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MG MG Y Type - Rack & pinion gaiters

My rack & pinion are cracked.

I bought Moss TC-TD-TF-Y gaiters # 281-378.

They seem REALLY short: they have only 8 ribs and extend 6 inches at the most, whereas the old gaiters on my car have 12 ribs and extend a good 9 inches.

Has anyone tried those Moss gaiters, and do they really fit???
Gilles Bachand

Could a former owner have fitted more comfortable MG-B gaiters?

They seem to correspond to what I see on my Y.
Gilles Bachand

Gilles

I would suggest that they have got them wrongly classified if they say they are Y. A nice pair are on eBay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130193958736&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123 where you can count the ribs. These have 9 ribs.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Gilles,

If Moss sells them as gaiters suitable for a TC, I'd take their description with a pinch of salt. The TC doesn't have rack & pinion steering...

Did you measure the neccesary reach of the steering arm; mayby you only need 6 inches?

The PO may have used generic gaiters as sold by any carpart vendor.
Willem van der Veer

Gilles,
my gaiters have thirteen large ribs and a small rib at the track rod end. They're 6 inches long and stretch to 9 inches comfortably. I purchased mine from the 'Octagon Car Club' - link on the website.
Jack
Jack Murray

Gilles,

sorry but forgot part number. It's SAX017

Jack
Jack Murray

Use MGA ones, they will fit. Beware cheater ones as the EP120 oil will disolve the 'rubber' after a few months. You should NOT be using grease, the rack is a 'gearbox'.

NC.
Neil Cairns

Well, I tried 3 things:

1) I wrote to the Octagon Club to order a pair of gaiters (number SAX017). I didn't take any chances and described the number of ribs and the stretch they should be able to attain. I waited. And waited. And waited. After 4 weeks I sent an email to ask if my letter had reached them. After 5 weeks, I sent another email. I got this answer: "Received your letter ok. Unfortunately our gaiters are of a different spec to those you gave us." So that possibility was a dead end.

2) I bought a pair of MGA gaiters. They had 11 ribs, were quite flexible and stretched a comfortable 9 inches +. However, the large opening was only 1.5 inches in diameter whereas the original gaiters' were 2 inches across. Nonetheless, I endeavoured to try to stretch them into place. Gentlemen, no amount of cursing or sacrificial knuckle skin succeeded in convincing those gaiters to slip into place. Had I had the courage to take out the entire steering rack, I could have done it, but there was simply not enough room to work with the rack in place.

3) I finally fitted the TD-TF gaiters I had bought from Moss. They were reasonably easy to install. They are quite thick and seem resistant. They do their job correctly when the wheels are straight or halfway turned. When you turn the steering wheel until it bumps to a stop, the gaiters will stretch until the ribs are almost straight but the gaiters will not rupture. I could almost hear them scream blue murder... It's a good thing that a maximum turn of the steering wheel is a rare occurence and this should probably mean that those gaiters will survive a few years of normal usage. In any event, I will keep a keen eye on them to be sure they do not give out too rapidly.

I'll keep the MGA gaiters in reserve and if need be, will eventually remove the rack from the car in order to install them.
Gilles Bachand

Gilles - you shouldnt need to remove the rack simply to fit gaiters ... even if they are MGA ones if they are going to stretch over at all. Can I suggest that prior to fitting them you soak them in some warm to hot water so that they are as subtle as possible on the large end. You may need to experiment with the water termperature to get it hot enough to give you 'stretch' but when they cool they should contract. My concern would be that if you go them on they may be over stretched when cool and just tear off/split on you. Given the complexities of rack removal and correct realignment etc of the rack on refit, I would personally say that even if you end up fitting 10 sets of TD/TF ones, you will be time and money ahead.

Paul
Paul Barrow

This thread was discussed between 30/01/2008 and 12/03/2008

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