Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi All,
I have just had a new steering rack fitted to my 85 MY S2 and it cant be driven.

The track rod ends are only screwing in a max of two turns and the wheels are pointing in wrong direction as there is not enough give to do the tracking.

I spoke to the company I got the rack off and they are saying def the right rack. They told me what size it should be and it matches the size of the one the garage took off.

I am waiting to hear the measurements of the new one that was fitted. The garage is ringing me back later.

Anyone any ideas?

the track rod ends were brand new and from Porsche.

Thanks
Regards
Paul

HI Paul

It sounds to me like the rack is the wrong length

OR

Porsche supplied the wrong track rod ends

All the best Brett

Hi Brett,

Thanks for your note. I agree ... I think it has the wrong length track rod arms, and there has been a development that seems to confirm.
I rang the company I got the rack from they can't understand it. They say the arms on the rack they supplied should be 250mm each side.
The one that came off the car is this length (250mm each side) as I just picked it up.
The garage rang me back a bit earlier and say the new rack now on the car has arms 200mm long (as best they can tell with the gaiter in the way)
So it would seem the rack somehow has wrong size arms?
They have been really good and are going to send out brand new arms in the post tomorrow direct to the garage, so fingers crossed!
They really cant understand how the rack appears to have shrunk though!
My concern is the arms 250mm and the garage somehow is making a mistake. Can't imagine they are though?

It stopped me going to see some bodyshops this afternoon anyway. Not sure it that is a good thing or not giving the impending cost of a respray!

Regards
Paul

Forgot to add ... there is only one size of rod ends, so I think we can discount that. Which helps!

Hi Paul

Are you sure about that ?

Could Porsche have given you 944 or 968 ends ??

Just a thought....lol

All the best Brett

Its a good thought, but I bought one through design 911 and the other from Porsche (long story) and they both have the 928 part number on the bags so should be safe! However I am sure stranger things have happened!!

Not long ago I ordered new cabin temp sensor fan which had to come from Zuffenhausen.

When I opened box at opc (correct 928 part number on box) it contained part of 944 thermostat housing.

Cue profuse apologies, we'll order another immediately, and a further wait of a few days (error discovered on a saturday, must say they are normally great at getting stuff from germany in a day or two).

Later that week opc phoned to say the (same) wrong part had been sent again in the right box!

They got it right third time, but I find it hard to believe this was a unique mix-up in Porsche parts store/packaging.

So long way of saying the 944 track rod theory could have something in it.

I do hope you are wrong ... but nothing surprises me in the world anymore!
I have a plan if it is not the arms. I think the aftermarket race car type ends might be longer as they have more adjustment in them.
Fingers crossed!

The ends are the same for all models, the complete tierod changes in 1986

Yep, just found out that 86MY onwards have shorter track rod arms. Looks like the rack guys didn't know this hence its too short!
They have sent me new and correct (250mm) arms in the post and should arrive Monday.
Lets hope it puts it to bed.
This is a good lesson for all on the rack differences?

Regards
Paul

Hi Paul

Interesting, so what you are saying is that from 86 ON the RACK is the same but the ENDS are different ??

That would make sense I think as 86 on has S4 suspension and bigger calipers (even if an 86 S2) SO POSSIBLY the ends have to be different for the bigger calipers....maybe lol ?

All the best Brett

Hi Brett,

The rack is the same on an 85 and an 86, but the arms are shorter and end ball joints the same. As you say, must be to do with the calipers on the 86MY onwards.
Looking through the workshop manual just now which I could only do today (as just got my microfiche reader this morning) I notice there were actually 3 types of rack fitted through the life of the 928.
Two are 795mm wide (rack excluding arms) and a 810mm wide rack (excluding arms) which came later and was on my 85MY. (not sure what year they switched to the 810mm wide rack)
Certainly more complex than I and the steering rack guys thought.
My concern now is that the arms that are being sent will fit as the workshop manual also mentions two different diameters (I think they mean of the arms) Also there appears to be a different diameter each side for one of the 795mm racks! (I can't work out what the manual is trying to say - its not clear to me anyway)
This is what makes these cars more interesting I suppose .... I just hope the arms are right!

Regards
Paul

Hi Paul

Just hope that the different "diameters" dont mean different thread sizes or those new ends wont fit lol...

All the best Brett

I know.... just what I am fearing!

The RHD rack has just been superceeded 3 times, from 92734701020 to 92734701022 to 92734701026, so it basically all racks fit all cars from 1978 to 95