[DeTomaso] steering rack question

MikeLDrew at aol.com MikeLDrew at aol.com
Tue Jun 15 09:51:07 EDT 2010


In a message dated 6/14/10 5 17 55, justingreisberg at hotmail.com writes:


> anyway, big question is what to do?  I think I might just take off one of 
> the rubber bellows while in the car, and turn wheel all the way to one 
> side to expose part of the rack,  then lube up rack with thin engine assembly 
> lube, then rotate wheel back and forth a bunch to get lube on the pinion 
> gear and rest of rack.  And just dump the rest of the fluid out before it 
> gets all over my nicely restored frame.  any thoughts?  I would love not to 
> have to remove rack again, even though I have become an expert at doing 
> everything twice on the car.  (those who follow my exploits might recall the 4 
> times I had to take the cylinder head off the block in the car)
> 

>>>You really can't properly lube the rack with grease without removing it 
from the car and fully dismantling it.   Fortunately it's not too difficult, 
especially in light of the fact that you've done the job recently.

If you install new boots (Wilkinson is now selling new factory-style boots 
quite cheaply) with proper-sized hose clamps, you might be able to get it to 
seal.   You'll also have to work to keep fluid from seeping past all the 
various other places where it likes to leak out (pinion seal, pinion cover, 
etc. etc.)

Back in the 1970s, racks were lubricated with differential oil, but times 
have changed.   The current manufacturer of the rack does not use oil; they 
use a very light grease.   Years ago, Rick Moseley contacted the TRW tech 
department (TRW bought Cam Gears UK, the company that made our original racks) 
and they advised against using oil, and instead advised using grease.

But not any old grease will do.   Jack published an article on grease in 
the most recent POCA newsletter, and the section dealing with steering rack 
lubrication did contain one accurate and important statement--you can do more 
harm than good by just sticking axle bearing grease in there.   The 
manufacturer wants 0-weight grease, which is extremely difficult to come by except 
in 55-gallon drums.   

They recommended CRC engine assembly lube, which is 0-1/2 weight.   It's 
available in 2.75 oz (too small, not enough methinks) and 10 oz tubes; the 
larger tubes are under ten bucks.   It's a lithium 12 hydroxy stearate-based 
grease which adheres to metal surfaces.   Here's a photo from the CRC website:

http://www.crcindustries.com/catalog/images/Lubricant%20and%20Penetrant/SL33
31.jpg

Just pulling an accordian boot off one end and squirting some of this stuff 
in there is wishful thinking in the extreme.   You have to fully dismantle 
the rack, and ensure a thorough coating of the rack and pinion gears, both 
upper and lower bearings, the surface where the rack passes through the 
bushing, and also the union of both tie rods and the rack itself.   Don't be shy 
about pouring it on; you can under-lubricate the system but it would be 
virtually impossible to over-lubricate it.

The problem with using oil instead of grease is that the tie rods normally 
hang down when the car is at rest; all the oil drains from the rack and just 
pools in the boots, leaving the rack largely unprotected, particularly the 
upper bearing.   The grease does an excellent job of staying put and doing 
the job it's supposed to do, which is almost assuredly why the manufacturer 
switched away from oil many years ago.

Mike



More information about the DeTomaso mailing list