SLC steering rack -safety warning

[Craig Gillingham]

The SLC steering rack is support bushed at the opposite side to the rack/pinion with just a interference fit to the rack casing (pushed in) and then a clearance fit to the rack.
Both hardened steel which isn’t great engineering practice and without any circlip or design to retain this bush.
Speaking to a UK guy owner, the steering always felt very tight and under usage this bush picked up and the rack drove the bush out of the end of the rack - lucky at low speed or a multitude of things could have occurred apart from his loss of steering.

I would guess that any variation in tolerance in manufacturing could cause either pick up – too tight, or rattle – too loose.
He was amazed at IVA that they didn’t pick this safety issue up of non retained at least.
Kiley engineering Steering Racks Rack and Pinion Steering Kiley Clinton have redesigned this incorporating a phosphor bronze bush with internal grooves with o rings as per basic standard engineering practice and a retaining system just to be sure even with this much improved non pick up design.

All SLC racks should be altered or as per rear shock mounting points “upgraded”

Be careful out there.

Please dont delete or move this thread as its important info not to be swept under the carpet

 

[Ron Earp]

Thread moved to the SLC subforum.

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

I was made aware of this post this morning..

I have contacted the Company that manufacturers the steering racks for my cars , as the OP seems not to be able to do that for himself...or even contact me about it for that matter....

Making a sweeping statement about a product,that a Company has manufactured 20 million rack and pinions over the last 20 years seems inappropriate IMHO.

I spoke with one of their tech/engineering guys this morning and a "higher up" will make an official reply...should they deem it necessary, on Monday.

The next post on the subject will be from Unisteer/Maval themselves.

 

[Maval Manufacturing]

Fran,
Maval's practice of using a Hardened Steel Bushing, pressed into a steel tube dates back more than ten years. This design has been approved and used by major vehicle manufactures that Maval has been fortunate enough to be a long tern supplier to. Not only is this engineering design approved by these customers, it has become required. Maval along with these major customers have done thousands of hours of testing followed by millions of actual road miles. The only time we see a failure is if the vehicle has been in a collision and bent the rack shaft or if the bellows that seal the rack have failed and the unit has become filled with water and mud.

As always, Maval stands behind our product. If there has been a issue with a Maval product we would welcome the opportunity to examine the parts involved, due a complete analysis and provide you with a report of what we feel the cause of the failure was. As always, it is most important that the product be return through the channel of distribution.

We look forward to exploring this issue further with you. If you have any questions or if I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me.


Don Berish
Maval Mfg.