3 replies to this topic

[Hpal]

Hi, I've removed my rack and column and can't find anything written online about how to set it all back up again in relation to the splines, indicator cancelling lug, and the groove in the column for the steering lock. Any help appreciated. It's a 1972 mk3 mini 1000 but now has an Aussie rack in it which doesn't have the plastic plug to put a pin in and centre the rack. 

[Johnnypompom]

Hi, I've removed my rack and column and can't find anything written online about how to set it all back up again in relation to the splines, indicator cancelling lug, and the groove in the column for the steering lock. Any help appreciated. It's a 1972 mk3 mini 1000 but now has an Aussie rack in it which doesn't have the plastic plug to put a pin in and centre the rack. 

Hi! I've gone through that myself on mine (72 mk3 as well!). Regarding the splines and the rack I'll paste what I was told when I changed mine:

 

 

Aligning the Rack to the Column is quite easy. If you lift the front carpets, on the Toe Board (of the floor), you'll see 2 sets of nuts toward each side of it, here's one set not far from where the column clamps to the rack and in the same location on the passenger's side. First, fit the new Column to the car. Next loosen these nuts off, don't remove them all together, but loosen them a far way. Check the Pinch Bolt on the Column is tight (as it's not aligned, it wouldn't have tightened properly in the first place). Then the way I tighten the Rack U bolts up is to work on the 2 nuts near the base of the column first, tightening each one 1/2 a turn at a time, then doing the other nut 1/2 a turn, then back to the first, then keep working in that pattern until it's tight. The reason I swap from one nut to the other is being U bolts, if one side is done up first, then the other, it tends to roll the Rack when tightening the 2nd nut, taking it out of alignment.

 

 

 

Regarding the steering lock and indicator cancelling lug, I believe the latter is should basically be at 9 o'clock when the wheels are straight, so that you get the same rotation both ways before the indicators get cancelled.

[Spider]

Hehehehe,,,,, that looks like something I may have written on tightening the U bolts.

OK, to centralise the Rack without the Removable Plug (which to be honest, I never bother with anyway), Slip the column on the rack, don't worry about fitting the bolt or getting carried away at this point in time, be sure the front wheels are in the air though. Wind the Steering wheel all the way over to one lock, note the orientation of the steering wheel or put a piece of tape on say the top for a reference point, wind it over to the other lock, counting the number of turns (should be 2-1/3), note where your reference mark (or tape) is then wind back again 1-1/6 turns. The Rack is now centralised.

Remove the Column again being careful not to disturb the Rack. Check the Pinion fitted, some have a single scallop taken out of them for the Pinch Bolt, if the guy who put the Rack together was on the ball, this scallop should be dead across the bottom, if not, then you'll need to fit the Column so it aligns with this scallop so you can get the Pin Bolt through, then if it's a Single Stalk Column you have (which every Aussie Mini has), you'll need to re-drill and tap the Column and move the Cancelling Peg to there.

If the Rack is of the type that the scallop is continuous right around the splining, then fit the Column such that the Pinch Bolt goes in dead across the bottom, as per No. 1 in this diagram

 

The Indicator Switch Cancelling Peg should then be in the right orientation.

 

 

[Johnnypompom]

Hehehehe,,,,, that looks like something I may have written on tightening the U bolts.

 

 

Indeed it was you :) I'll save that nice pic for later, I think my wheels weren't perfectly centered when I fitted mine and the steering wheel isn't perfectly horizontal when going straight and It's driving me crazy.