[DeTomaso] Steering Rack Boots- Poor Quality?

Mike Drew MikeLDrew at aol.com
Wed Jul 17 18:10:56 EDT 2019


All,

The Google part number search just turns up previous posts I made on this forum on this topic. I did start looking at Fiat etc parts and found them here. 

 
https://mrfiat.com/italian/fiat/other-fiats/steering/fiat-126-p-128-x1-9-left-steering-rack-boot.html

But there is no indication of brand. 

Here is a TRW boot for a Fiat X1/9. I think this is the correct one.

Mike

Sent from my iPad

> On Jul 17, 2019, at 14:43, Mike Drew via DeTomaso <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com> wrote:
> 
> Corey,
> 
> Those are Wilkinson boots, which are marked with the word DeTomaso at the end. 
> 
> Original boots never had such markings as they were not a De Tomaso part. I don’t know where Steve is having them made but I would guess China, rather than Italy. The originals were British.
> 
> Attached is a pair of pics of a high-dollar OEM-style heavy rubber boot by TRW, and the Wilkinson/De Tomaso boot. The TRW boot measures 4 5/8 inches long, 1 5/8 ID on the big end and 3/8 ID on the small end. 
> 
> <image1.jpeg>
> 
> 
> <image2.jpeg>
> 
> 
> The dimensions of the TRW boot are correct. The Wilkinson boot comes fully compressed in a small box, and takes a set. It stretches very easily to match the dimensions of the TRW boot when installed.
> 
> The part number on the TRW boot is 36020015.  Bobby Byars told me it was from a Jaguar application, although I think this boot is used on many dozens of different cars that use a variation of the Cam Gears rack, such as most period Ferraris and other Italian marques, European Fords with rack and pinion steering, and probably most British cars of the era as well. Bobby used to charge me $30 apiece (!) for the TRW boots while the Wilkinson boots are $10.46.  I do t have a source for the TRW boots now but I a, going to search on Google.
> 
> The TRW boots are much more substantial, and harder, while the Wilkinson boots are thinner, flimsier, and more supple. I would have guessed that they would outlast the heavier ones, but apparently not?
> 
> Mike
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>> On Jul 17, 2019, at 12:27, Corey Price <coreyjprice at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Mike,
>> 
>> The boots ripped behind the tie rod end clamp and are cracking at the inside of each bellow. You probably looked at this rack a while ago so I don't know who the boot supplier was. The funny part is that the car has seen zero miles and the rack has probably been used but very little, just to steer the car when moving it around. The same thing happened to the previous set, which were installed when the previous owner rebuilt the rack. The quick look you did cost me about $20 for the boots, if that gives you any hint where they came from. 
>> 
>> Corey
>> 
>>> On Jul 17, 2019, at 12:22 PM, Mike Drew <MikeLDrew at aol.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Corey,
>>> 
>>> I'm interested to know how the boots 'failed'? Did they split somewhere?
>>> 
>>> Fwiw I used to use TRW boots which were quite expensive but lately I have been using Wilkinson's boots, which seemed decent? So I'm interested to know since I have about five racks in the queue to be rebuilt....
>>> 
>>> Mike
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>>> On Jul 17, 2019, at 10:33, Corey Price <coreyjprice at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> All,
>>>> I'm now on my second pair of steering rack boots. The first pair failed
>>>> (not having seen any use) and leaked oil all over a few years ago. I
>>>> sent the steering rack to be looked at by Mike Drew, and the
>>>> replacement boots he installed have now failed. It isn't Mike's fault;
>>>> I appreciate his help in looking at the steering rack for me. Where do
>>>> I go to get boots that won't fail in a few years, not even being used?
>>>> Corey
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Detomaso Email List is not managed by POCA
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>>> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> Detomaso Email List is not managed by POCA
> Posted emails must not exceed 1.5 Megabytes
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> To manage your subscription (change email address, unsubscribe, etc.) use the links above.
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-------------- next part --------------
   All,

   The Google part number search just turns up previous posts I made on
   this forum on this topic. I did start looking at Fiat etc parts and
   found them here.


   [1]https://mrfiat.com/italian/fiat/other-fiats/steering/fiat-126-p-128-
   x1-9-left-steering-rack-boot.html

   But there is no indication of brand.

   Here is a TRW boot for a Fiat X1/9. I think this is the correct one.

   Mike

   Sent from my iPad
   On Jul 17, 2019, at 14:43, Mike Drew via DeTomaso
   <[2]detomaso at server.detomasolist.com> wrote:

   Corey,
   Those are Wilkinson boots, which are marked with the word DeTomaso at
   the end.
   Original boots never had such markings as they were not a De Tomaso
   part. I don't know where Steve is having them made but I would guess
   China, rather than Italy. The originals were British.
   Attached is a pair of pics of a high-dollar OEM-style heavy rubber boot
   by TRW, and the Wilkinson/De Tomaso boot. The TRW boot measures 4 5/8
   inches long, 1 5/8 ID on the big end and 3/8 ID on the small end.

   <image1.jpeg>

   <image2.jpeg>

   The dimensions of the TRW boot are correct. The Wilkinson boot comes
   fully compressed in a small box, and takes a set. It stretches very
   easily to match the dimensions of the TRW boot when installed.
   The part number on the TRW boot is 36020015.  Bobby Byars told me it
   was from a Jaguar application, although I think this boot is used on
   many dozens of different cars that use a variation of the Cam Gears
   rack, such as most period Ferraris and other Italian marques, European
   Fords with rack and pinion steering, and probably most British cars of
   the era as well. Bobby used to charge me $30 apiece (!) for the TRW
   boots while the Wilkinson boots are $10.46.  I do t have a source for
   the TRW boots now but I a, going to search on Google.
   The TRW boots are much more substantial, and harder, while the
   Wilkinson boots are thinner, flimsier, and more supple. I would have
   guessed that they would outlast the heavier ones, but apparently not?
   Mike
   Sent from my iPad

     On Jul 17, 2019, at 12:27, Corey Price <[3]coreyjprice at gmail.com>
     wrote:

     Mike,

     The boots ripped behind the tie rod end clamp and are cracking at
     the inside of each bellow. You probably looked at this rack a while
     ago so I don't know who the boot supplier was. The funny part is
     that the car has seen zero miles and the rack has probably been used
     but very little, just to steer the car when moving it around. The
     same thing happened to the previous set, which were installed when
     the previous owner rebuilt the rack. The quick look you did cost me
     about $20 for the boots, if that gives you any hint where they came
     from.

     Corey

     On Jul 17, 2019, at 12:22 PM, Mike Drew <[4]MikeLDrew at aol.com>
     wrote:

     Corey,

     I'm interested to know how the boots 'failed'? Did they split
     somewhere?

     Fwiw I used to use TRW boots which were quite expensive but lately I
     have been using Wilkinson's boots, which seemed decent? So I'm
     interested to know since I have about five racks in the queue to be
     rebuilt....

     Mike

     Sent from my iPhone

     On Jul 17, 2019, at 10:33, Corey Price <[5]coreyjprice at gmail.com>
     wrote:

     All,

     I'm now on my second pair of steering rack boots. The first pair
     failed

     (not having seen any use) and leaked oil all over a few years ago. I

     sent the steering rack to be looked at by Mike Drew, and the

     replacement boots he installed have now failed. It isn't Mike's
     fault;

     I appreciate his help in looking at the steering rack for me. Where
     do

     I go to get boots that won't fail in a few years, not even being
     used?

     Corey

     _______________________________________________

     Detomaso Email List is not managed by POCA

     Posted emails must not exceed 1.5 Megabytes

     DeTomaso mailing list

     [6]DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com

     [7]http://server.detomasolist.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso

     To manage your subscription (change email address, unsubscribe,
     etc.) use the links above.

     Members who post to this list grant license to the list to forward
     any message posted here to all past, current, or future members of
     the list. They also grant the list owner permission to maintain an
     archive or approve the archiving of list messages.

   _______________________________________________
   Detomaso Email List is not managed by POCA
   Posted emails must not exceed 1.5 Megabytes
   DeTomaso mailing list
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   [9]http://server.detomasolist.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso
   To manage your subscription (change email address, unsubscribe, etc.)
   use the links above.
   Members who post to this list grant license to the list to forward any
   message posted here to all past, current, or future members of the
   list. They also grant the list owner permission to maintain an archive
   or approve the archiving of list messages.

References

   1. https://mrfiat.com/italian/fiat/other-fiats/steering/fiat-126-p-128-x1-9-left-steering-rack-boot.html
   2. mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com
   3. mailto:coreyjprice at gmail.com
   4. mailto:MikeLDrew at aol.com
   5. mailto:coreyjprice at gmail.com
   6. mailto:DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com
   7. http://server.detomasolist.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso
   8. mailto:DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com
   9. http://server.detomasolist.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso


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