Steering rack bumper thingy??

[Ed]

On the steering rack there is a U-bolt clamped to a bumper looking thingy. Does anyone know what the purpose of this is. What does it do?

[Bambikiller240]

It is a factory add-on to stop excess flex of the steering rack. When the rack flexs, the flex is limited when the "bumper thingy" contacts the cross member. I know it has been sicussed before on this site, but a quick search didn't turn up the thread.

[Ed]

I tried doing a search and after the second page I gave up. Does the bumper go in the center of the rack or on the side?

[hls30.com]

Ed, can you post a picture?

I don't remeber my car having any thing of that sort.

Will

[Bambikiller240]

several different views

[Ed]

That's the one. I've noticed that they are all positioned at an end, close to a mount. Can it really stop excess flex from there? Or does it prevent rotational torsion?

[Bambikiller240]

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8438&highlight=steering+rack+limit

[hls30.com]

Thanks Carl and Ed, My rack does not have such a doohickey on it-wonder if I should hunt one down? Course, who's to say my rack wasn't replaced at some point in the last 30 years or so-I will have to get buisy with the club cd, and see if any differences can be noticed between the early ('70-'73) and late '74-'78) racks.

Will

[Ed]

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8438&highlight=steering+rack+limit

Thanks for the link Carl. Unfortunately it still doesn't really answer what it's for. Everyone just guessed and gave assumptions.

Ohh well,.....

[sblake01]

Thanks for the link Carl. Unfortunately it still doesn't really answer what it's for. Everyone just guessed and gave assumptions.

Ohh well,.....

In post #2, it seems to me that Carl answered the question. I asked my Z mechanic Elvan about it and he says the same thing.

[Bambikiller240]

Actually, I wasn't "guessing". Sorry if I cannot prove the answer as I do not remember (nor do I care to re-read them all for this purpose) which of the many manuals I have read that it was in.

Now don't take this wrong, but IMO what should really matter is that it WAS installed by Nissan for a reason, not by some schlub who purchased it from Grand Auto.

There's one way to 100% confirm the reason it's there. Leave it off and see how the steering rack fails.

[hls30.com]

Carl, I am realy in a quandry about the rack on my '72, no hints(scratches, marred or worn paint-even on the crossmember) that there ever was such a doo hickey installed!

The question becomes: Do I replace the rack to get one?

Will