Car was in the garage on Monday having the RHS (driver's side) inner tie rod replaced. While this was being done the rack was cleaned up as it had a bit of surface corrosion on/around the teeth (somehow water had got inside the boot).

 

When I got it back and parked up at work I heard a loud noise when on full lock to the right. After some investigation it turns out the noise was from the steering arm hitting the inside of the wheel. My car has a TT rack fitted and it's about 1.25 turns to the left and now over 1.5 turns to the right before the steering arm hits the inside of the wheel. Previously it was the same in both directions (approx 1.25 turns each way) and the steering arm has never hit the wheel. Car is on standard suspension and wheels so any potential reduced clearance issues due to other changes can be ruled out.

 

Does anyone know how the lock-stop on the rack works and how it could have failed? I think it would be a strange coincidence for this to happen immediately after the car has been in for work on the steering on the same side.

 

Have called & e-mailed the garage but no reply yet, posting here for advice.

It sounds like they may have fitted the wrong tie rod, did you tell them it had a TT rack fitted when you left it with them?. I must admit, I was under the impression that the tie rods were the same on both versions, but it would appear not from your issue.

 

The lock-stop is part of the rack gear and is machined into the teeth so that when the pinion turns the require amount of turns (1.25 in your case) the pinion cannot rotate any further. I can't in all honesty visualise how they could have damaged the lock-stop unless they dismantled the rack itself, which is really not recommended unless they are a steering specialist.

 

I take it the wheel alignment was reset following the work?, what does the printout of the alignment say?, could you post it up at all?.

 

Edit - having thought about this while I was out, they haven't put 2 l/h track rod ends on have they?, as they are shaped to avoid suspension bits and the wheel.

Edited 11 November, 201510 yr by kentphil1

Yes they were aware it's a TT rack (they fitted it originally and I reminded them).

 

That was my thinking that it would be difficult to damage the lock-stop. Will double check again how far it turns in each direction.

 

Wheel alignment wasn't re-adjusted. I did question it and they said it wasn't necessary as they'd adjusted the tie rod/rod arm to the same length as the one that was removed and the car drives straight. The alignment was last done earlier this year about 13/14k miles ago and all values for camber/caster were reasonable.

 

Wrong track rod end is a good shout - should hope that isn't the case but will check it.

 

Cheers for the reply

Yeah the "rack stop" is literally the place where the teeth on the steering rack stop, so I can't see how you can now have more turns lock to lock if it's a constant ratio rack.

 

Yes check the rod end; I've seen garages order the "correct part" and still be sent a wrong one. On one occasion a body shop near me ordered 1 LH and 1 RH headlight and got sent 2 LH ones!

I double checked how far it turns in each direction - pretty much bang on 1.25 turns to the left and about 1.4 turns to the right (not as many as I first thought -  but still enough to cause the steering arm to hit the wheel). Pretty sure it had the same lock left to right before and the arm has never hit the wheel before.

 

Have attached some phone pics of the rod ends. Both the same orientation but both closer to the wheel than if they were on opposite sides.

 

 

To be honest it looks like the track rod ends are on the wrong sides of the car - r/h side is on left and l/h side is on right. I will look at mine tomorrow and confirm, but it does not look right.

Thanks.

 

I wonder if it's possible that the rack was not 'straight ahead' when fitted, but not out by so much that the tie rods didn't have enough adjustment in them to get the tracking straight. If that was the case though then it's strange that the steering arm never hit the wheel before - assuming the TRE was fitted the same as it is now.

 

Anyone else able to check which way round their TREs are? (can do it with the car on the floor at full lock)

 

I won't be able to reply for the next couple of weeks but will check back and update when I can.

Edited 13 November, 201510 yr by vrsTom

You can what is called "wind the rack" through the track rod ends to true up the steering wheel for minor discrepancies, but really the rack should be installed centred, then the column trued to the steering lock and fitted to the nearest spline on the column to pinion joint. After that you true up a little on the track rod ends for level on the wheel whilst achieving correct wheel alignment on the gauges, but only very small amounts.

 

I've just checked my track rod ends, and they are fitted on different sides to yours, I also checked the ECP web site and you appear to have them transposed on your car. Perhaps another person could give us a casting vote on this?, bearing in mind I had a new rack about 6 months ago now.

 

The only way I can think that this happened, is if the rack comes from a TT, then the TRE fits on with the nut on top due to the hubs being different, so in that siuation, they would then be correct. but fitting them to Octavia hubs would render them transposed if the garage is not conversant with the models.

Edited 13 November, 201510 yr by kentphil1

Found a pic of my old rack and it has the TREs on the same way as yours. Also found a pic of the new rack/arms before it was installed and it looks like the TREs were installed on the wrong sides. :(

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At least it is not a difficult fix - I would think the garage may feel a bit embarrassed as well.

At least it is not a difficult fix - I would think the garage may feel a bit embarrassed as well.

 

The garage are saying they have installed it correctly, but have not offered any other explanation for the wheel hitting the steering arm and don't seem willing to fix it. The only logical conclusion I can come to for the arm hitting the inside of the wheel is that the TREs should be on the opposite sides (to match the factory steering geometry for the Octavia and to increase clearance to the inside of the wheel at full lock). Still not sure how this only occurred now and not back in March when I had the rack installed.

 

They have also told me that the column can only be fitted to the rack in one position and that moving the steering wheel on its splines from the factory position is not safe, but didn't give any reasoning.

 

Totally lost faith in this garage now - and they are a well known and seemingly respected "VAG specialist".

... that moving the steering wheel on its splines from the factory position is not safe, but didn't give any reasoning.

 

They haven't given a reason because there is no reason. It sounds to me like the straight ahead position on the steering wheel is simply not at the center position of the rack. Happens all the time on old golfs, on my mates one the garage set it so he has half a turn more lock right and the tyre has scrubbed all the underseal off the inner arch where it touches.

 

Take it to a wheel alignment centre, have them take the steering wheel off the splines and using the laser equipment they can actually center 'lock to lock' before setting toe etc. Then put the wheel back on in the straight ahead position and job done.

 

Edit: Any garage that says 'doesn't need tracking 'cos we put the tie rod back on in the same position' needs slapping anyway, absolute garbage. Doesn't matter how carefully you do it you cannot get it back exactly the way it was. Avoid in the future I reckon.

Edited 1 December, 201510 yr by Simeon85

They haven't given a reason because there is no reason. It sounds to me like the straight ahead position on the steering wheel is simply not at the center position of the rack. Happens all the time on old golfs, on my mates one the garage set it so he has half a turn more lock right and the tyre has scrubbed all the underseal off the inner arch where it touches.

 

Take it to a wheel alignment centre, have them take the steering wheel off the splines and using the laser equipment they can actually center 'lock to lock' before setting toe etc. Then put the wheel back on in the straight ahead position and job done.

 

Edit: Any garage that says 'doesn't need tracking 'cos we put the tie rod back on in the same position' needs slapping anyway, absolute garbage. Doesn't matter how carefully you do it you cannot get it back exactly the way it was. Avoid in the future I reckon.

 

I would go along with all of that, but the bit about TRE's from the other garage sounds like a load of horse's to me - just my opinion. 

 

Roughly whereabouts are you vrsTom?, can we assist you to a better place at all?. There is nothing worse than losing faith in somebody.

Edited 1 December, 201510 yr by kentphil1

Anyone who says "you can only fit the steering wheel to the splines in one position" needs a good kicking IMO. The whole point of spline fittings is so you can get "there or there abouts" irrespective of the rotation of the shaft. Otherwise a square end and a split pin to lock the wheel would be way easier to engineer and machine.