Scottish Elises

My steering isn't central. it turns 1.5* turns one way and 1.8* the other the toe is running out on the car (soon to be fixed) but I have a feeling thats not whats running out. it's the steering wheel to the rack can I compensate this out by removing the steering wheel and turning it a bit ? or do I have to pop the rack off again (really don't want to) ?

*example figures

You can pop off the wheel. I did it too...

Just remember to keep the nut on a couple of threads, as the wheel has a fcuk off big spring behind it that fires the wheel into your face when you finally free it....

Tis quite a course correction though, and one notch could well move it the other way.

tut

If it's anything like Minis, it sounds like the column is not central on the rack.

Not looked into the steering on the Elise much (yet!), but just moving the steering wheel would mean it looks like it's going stright, but you end up with one track rod end screwed on by only a couple of threads to try and compensate!

At least the steering rack isn't as big a job as a Mini ( Carbs & exhaust off and lower fornt subframe!!), although on the Mini it's two bolts to take the column off to centre it all up.

Leave it with more turns to the left than the right - on a clockwise track you'll need more opposite lock that way anyway

Seriously you do want to have the rack be more-or-less central when heading straight ahead and this means that you should have a similar number of threads engaged on the track rod ends.

You don't have to remove the rack - just remove the track rod ends so that you're not actually steering anything, then turn the wheel central; rotate left and right and count the revolutions. If it's out you'll need to shift the position of the column relative to the rack - this can be done either where the column meets the rack in the footwell (I think - never actually done it) or where the wheel meets the column (as Shug described). Either way you want it so that you have as near as damn it the same turns to full lock each way.

Then, with the wheel held in the middle position (i.e. what should be straight ahead), reattach the track rod ends so the wheels look more-or-less straight ahead and parallel and check that there are a good few threads engaged on each side. If you're a fan of the string and ruler approach you could preset the toe to some parallel fishing lines to get it close before getting it done with something more accurate later.

Basically, the wheel spline is the coarse adjustment and the toe links are the fine adjustment - if the wheel is a long way out, you cannot fix it with the toe links 'cos you run out threads (and you introduce imbalance left to right).

Cheers,
Robin

was going to do it tonight in line with the lotus service manual the rack has more rotation one way than the other and I was going to move the steering wheel round a notch or 2 but i couldn't get the steering wheel off I need to get my hands on a sutible puller as my arms aint budging it.

The car is going into the garage tommorow to get the wheels pointing forward I have equalised the track rod ends on the steering rack so I will get the garage to pop the steering wheel off (he should have a puller when I spoke to him today he had pulled one off in a zafira(boom ba boom tshhhh*)) and I will get him to center the steering wheel first then do the fine adjustment on the rack ends. this will get things ready for a full geo in the near future.


*drum roll

robin wrote: If it's out you'll need to shift the position of the column relative to the rack - this can be done either where the column meets the rack in the footwell (I think - never actually done it)

Sadly, mine wouldn't come away without unbolting the rack - not enough movement in the steering column to pull it clear. Wheel is the easiest way without unbolting half the steering system...

Shug wrote:

robin wrote: If it's out you'll need to shift the position of the column relative to the rack - this can be done either where the column meets the rack in the footwell (I think - never actually done it)

Sadly, mine wouldn't come away without unbolting the rack - not enough movement in the steering column to pull it clear. Wheel is the easiest way without unbolting half the steering system...

yup thats why I was going the wheel route, disconecting it from the rack is a PITA lot's of time in the "lotus position" and the rack has to come off I have told the garage to pop off the wheel as I want my track rod ends equal(ish), I will wait and see. he hasn't got back to me.

BiggestNizzy wrote: he hasn't got back to me.

The wheel may have flown into his face and killed him...

Shug wrote:

BiggestNizzy wrote: he hasn't got back to me.

The wheel may have flown into his face and killed him...

either that or he has broken the telescopic steering column it warns you about it on the service book.

lets hope his face has took the damage. I don't want anything else broken!