of changing the steering rack gaiter on my Vitesse. First thing to say though.........if you are ever going to do this job then invest in a good ball joint splitter. I first used mine whilst stripping down my Alpine's steering, but this is the first time on the Vitesse. It has made the job SO much easier, and whatever you do don't waste your money on one of those awful 'tuning fork' type splitters.........they can cause a lot of damage. Anyway, whilst stripping off the gaiter I found that the inner fixing was just twisted wire (albeit well executed) which I can't believe is correct, and on top of this there was what looked like masking tape wound around the housing where the gaiter was wired on (see pictures). I'm assuming that this is just back street garage bodgery, but if anyone else has any observations then please feel free to post. My new gaiters were supplied with the usual zip ties, but how do other owners secure their gaiters.

Any help or advice gratefully received.

Ian  

[alan.gilbert_6384]

Hi Ian,

The wire was standard factory fit, not sure about the tape though, think some has added this.  BTW don't use cable ties there rubbish and can dislodge, use jubilee type or the double wire type which look a bit like jubilee clips but are made from wire instead of a steel band.

A coke can with the ends cut off and split down the middle provides a very good guide for the new gator over the IBJ and on to the housing.

Good luck.

[Colin Lindsay]

9 minutes ago, SixasStandard said:

don't waste your money on one of those awful 'tuning fork' type splitters.........they can cause a lot of damage.

 My new gaiters were supplied with the usual zip ties, but how do other owners secure their gaiters.

I'll agree with that, a good socket-powered version works wonders.

If you look at the photo of my steering racks you'll see the top one has a twin-wire fixing to the right, but clip-style fittings on the other three ends. The lower one has four cable ties, which were my own since those supplied were terrible quality. The wire-twist fittings were the factory standard, but you can use hose clips, any kind of modern metal clamp, or cable ties - just whatever looks neat.

[SixasStandard]

11 minutes ago, alan.gilbert_6384 said:

Hi Ian,

The wire was standard factory fit, not sure about the tape though, think some has added this.  BTW don't use cable ties there rubbish and can dislodge, use jubilee type or the double wire type which look a bit like jubilee clips but are made from wire instead of a steel band.

A coke can with the ends cut off and split down the middle provides a very good guide for the new gator over the IBJ and on to the housing.

Good luck.

Thanks Alan, that's good advice.

Ian.

[SixasStandard]

Hello All,

When contributors to this thread remarked on what a nightmare job the nearside rack gaiter replacement was they really weren't joking!  It was a total 'b***h' to do, and in the end the only way I could manage it was to make a 'special tool', as the plastic bottle I had been trying just didn't seem to work for me personally. Once I'd knocked up a tool it went on at the first attempt, whereas I'd spent a good hour trying with the bottle.......and came damn close to drop kicking the gaiter across the garage in frustration. The tool was made from a flexible plastic container lid (see picture), and the small circumference wraps around the rack, whilst the 'petals' bend over the inner ball joint and slip into the open end of the gaiter. Holding the tool around the rack with your left hand you can then force the gaiter over the 'petals' with your right. It was easy to pull the tool out once the gaiter was over the ball joint. We all find our own ways to do these sorts of jobs........but this was my solution, and worked well for me.

Ian  

[Peter Truman]

Hope I remember your sunrise tool in 20 years when I have to do the gaiters again. Well done now would you take it off and do a video for us on how you did it only jossing!

I have a brand spanking Herald rack which is solid mount. on the shelf & Thankfully The gaiters are good

[SixasStandard]

3 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

Hope I remember your sunrise tool in 20 years when I have to do the gaiters again.

I can't speak for you Peter, but in my own personal case I don't expect to be remembering very much at all in 20 years time. I like the moniker 'sunrise tool' though.........now what were we talking about again?..........

Ian