13 replies to this topic

[cheesebadger]

Hi, I have replaced my passenger side track rod end today. It all went together ok, but when near full lock it makes a horrible noise.

I refitted the old track rod end and the noise went away. So I think it is an issue with the new track rod end. If I get a friend to turn the steering wheel whilst I watch the joint from under the car it appears to 'load' to steering rack housing, and it moves towards the passenger footwell.

I think the issue could be the movement of the new joint (it is much tighter than the old unit) I guess that this is because it is new.

Has anybody else seen/heard a similar problem. Hopefully someone will reply and say that this is expected for a new joint, and it will go away after a few miles. Any help appreciated!

Just to check, I can't lube the new joint, it is a sealed unit?

Thanks,
Rich

[bmcecosse]

Check it is exactly the same length as the old TRE. It should not be 'tight' - is it a reputable make?

[cheesebadger]

Wow, speedy reply!

It appears to be the same size (by eye) is there a particular dimension that I could measure to confirm this?

I got it from Somerford Mini on friday.

Thanks

[bmcecosse]

No - just side by side comparison. Ask them if they have had any problems with 'tight' ones....

[cheesebadger]

No - just side by side comparison. Ask them if they have had any problems with 'tight' ones....

I will call them and ask tomorrow morning.
Well I was going to do both sides, so I brought two TRE's. I have tried fitting them both to the passenger side and they both make a noise

Just to add, I can happily move the old TRE with my hands, but the new ones require a ring spanner to move the joint. Does this sound ok?

Thanks again, and as always, any help appreciated.

[bmcecosse]

Yes - that does sound ok - but I don't understand the 'noise'...... I believe Metro parts have a different taper - is there any chance you have Metro steering arms....or these are Metro TREs??

[cheesebadger]

Yes - that does sound ok - but I don't understand the 'noise'...... I believe Metro parts have a different taper - is there any chance you have Metro steering arms....or these are Metro TREs??

Interesting idea.

I got these from somerford and asked for standard TRE's, so I assume they are the correct fitment for a mini. I am not sure how to tell if the steering arms are metro or not. It is a '65 mini on twin leading drums, and the TRE's required a lot of heat to remove, I don't think they have been off for a very long time, so I guess they are mini arms unless their is a way to tell?

The noise is only when I get to full lock one the one side (with the steering rack arm as far into the housing as possible when the noise happens. This is why I thought it was due to the movement of the new TRE, because it looked near it limit of movement when near full lock. During all this the car is on axle stands at the front, and the rack makes no noise without the TRE attached.

Thanks again.

[cheesebadger]

Anybody else experienced this?

[Dan]

Is it the rack making the noise? Is it the sound of it flexing or being dragged through its mounts? Are the plastic shims still in place on the U bolts? What do you mean the TRE is near the end of its movement? They turn through 360 degrees quite happily. Is it showing this behaviour when in the air or on the wheels? Is it the outside or the inside of the turn that makes the noise when you turn the wheel? Have you got the TREs the right way up?

[bmcecosse]

Well - doesn't sound like any chance of wrong steering arms - but HEAT to remove the old ones ??????? How come ?? Are the TREs screwed on the TRs the SAME distance on each side? Measure the length of exposed thread left on each TR - they must be same......

[cheesebadger]

Is it the rack making the noise? Is it the sound of it flexing or being dragged through its mounts? Are the plastic shims still in place on the U bolts? What do you mean the TRE is near the end of its movement? They turn through 360 degrees quite happily. Is it showing this behaviour when in the air or on the wheels? Is it the outside or the inside of the turn that makes the noise when you turn the wheel? Have you got the TREs the right way up?

Yes it sounds like the rack making the noise. It appears to be flexing the floor near the mounts. Not sure about plastic shims, I have never removed the rack completely or looked in that area, sorry. By the end of the movement of the TRE I mean that the part that is threaded with a taper on doesn't move as much as the old unit (i.e. from normal to the steering rack arm I could move the old one 60ish degrees, the new one barely moves 45) I think this limit in movement is transferring all the load to the rack housing, hence the bending of the floor.

It is up in the air, this crossed my mind earlier. When the car is in the air the joints will be loaded differently, so I could try and refit them and drop it off the axle stands and see what happens. The TRE are definately the correct way up.

Well - doesn't sound like any chance of wrong steering arms - but HEAT to remove the old ones ??????? How come ?? Are the TREs screwed on the TRs the SAME distance on each side? Measure the length of exposed thread left on each TR - they must be same......

I needed heat because the old ones were heavily corroded on. I tried soaking in diesel for 7 days in a row with no luck, hence reverting to the heat option. I have only attempted one side currently, and have fitted the new TRE the same number of turns as the old one (not sure if this is the same as the other side, but definately the same as it was before I removed it.)

As stated above, I am now questioning whether this situation will change much if I take the car off the axle stands? Although part of me still thinks it should work whilst on axle stands.

As always, thanks for the help, and taking the time to read my posts.
Thanks again,
Rich

[bmcecosse]

Well - in service, they will have to be able to work at full droop........ Are the rebound stops present and correct under the top arms?

[cheesebadger]

Well - in service, they will have to be able to work at full droop........ Are the rebound stops present and correct under the top arms?

Yep, all present and fine. Yes you are correct, they will have to work at full droop, my mistake. I feel like we are running out of ideas as to what could be wrong.......

[cheesebadger]

Update....

I have just been back to Somerford on my lunch break, and taken my old TRE and the new one they supplied.

They have said that the old one has way too much movement/is very very worn and needs to be replaced (hence why I am trying to fit new ones!)
The guy who served me (a technician from the workshop) said he had never seen this issue before and that something must be wrong elsewhere in the rack.

He also said to fit the new one and see if the problem still existed when the car was back on all 4 wheels (I sort of agree, but still think that it should be fine when up in the air?) He did say that the item I have been sold is a non-genuine, but there isn't any difference between gen and non-gen in his opinion.

So this evening, I will try and refit the new TRE and drop the car back onto 4 wheels and re-post my findings. Other than that, my next step is to try a genuine one and see if it makes a difference.....

Any other ideas welcome!
Cheers,
Rich