SC Steering Rack DIY Bearing Replace

[evan9eleven]

So, I got the rack out today. Plenty of threads about the challenges doing this, but suffice it to say it was a PITA.

Surprisingly enough, the grease was still present and still lubricating somewhat, however, there was quite a lot of evidence of moisture having gotten in. The ball bearing at the bottom was dirty and quite trashed, with loads of play in every direction. The rack and pinion gears have pitting from corrosion. The puck, surprisingly, only has a smooth groove in it about 0.2mm deep. I'll resurface it and maybe add a washer behind the spring. I'll also resurface and polish the backside of the rack where it contacts the puck.

Not sure what to think of the corrosion.

Clear to see that the rack is the source of my steering clunk and play:



The puck isn't bad:


Crusty bearing and pinion:



Pitting from corrosion. Hoping this will be OK with a good dose of grease?

[chrismorse]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

If you go to (for example) Amazon, you can put in the 6202 bearing number, and you'll see lots of options. Open bearings, sealed bearings, semi-sealed bearing...

6202 is a measurement, then you can add on depending on the manufacturer to specify open or sealed or whatever.

Got it, thanks Mike.
I'll try the local bearing house first.

When my phone is charged, I'll shoot a pic of the teflon faced puck.
Chris

[mb911]

I have also found that not all the racks use 6202 and the pucks don't always have the metal shim so to speak on them.. I bought the 6202 for my rack and it was too large for my rack..

[chrismorse]

Happy to report that Chris_seven supplied nylon faced puck fits nicely into my 74 rack. If my dial caliper is correct, it measures 1.138 inches.
I was mistaken, when earlier, I reported that it was epoxied, it is not, the puck has a ring machined into the top surface and the nylon/Teflon/unobtanium wear surface has a corresponding cup machined into its lower side, so it will not slide off, (my apologies to the engineers viewing for my ham fisted explanation).
It fits well and I am looking forward to getting the new sealed bearings installed and the quick ratio rack and pinion gear installed with Chris_seven's righteously priced puck.
Thanks for taking the time to engineer and produce such a fine product and not charging through the WAZOO for it.

Our lives, (and machines) are made better by the good guys that take the time to make a part that is NLA and going a few steps further to make it better, then selling it at a very fair price. IMHO, they deserve our support. I have seen many enthusiast generated parts for Ferraris and Porsches - again, they deserve our support.

chris

wish I could get my new iphone's OS to let me post a photo. such is the price of "progress".
cm

[evan9eleven]

Thanks for the info guys.

Can anyone comment on the corrosion I'm seeing on my pinion gear?

[KTL]

That pinion looks pretty nasty. I myself being sort of anal about things being clean and right, would have a hard time putting that back into service.

I'd consider getting a good used rack from here on the classifieds or elsewhere from a trusted source. They're not terribly expensive used. A lot more expensive than they used to be, but still can stomach the prices.

I recall seeing this listing on the classifieds awhile back and Jeff Burger is a good guy. His prices are very very reasonable, considering what prices you see for used racks on places like ebay ($300 minimum)

911 steering racks

[evan9eleven]

Originally Posted by KTL

That pinion looks pretty nasty. I myself being sort of anal about things being clean and right, would have a hard time putting that back into service.

I'd consider getting a good used rack from here on the classifieds or elsewhere from a trusted source. They're not terribly expensive used. A lot more expensive than they used to be, but still can stomach the prices.

I recall seeing this listing on the classifieds awhile back and Jeff Burger is a good guy. His prices are very very reasonable, considering what prices you see for used racks on places like ebay ($300 minimum)

911 steering racks

Thanks Kevin.

I tend to think the same way, but at the same time I have to consider that my rack and pinion are stout pieces of steel that have hung in there for 37 years and 160K miles. Overdue for a rebuild for sure, but in need of replacement? Maybe.

If I'm going to replace them I'd rather fork out for the Quaife short ratio parts, as I don't see the point in buying an unkown used rack that may or may not look any better inside then the one I already have.

[chrismorse]

So, here is a photo of Chris_Seven's puck. Cost was $35 and it fits nicely in the bore of the rack, (74 coupe).

[KTL]

Understand completely what you're saying. I've seen a number of racks apart over the years and yours is the first i've seen with a pinion in that sort of condition. Now i'm not saying i've rebuilt hundreds of these racks. I've taken apart four myself and seen numerous pictures of other's racks. So take my comments for whatever their worth.

Completely agree if you're interested in the Quaife quick ratio rack, there's no reason to source a used rack assembly of unknown condition since you're planning to replace the actual rack and pinion anyway. Whoops, correction on the pricing I previously posted. Direct from Quaife is what I had in my spreadsheet notes!

Thanks for posting the picture of the chris_seven/Fenn Lane Motorsports rack puck. I've got three racks on hand that can certainly use that replacement puck!

[JohnJL]

I have a bunch of those bearings in their package, i will snap a pic tonight and if they are what you need I will send them free of charge

[Harpo]

Nice puck. I just ordered mine from reddogmotorsports.

David

[chrismorse]

Thanks mike for the reference. After some research, I am looking for some help on bearing selection. We are not talking about any serious money, 5-10 bucks, but for the diehard/(perhaps a teentsy bit anal afficianado), which bearing is the best choice??

My concern is, primarily the lower bearing, which will receive the most water/trash/debris from the use and rebuild, as well as the benefit of having a Sealed bearing at the top/entry to the rack to delay water entry into the rack.

This is a small concern that I have massively inadequate info to make an intelligent decision, assuming that I can muster the moral courage to do the right thing.

Any advice bestowed by the cognoscenti will be massively rewarded in my next reincarnation, should I be so fortunate.

Humbly,
Chris

[KTL]

Yeah these bearings are super cheap and I don't know if there's much to be gained with a fancy bearing here? It's not a heavily loaded bearing and operates at low speed.

A 6202-2Z looks to be a double shielded bearing. I think the shielding is a good thing here because it keeps the bearing completely separate from the grease used to lubricate the rack itself. So the bearing is less likely to be compromised by the rack grease if it is sealed and has its own grease.

The original bearing is a plain, open 6202 and it relied on the grease you packed it with, which was the same stuff in the rack. That being said, the grease itself is the problem and not the bearing. The bearing seems to survive just fine over the years, despite it losing some lubrication.

VXB bearings is a good resource to check a bearing number and see what other various types are offered

VXB Bearing Search Results | Search for Bearings Today


I don't know that the rack is really subject to much water intrusion, so long as the rubber bellows/boots haven't been compromised. I'm guessing that Evan's rack may have been contaminated by driving the car for a long period of time with torn bellows. Because the bellows seal against the tie rod ends and the ends of the rack quite well. The plastic cover on the top of the rack also does a decent job of keeping water away. As an aside here, it's probably a wise idea to put some kind of packing material around the bottom of this plastic cover, to keep dirt and water splash out of the smugglers box? It's always bugged me that the smugglers box is so open to the outside and only the steel belly pan does a marginal job of keeping the dirt and water spray away.

[evan9eleven]

Originally Posted by chrismorse

Thanks mike for the reference. After some research, I am looking for some help on bearing selection. We are not talking about any serious money, 5-10 bucks, but for the diehard/(perhaps a teentsy bit anal afficianado), which bearing is the best choice??

My concern is, primarily the lower bearing, which will receive the most water/trash/debris from the use and rebuild, as well as the benefit of having a Sealed bearing at the top/entry to the rack to delay water entry into the rack.

This is a small concern that I have massively inadequate info to make an intelligent decision, assuming that I can muster the moral courage to do the right thing.

Any advice bestowed by the cognoscenti will be massively rewarded in my next reincarnation, should I be so fortunate.

Humbly,
Chris

Having just received my bearings, I'll try to help.

I could only find one version of the 1712 bearing from my supplier, a HK-1712 from INA/FAG. Happily, on this one the needles are captive in the cage, and I think with a good dose of grease it will be just fine. I doubt there is space for a sealed bearing in that location, but I really don't know. This was my only option and it should be at least as good as the original.

On the 6202 bearing, the supplier had a boatload of choices. I went for the 6202-RSR version (you have to love that, RSR!) which has a rubber seal on only one side of the bearing. The other side is open. There are also 2RSR versions sealed both sides but I want to pack this with grease, while at the same time sealing out the crud from the bottom side. The other types of these bearings will provide different characteristics, seals, materials, etc. I just made a choice based on what I thought would work well.

[chrismorse]

Thanks Guys,

I ordered two sealed SKF bearings on Ebay from Ford3240 for $12.42 with no shipping charge.
I opted for the SKF, relying on their reputation and bought sealed rather than "shielded" bearing on the presumption that "sealed" would do a better job keeping vile KRUD from defiling the bearing.

This is likely anal overkill, but I am trying to do right by dad's car.

Thanks again for the advice,
chris

[Harpo]

Has anyone attempted to remove the bushings on each end of the rack? I want to clean up the housing prior to powder coating.

Thanks

David

[chrismorse]

Originally Posted by Harpo

Has anyone attempted to remove the bushings on each end of the rack? I want to clean up the housing prior to powder coating.

Thanks

David

Hi David,
When I was conversing with chris_seven about rack parts, he mentioned that he did not make any bushings for mid/late cars and had yet to see one wear out. If yours is not cracked/scored/or loose, you might just mask off the openings in the rack and go for the powder coat.
Hopefully more experienced rack guys will chime in, (this rack is my first).
Chris

[Harpo]

I made some custom washers so I can plug all the holes prior to sandblasting

[KTL]

I would not remove the rack bushings if your bushings are retained with the star/sunburst rings. Those rings are usually disturbed/bent when you remove them and are hard to find replacements in the correct metric size

If your bushings are held in place with the internal eared rings that use pin-style pliers? By all means remove them if you want to. But you'll have a difficult time sourcing replacement bushings. Probably better off leaving them in place.

[Harpo]

Mine rack is an 88 so I have the snap rings. Yea I left those bushings in place.

David