'78 XJ12 steering rack assembly washers
 

Pulled the rack to replace a leaky tower seal. Also, bought the John's Cars replacement bushings for the rack itself.

Wanting to install the unit but I cannot make heads or tails, using the factory manual, of how to "align" the rack in the frame using the factory washers.

I have some big washers with rubber on them and then I have several shim washers. See pic.

There are three legs on the rack that are bolted to the frame "U" shaped mounting pointing point. There is a thin "U" shaped bracket that also slides in to the mix. I am assuming I need six of the rubber washers (two per leg) and the shim washers to align rack left to right using a feeler gauge.

I am lost. I may have lost one or two of the rubber washers - I am not sure. I have four but remember having five. This stuff I can buy.

I need help with the procedure for setting the rack in correctly.

Give the rubber washers to teh dog to play with.

If the kit you got is teh Poly upgrade, then some shims MAY be needed. I have not needed any on all the racks I have Poly upgraded.

Alignment is purely hit and mis. I have always used the lower lip of the cradle, and using the small amount of avaiable movement on the "passengers" side mounting bolt, get it as close as possible to parellel. I have never got it EXACT, nor have I used the "special" Jaguar tool, and NEVER had issues with any of the cars.

Grant,

This is about the ninth time you have pulled me from the abyss.

I can't thank you enough.

The poly set was packed in a nifty package, and they appeared to be single piece solid poly spools. Once opened, It was clear that I had my new "washers".

Now that this mental interference is out of the way, the instructions make sense. "On the passenger side there may be a gap. Selectively place the enclosed (steel) washer(s) and/or the original (steel) washers to fill the gap". Easy - no feeler gauges. Basic stuff.

All the best, Grant.

Bob

did John's Cars' kit come with instructions? If yes, then you know the metal bracket is actually a shield and needs to be installed as well.

Yes. States to replace the original channel with the supplied channel. The original channel was installed. John notes that if not present "You will have to straighten the tabs on the cross members as they will be collapsed"

Thanks.

No problems Bob, as long as the job is sorted.

Lots of dumb mechanical fixes attended to with the poly bush installation. Some I have seen to stop the rack movement are just plain scary.