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240 steering rack limiter (2016-2021 bump)

K9 240

K9 240

Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2013
Location
Midlands UK
I have a 1993 240 with standard power steering rack. It is lowered about 2" at the front courtesy of Kyote style coilovers. I have Kaplenke quick steer roll connectors with the rack connected to the middle hole (standard hole not an option as would hit wheel). The wheels are Xrays (6jx15x25) fitted with 195/65/15 tyres as fitted by po. I have had this set up for the last couple of years and am very pleased with the way it works. The tyres have always scrubbed the inner wing & IPD sway bar when at full lock- not really a problem as it only happens at low speeds - parking at supermarket etc.
However, I live in the UK & it has now failed the MOT (annual roadworthyness test) as the wheels foul at full lock.( Yes, this wasn't a problem last year).
Trying to find out if anyone has used limiters in the 240 rack to prevent fouling. Is this possible for our racks and what size (or model) fit?
I have seen some for a Ford focus but no dimensions given.
Also, what do autoX & drifters use where fouling at speed would be a problem ?
Any help appreciated - I have about a week to sort it without having to pay full charge again- be off the road at the end of the month.
Tim
 
Can you temporarily move the tie rod ends to the outside holes? I
know you can't if you are running Virgos.

Or, if you haven't cut off the arms on the struts, just remove
the QSRCs for inspection?


I'm interested in limiters myself, it's not a big deal if I'm the
only person that drives the car though, I just don't steer all
the way to lock.

I haven't measured yet, but it should be possible to machine a
collar that slips over the rack and stops the inner tie rod end
early. Maybe made out of delrin.
 
I doubt they would fit, but there is a spacer available for the p2 cars. It's Delrin (I believe). It's a C shape and just clips over the rack.

Not sure if they'd fit though.

Jordan
 
GTJordan said:
I doubt they would fit
Click to expand...

Good thing TBers don't listen to doubters.
The McMaster collars fit numerous shafts from 1/64 to 6 inches and there are metric sizes from 2 to 80 mm. Pretty sure that shaft is somewhere between.

Who has a rack handy to measure?

zf_rack.jpg
 
dbarton said:
Pretty simple looking. Mcmaster also has spacers made out of a variety of materials (saw nylon, didn't see delrin), that one could pretty easily use.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#unthreaded-spacers/=10r0pbz
Click to expand...

Its very simple, as long as they have the correct size.

Nice thing about mine is i can take it on and off without touching the inner tie rod,,, which is very useful if you are dialing in the thickness.
 
blkaplan said:
Its very simple, as long as they have the correct size.

Nice thing about mine is i can take it on and off without touching the inner tie rod,,, which is very useful if you are dialing in the thickness.
Click to expand...

Can you supply it? If not, do you recall the I.D.?
 
GTJordan said:
I doubt they would fit, but there is a spacer available for the p2 cars. It's Delrin (I believe). It's a C shape and just clips over the rack.

Not sure if they'd fit though.

Jordan
Click to expand...

dbarton said:
Good thing TBers don't listen to doubters.
The McMaster collars fit numerous shafts from 1/64 to 6 inches and there are metric sizes from 2 to 80 mm. Pretty sure that shaft is somewhere between.
Click to expand...

FWIW, I'm pretty sure Jordan was referring to the P2 Volvo rack
spacers, not your suggestion of McMaster collars


blkaplan said:
Yea we can, I need to check material prices so I can figure out what the cost needs to be.
Click to expand...

It would definitely be convenient to be able to purchase suitable
limiters at the same time as the QSRCs.


Thanks Ben!
 
blkaplan said:
Yea we can, I need to check material prices so I can figure out what the cost needs to be.
Click to expand...

Sounds good. I realize it's a slippery slop, since there will be people wanting an easy no fuss fix, but I for one am perfectly willing to buy a raw spacer and hack it to size with my sawzall.
 
dbarton said:
Sounds good. I realize it's a slippery slop, since there will be people wanting an easy no fuss fix, but I for one am perfectly willing to buy a raw spacer and hack it to size with my sawzall.
Click to expand...

If I did it, I would make them all long and have people cut/sand/file them to the length they need.
 
Last edited:
Thanks everyone for the replies.
As I have never pulled back the bellows on a steering rack I did not know what to expect.
The job was easier than I thought, or it would have been if I had proper spacers.
I took advantage of a break in the weather this afternoon and used a couple of Jubilee clips for spacers as a temporary measure, so missing the last few posts.
I have a set of 7j 15 X 20 wheels I want to put on with wider wheels and spacers sometime and will re-visit the whole setup then .
Ben, I'll probably be contacting you for a set of longer wheel studs nearer that time so will enquire about spacers too. Incidentally, I read through the quick steer roll corrector group buy thread but couldn't find anything concrete about the steering limiters.
 
Most PAS racks have end seals just inside the ends of the casting, be sure the Jubilee clips cannot damage them! A larger diameter stop might be better so it cannot dig into or push against any end seals present. I would unscrew the rack ends and use one piece tubular spacers, if free to float along the rack bar with no chance of binding it should be OK to let them just have a good ID clearance and not lock them on. Aluminium or hard plastic should be fine.
 
Update etc
Jubilee clips are not up to this job, not even on a temporary basis.
Dimensions
The first 15mm of my steering rack shaft was 22mm dia. The shaft of the rack part proper (with the teeth in) is 25mm. The end of the tie rod where it joins the shaft is 38mm dia and the inside dia of the body of the rack is 40mm. Hopes this makes sense. A spacer would therefore need an inside dia of 22/25mm and an outside dia no larger than 40mm. Length to be determined.
The spacer required on the drivers side (right hand drive) was about one quarter the size of the other. Possibly due to the tracking being off.
Sometimes, especially when reversing (backing up) on full lock, the car seems to drag the front wheels as if they are steering too far over, when I do get around to doing this again properly I may limit the amount of turn sufficiently to try & prevent this.
 
The dragging you hear and feel is due to the dynamic negative camber induced on one of the front tyres, on full lock, older Mercedes exhibited this a lot, and may be quite normal. suspension kinematics were not really considered for full lock reversing ;) As you say, having uneven rack length left to right may make this worse, it should be centred before the tracking is set up. The load of negative camber unloads the outside of one front tyre and it's semi "dragged" across the road surface as well as turning around.
 
I Need this rack!

Can anyone tell me where could I buy used Zf power steering racks for Volvo240?
Any car demolisher that sells Volvo parts? It needs to be ZF rack becouse it
Links and ideas are welcome


Than You!







dbarton said:
Good thing TBers don't listen to doubters.
The McMaster collars fit numerous shafts from 1/64 to 6 inches and there are metric sizes from 2 to 80 mm. Pretty sure that shaft is somewhere between.

Who has a rack handy to measure?

zf_rack.jpg
Click to expand...
 
VasemmaltaOikealle said:
Can anyone tell me where could I buy used Zf power steering racks for Volvo240?
Any car demolisher that sells Volvo parts? It needs to be ZF rack becouse it
Links and ideas are welcome


Than You!
Click to expand...

Nice 5 year bump, at least you searched.

Steering racks in general are very difficult to come by nowadays, particularly so if you're looking for a specific style rack.

I'd recommend finding a salvage yard with a 240 out there and just take the rack and everything attached to the rack if you need a replacement.
 
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