[TR] TR4A Steering rack boots

[Geo Hahn]

On Thu, Jul 11, 2019 at 2:43 PM Johnnie Donnelly <johnniedonnelly at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Folks, I'm replacing the steering rack boots with the rack in the car,
> but having trouble slipping the inner end of the boot over the rack. Yes, I
> know the right and left boot are different. I just to get the boot to
> "open" enough to slide in into place. Any tricks worth using?
> <http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/triumphs/ahwahneetr@gmail.com>


Here is a trick I used.  Photos are a rack boot for my VW Westy but I used
the same technique on the TR4...

Find a bottle with a larger diameter than what you need and
stretch/ease/force the boot onto it.  I had hot water in the bottle and
also used a heat gun to warm the rubber:

[image: VW Rack Boot 1.JPG]

Look for a plastic spray can lid that is just slightly larger diameter than
what the boot has to go over.  If a spray paint lid is too large. some
products have slightly smaller lids.

Now the exciting move -- get the boot off the bottle and onto the plastic
lid (open end of the lid down).  Tricky because the lid may want to
collapse when the boot is only partially on.  Easier with 2 people - one to
stretch the boot opening and another to maneuver the lid:

[image: VW Rack Boot 2.JPG]

Now you cut away the portion of the lid that is outside the boot leaving a
ring of plastic perhaps a ¼" - ½" wide inside the boot.  That ring should
be flimsy but in fact will hold the boot open as it is under even pressure
all the way 'round.  Last time I did this I left a little tab of plastic
sticking out from the ring to make the final step easier.

[image: VW Rack Boot 3.JPG]

Try to make the ring thinner that what that pic shows.

Now the ring and boot will fit over the big end of the rack.  Once it is
pressed home you pull out the ring a bit, cut it with a pair of heavy
scissors and remove it completely.  If you are lucky the boot will come to
rest right where you need it.

Good luck.

Geo
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