Hey All
I can't remember if I told all of you guys about the debacle of my steering rack, so here goes.
Got knocked back at rego for play in steering. Guy told me was possibly ball-joints. Serviced all four ball joints. Knocked back again for play in steering. Looked at options of rebuilding steering rack, but found out they're not too expensive to buy brand new. Bought one late Friday arvo, spent most of Saturday replacing. Got passed for rego on Monday - troubles over. Well you'd think so anyway.
I decided to replace the tie-rod ends aswell, since they're only $12 each and I had an odd set, so quickly dropped into my mates workshop with the new ones to change them on my way to wheel alignment. We threw them on and as we doing a ROUGH alignment just to drive to the steering place, he says to me - "This doesn't look right"
I thought he was joking - but there was a heap of free play only in the drivers side of the rack (BRAND SPANKING NEW MIND YOU!!). The rego guy didn't pick it up because he happened to check the play from the passengers side which was fine.
By this stage I was SOMEWHAT PISSED OFF
as you can imagine. I mean, it was only an 8 or 9 hour job to change it!! I went to the steering bloke, and he confirmed my worst fears - the rack was DEFINITELY a stuffed unit. I made sure I checked with both him and my mechanic it was nothing I could have done before I went back to point of purchase fired up!! 
They were initially defensive, saying they sell 5 or 6 of them a week and have never had one come back (predictable response), but when I actually SHOWED them the problem, I have to say, they were nothing but helpful. This was late Monday Arvo, and with only one more phone call to them yesterday (tuesday), They agreed they should change the rack as I shouldn't have to do another swap as it wasn't my fault.
Apprehensively (I have never left my car with someone I don't know), I took the beast to them this morning, and low and behold, this arvo I have another brand new rack - but this one works properly!!
I hadn't mentioned the name of the shop up until now, because I wanted to wait and see how things panned out before I started bagging someone! I bought the rack from Heritage MG parts at Smithfield, and I have to say they were really helpful. I mean they import the parts in good faith, same as I bought it, and they could have been arseholes about it and just made me swap it. They did a fantastic job, and I noticed when checking the car out they even used some new washers and lock nuts instead of my old ones!
It's nice to see there's still some nice guys in the car industry who will stand behind what they sell, and help their customers out of trouble when they need to.
All's well that ends well.
Just have to go for wheel alignment on Saturday and she'll be sweet for cruise on Sunday
i am one for good manners, and they are going to the crap which i have really noticed at work
