New steering rack ?

[Jordan210]

Well i had my car booked in today after last week i found out that when i turned my steering wheel it started to clunk. After a quick phone call too Jon. I ran my car down to MINI, Some one came out and had a look, like normal the car dint click, until right at the end. The service man took the car away and took a look under it, They could not see any problem. So they looked inside and said the column had gone and would need a rebuild. Took the car in today to have the work done, few hours later. Been told that the car is going to have to go in for a day for a new steering rack.

Have been told that i could not have broken it so its just some thing that has gone. So my car that turns 2 on Saturday now has to have work done to it. Next week


Is it common for a steering rack to go ?

[Jordan210]

also would he car be safe to drive long distances with a broken steering rack?

[KillerByte]

Interested to hear other replies in this thread. My steering wheel can feel a bit clunky and creaky when reaching its normal position after doing half a turn or more.

I'm going to book it in at the dealers this week.

[mab01uk]

You may both be interested in this recent thread on similar problems....................Steering column and rack problems were quite common on early Minis but still seem to occur on some later cars from time to time.
http://www.mini2.com/forum/faults-fi...ring-rack.html

[KillerByte]

Took my car to the dealer today. Technician has diagnosed the steering column at fault and they're doing the work on that tomorrow.

[MUFFYTHEMINI]

I too have had problems with my 56 plate mini cooper which for the record has only done 10,000 miles. Since owning it from april of this year it has been back five times, in which time i have had a new steering column as the other one, creaked and rattled everytime you turned steering wheel, a new leather seat, a new back windscreen as the radio would not work when you turned the heated windscreen on!!!!! oh and a oil leak. What i am concerned about is, i have low profile tyres, and when i hit a bump in the road i get litrally flicked across the road, which is very scary indeed. My brother came to visit and i asked him to have a drive (he is a mechanic) he said that is definatley not right, and in his experiance of 30yrs he would definatley say it was a steering rack problem. Any advice anyone PLEASE.

[mab01uk]

Give us more details of your wheels and tyres, standard alloys? sizes? tyres size make? runflats? 17" low profile runflats are the worst for this type of thing on bad roads but should not be that bad.................
15" wheels and normal non-runflat tyres are the most forgiving to drive with but of course don't have the looks or ultimate road handling and grip.

[MINI-Morgan]

Whats the powersteer fluid levels like?? Does the pump scream?? If not I doubt it has failed. Steering columns go all the time. Well the bearings do as they are just rubbish and get dried out by the hot air from the footwell fan output. A bit of grease packed into the bearing will sort it for a few months if you arent in warranty.

[MINI-Morgan]

Quote: Originally Posted by MUFFYTHEMINI (original)

I too have had problems with my 56 plate mini cooper which for the record has only done 10,000 miles. Since owning it from april of this year it has been back five times, in which time i have had a new steering column as the other one, creaked and rattled everytime you turned steering wheel, a new leather seat, a new back windscreen as the radio would not work when you turned the heated windscreen on!!!!! oh and a oil leak. What i am concerned about is, i have low profile tyres, and when i hit a bump in the road i get litrally flicked across the road, which is very scary indeed. My brother came to visit and i asked him to have a drive (he is a mechanic) he said that is definatley not right, and in his experiance of 30yrs he would definatley say it was a steering rack problem. Any advice anyone PLEASE.

Its only hydrolics I'd bet rack rod joints or wishbone bushes. Does it go all over the road when you accelerate? thats nearly always bushes.