Hi all,

I had the misfortune of hitting a large wallaby on the way home Sunday night. I was doing about 80-90 when it decided to hop out onto the road, and I clipped it with a very large bang. I got out to pull it off the road and check the car but nothing seemed wrong. I figured I must have taken the brunt with the wheel, which I confirmed when I got home and found tufts of hair lodged between the tyre and the rim.

But it wasn't until this morning when I had some daylight that I noticed that my steering wheel now points slightly to the right. I guess it could be one of the tie-rod bars is bent or something, but the toe looks normal. All I can think is that the rack may have moved, but if you shift the rack to one side and leave the column in the same place, that won't affect the steering wheel.

I'll need to get underneath and have a look this evening, but what else should I look for? It still seems to handle just fine, the toe looks good - it's just like somebody has taken the steering wheel off and put it on crooked.

My bet would be a tierod is bent, they are pretty weak near the inner joint (inside the rack boot).
To check this, put a paint mark on the tierod & locknut, and loosen the nut. Then using a pair of multigrips, rotate the tierod 180deg and back to where it was. If it performs an orbit, the tierod is bent. Rack out time, unless you know more expletives than I do.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Check the steering arm and steering arm bolts. I have seen them snap a bolt from a hit like that.

yes ^^^ what he said, but also maybe a steering arm bent
easy to do a simple check (not the be-all & end-all but still ity`s easy)

lay under the car on the left side & run your finger up between the tie-rod end & the tyre
then go to the other side & do the same

you can use a measuring tape but your "Rule of thumb" will be enough fora simple preliminary check

If they are different distance/gaps,,, then you should swap them out as a pair

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Hopefully it is the steering arms - I have a spare pair. I went from drums to discs a while ago - I imagine the old arms are probably better quality anyway.

If it is the rack, maybe it's time anyway - I've never serviced it, one of those things on my to do list for a long time...

Having said that, the toe still looks normal. For a steering arm to be bent enough to turn the wheel like that, I'd expect to be able to see it. But it still sounds like a good bet to me.

Actually it will, because the pinion and the rack bar will move with the rack body, steering it to one side. Check rack U-bolts first..

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Is this one of those jobs that only gets done if you absolutely have to do it? Is it something I should do since I dropped the entire front subframe out of mine last week?

I would say so. Otherwise, Murphy's Law states it will turn to crap once the motor etc is all back in.

Most Oz racks I have pulled down had far too many shims put on the rack damper. You are supposed to just fit enough shims (without wave washers in) so you can just move it freely, THEN fit the 2 new wave washers, in >< formation. Never fit old washers, they fatigue in use and break. Too many shims and they flex more & fatigue faster.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

OK, so I had a quick look yesterday, but I didn't get a chance to get under and have a good look.

- Both steering arms and the bolts that hold them are good.
- There's no sign of any movement from the rack u-bolts, but I'll need to get under to be sure.
- The tie rods and rack arms are straight as far as the eye can tell.
- Turning the wheel all the way to the right puts the same angle on the wheels as turning all the way to the left - it doesn't turn more right than left or vice versa.

If I had just got this car, I would assume that the wheel was just put on incorrectly. It is an aftermarket wheel - I'll double check that the boss is correct, and that somebody hasn't just found one that roughly fits. I've found some dodgy fixes on this car, so it wouldn't be a surprise.

As well as checking the wheel to column splines I would check that the steering column hasn't moved on the rack splines.

Something has moved so you need to be very careful until you find out what it is........

Cheers, Ian

I suggest that you take it to mini-knowledgeable mechanic ASAP

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"Show me the Mini!"