The groove is NOT on the rack!!!!!!!!
The cut groove is on the COLUMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bob gauff

 

Yes, I have turned it lock to lock. The rack is centered. What would you have done? If I were to have to install another rack on another car, I would grind the groove on the rack shaft. Much easier than doing it at the firewall. Very close quarters there.
Please addresss why you said there was a groove in the lower end of the shaft for there is not. I can only surmise you have not installed a rebuilt rack on a '95-'96 SKS or you removed the steeering wheel to do so.
I was warned to not turn the wheel while it was unhooked from the steering shaft by the man who aligned the wheels.

 

I would have inserted a 3/16 drill in the centering hole in the rack. At this point the steering wheel should be centered, if not then the wheel is not on straight and would require removal and refitting.

I installed my reconditioned rack only a month ago and after I centered the rack with the drill bit my steering wheel was straight. Just because you turn it lock to lock does not mean the rack itself is properly centered.

The problem with doing this is that these shafts are hardened and grinding it will affect the hardness - a stripped shaft at 60mph would not end well.

 

Motorcarman. Easy there, you are going to use all of your exclamation marks. Not on my 1996 convertible it isn't. If you could look at one of there joints you would see what I am speaking of. The upper half of that joint does not even look like a universal joint.

Warjon. Remanufactured racks are not necessarily put together with the notch in the same place as the OEM. In fact, I have read that OEM units are not always in the same position either.
I concede that heating the shaft could degrade the hardness of the shaft.
RafJag

 

I guess I never paid attention to any later XJ-S cars but I know the early ones had a groove in the lower section of the upper column.

Some cars had a flat area for a part that folded over as part of the U-Joint section.

bob gauff

 

Yes, Bob. Mine is obviously the latter. Still, if the groove was safe in the earlier cars there should be no danger in cutting one yourself. The shaft does not get nearly hot enough to soften the temper in the column.
RagJag