Refitting
5 Screw the new balljoint onto the tie-rod by
the same number of turns as counted during
removal.
6 Clean the taper surfaces then fit the
balljoint shank to the steering arm. Refit and
tighten the shank locknut to the specified
torque.
7 Tighten the locknut securing the balljoint to
the steering tie-rod
8 Refit the roadwheel and lower the car to the
ground.
9 On completion, have the front wheel toe
setting checked (see Section 30).
26 Steering rack rubber gaiter -
removal and refitting
3
Removal
Note: Should the rubber gaiters at each end
of the steering rack become damaged, split or
show any other signs of deterioration, they
must be renewed immediately, otherwise the
lubricant will be lost from the rack unit, and
water and road grit will enter the assembly,
causing rapid internal wear.
1 Remove the steering tie-rod outer balljoint
as described in Section 25.
2 Mark the position of the locknut on the tie-
rod so that it can be refitted in the same
place, then unscrew it from the tie-rod.
3 Place a suitable container beneath the
rubber gaiter to catch any oil that may spill
from the rack (early models only).
4 Undo and remove the two retaining clips or
cut off the wire clips, then slide the gaiter off
the rack housing and tie-rod.
Refitting
5 Refitting is the reverse sequence to
removal. With the gaiter in position refill the
rack with the appropriate lubricant, as
described in Section 29, before refitting the
retaining clips or wire.
27 Rack-and-pinion steering
gear - removal and refitting
4
Note: The rack-and-pinion steering gear is
secured to the front floor of the car by U-bolts
and locknuts. To enable the steering gear to be
removed, it will be necessary to lower the rear
of the front subframe by approximately 76 mm
to provide the necessary working clearances.
Removal
1 Remove the air cleaner assembly as
described in the relevant Part of Chapter 4.
2 Undo and remove the nuts and bolts
securing the exhaust pipe-to-manifold clamp.
Lift off the clamp. On Cooper S models,
remove the complete exhaust system as
described in Chapter 4C.
3 Undo and remove the bolt securing the
engine tie-rod to the side of the cylinder
block.
4 Detach the clutch operating lever return
spring, then undo and remove the two bolts
securing the clutch slave cylinder to the
flywheel housing. Tie the slave cylinder out of
the way from a convenient place on the
bulkhead.
5 Undo and remove the two bolts (or nuts)
each side securing the subframe towers to the
bulkhead crossmember. On later models
undo and remove the large hexagon-headed
plug used in place of the bolts or nuts.
6 Working inside the car, undo and remove
the securing screws and lift off the two halves
of the steering column shroud.
7 Undo and remove the nut and bolt securing
the inner column clamp to the steering gear
pinion shaft.
8 Slacken the upper column clamp bolt at the
parcel shelf bracket. To do this cut a slot in
the shear bolt head and unscrew it with a
screwdriver.
9 Lift the complete steering column upwards
until the inner column clamp is disengaged
from the pinion shaft.
10 Lift up the carpets and then undo and
remove the four steering rack U-bolt locknuts.
11 Chock the rear wheels then jack up the
front of the car and support it on axle stands
(see “Jacking and vehicle support”). Remove
the front roadwheels.
12 From underneath the car, undo and
remove the nut and bolt securing the exhaust
pipe support to the bracket on the side of the
transmission.
13 On manual transmission models fitted
with a remote control gearchange, undo and
remove the bolts securing the rear of the
remote control housing to the floor. On
automatic transmission models it should be
possible to lower the subframe sufficiently for
removal of the steering gear without
disconnecting the gear selector cable.
However, if during subsequent operations the
cable appears to be under tension,
disconnect it from the transmission as
described in Chapter 7B.
14 On models with rubber cone suspension,
disconnect the front shock absorbers from
the upper suspension arms.
15 Undo and remove the locknuts securing
the steering tie-rod outer balljoint shanks to the
steering arms on the swivel hubs. Release the
tapers using a universal balljoint separator or
the alternative method described in Section 3,
paragraph 5.
16 Support the subframe securely on jacks
and then undo and remove the nuts and bolts
securing the subframe to the rear mountings
or to the floor.
17 Slacken the bolt securing the front of the
subframe or subframe mountings to the body.
18 Carefully lower the jacks, allowing the
subframe to drop by approximately 76 mm at
the rear.
19 Lift off the rack-and-pinion retaining U-
bolts and clamp pads and then manoeuvre
the rack assembly out from between the
subframe and body on the driver’s side.
Refitting
20 Refitting is the reverse sequence to
removal bearing in mind the following points:
a) Do not tighten the U-bolt locknuts until
the upper column is fitted and secure.
b) When refitting the upper column to the
pinion shaft and mountings, refer to the
procedure described in Section 23.
28 Rack-and-pinion steering
gear - dismantling, inspection
and reassembly
4
Note: It is not possible to make any
adjustments to the rack-and-pinion steering
gear unless it is removed from the car. With it
removed, it is as well to dismantle and
examine the whole unit before making any
adjustments. This will save having to remove
the unit again later because of initial non-
detection of wear. If wear is very bad it is
advisable to fit an exchange reconditioned
unit. It must be pointed out that dismantling
and reassembly of the steering gear is rather
involved and may be beyond the scope of the
average DIY enthusiast. Read through the
complete Section first to familiarise yourself
with the procedure and ensure that the
necessary tools and equipment are available
before proceeding.
Dismantling
1 Mark the position of the locknuts on the tie-
rods so that the toe-out is approximately
correct on reassembly.
2 Slacken the locknuts and, gripping the tie-
rods firmly with a self-gripping wrench,
unscrew the tie-rod outer balljoints. Now
unscrew the locknuts also.
3 If the steering gear is fitted with black
rubber gaiters, it will be filled with oil. If it is
fitted with transparent rubber gaiters it will be
filled with grease. If working on the oil-filled
type ensure that a container is available
before proceeding further.
4 Unscrew the clips or cut the wires that
secure the rubber gaiters to the rack housing
and tie-rods. Carefully remove the gaiters,
and on oil-filled types, drain the oil from the
housing.
5 On inspection it will be seen that the ball
housing at the inner end of each tie-rod is
secured to the rack by a locking collar. The
Suspension and steering 10•17
10
If difficulty is experienced in
tightening the balljoint shank
locknut due to the tapered
shank turning in the steering
arm, apply pressure with a jack or long
lever to the underside of the balljoint to
lock the taper in its conical seat.
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