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Just had my annual roadworthyness test (AKA MOT in the UK) and he showed me a bit of slop on the steering rack - then went on to say track rod ends have always been a std check and common fail on cars since forever - but the inner end of the rack is NOT one that are allowed to fail the car on (unless they deem it so dangerous it can fit in one of their concessionary fail areas)
Both no play at all on the end you expect, but the inner part of the rack has lot of slop both side - these whole arms are available and cheap part £35 - he went on to say I expect jacked up you'll never be able to feel it - indeed half the issues only show up with this pneumatic vibrate plate set up they have on the front wheels. It shakes the car very aggressively via the tyre - I'd say each side of the rack is 2 mm of slop - but you don't feel it when driving
and now there's a lot of creaks and noises all the time driving home - so I guess another part is misbehaving - and just like all V engined cars the inner faces of the front disc have gone BLACK and all the drilled holes are gummed up !!! great - I had this on all my last cars that have a V engine configuration - asking - they claim its cold damp winters and the heat of the V causing corrosion over and over - yet on the out side they remain shiny flat looking like new
for some reason they had an inner rod 221330 1603 + track rod ends 221330 1503
merc then moved to a later parts set up, with inner 221330 3803 + track rod ends 221330 3903
I guess the idea is either
to get more tyre clearance
stupidity /commonality with other models in the whole brand range ( guess without saying... it this idea)
or they tried to solve some obscure harmonics thing
BUT then its GREAT as most after-market suppliers ONLY do one set up and confuse cross over part numbering - I think you are going to need a lot of thread at this rate - as some need to gain / lose 20 mm
delphi inner 280mm - and track rod 205mm (Huh !!!)
borg and beck inner 279mm - and track rod can't be bothered to say mm (morons !!!)
febi inner 262mm - and track rod 184mm (claiming its suitable as BOTH part numbers !!!)
Q&H inner 267mm - and track rod 184mm (claiming early part numbers)
lemforder inner 258mm - and track rod 188mm (marvellous now what )
worth knowing where you are when buying.... especially if only doing one half per side
08-20-2023, 05:43 PM
