Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all, please advise a newbie on this before I make any stupid mistakes. LHD van.

After a long motorway run I suddenly found the inside edge of one front tyre was scrubbed down and the metal mesh was showing through. I like to think it happened over a short time, a few hundred miles. There was a weird metallic sound, like something vibrating and rubbing gently, not a rattle, that I initially thought was in the fan/heater.

New tyre, and a quick look underneath revealed a split boot.



The mechanic told me I needed to replace the tie rod end, but I just took a closer look today. I pulled the boot off the steering rack and heaved on the tie rod, and there appears to be some play inside the steering rack itself. The shiny silver bar in the photo below moves a little bit back and forth but the ball joint seems solid.



So question one is what's the problem? Q2 is what do I need to replace? And Q3 is whether this is as straightforward a job as it looks? Do I just undo a few bolts and swap out the steering rack, or do I need to take it to someone who does this for a living?

I assume I need to get the tracking adjusted after replacing anything, but am concerned as to what cause the tyre to wear like it did when there's only 1mm or so of play in the steering rack. What have I missed?

Thanks all

I'm in Macclesfield, if anyone is nearby and wants to give me some pointers.

Hope this video helps. But uncertain if it is same procedure for PAS and non PAS rack.

https://youtu.be/shnxoKI5-UI?is=eTHO02FC2djju5T3

Also worth checking the chassis where the radius rods mount to. The rubber boots mask the fact that the metal inside has rusted and worn away which won't help matters.

Check wheel bearings (jack it up and pull it all around) and the state of the brakes (has it got a long brake pedal or an overheated blue disc?)
The rubbing noise is significant.
To scrub a tyre inner shoulder down to the reinforcement takes some doing, that means that its toeing out really badly or has a LOT of negaive camber on that corner.
Is the top wishbone pivot bolt tight?

I pm'd op with my phone number as easier to talk than post, and he was online at the time, but he didn't read the pm and logged out, so I'll add a bit here
I have a good used LHD steering rack in stock, complete with track rods
I suspect the rack play isn't the only issue however, if the rack shaft is moving then surely the steering would feel seriously awry and not just wear the tyre

maxstu wrote: ↑24 Aug 2026, 23:10 Hope this video helps.

He makes it look like a five minute job, something I could do on my drive. My fear is that I'll be replacing he wrong parts, or miss something else that needs doing.
 

silverbullet wrote: ↑25 Aug 2026, 06:35 The rubbing noise is significant.

Thanks for all the pointers. I am going to poke around now and see what I can learn in light of all these comments. Then call Aidan.

The rubbing noise is weird. It's not a grinding, it's more like something loose vibrating. Someone suggested to me it may be some kind of washer. It is that kind of sound, but I'm at a loss for where it would be.

silverbullet wrote: ↑25 Aug 2026, 06:35 Check wheel bearings 

Yup, issue there.

On the passenger side (LHD) there is play in the bearing when holding the wheel fore and aft, and I can see that movement being transmitted to the steering rack. No play top to bottom. This is the side where the tyre was scrubbed.

On the other side, there is a small amount of play top to bottom but I couldn't feel anything fore and aft. And no tyre damage.

The play in the steering rack is not "in and out", it's "side to side" ie fore and aft to the van.

All I've done in the van since having some work done last year is a few long runs up and down the motorway. Probably 4000 miles at 50-60mph. I can't put my hand on my heart and claim to have looked closely at the tyres during that time, and it did seem to drift to one side slightly.

Please correct my theory and educate me:

Wheel not properly aligned has ruined the tyre and put pressure on the bearing, which was probably already on the way out, causing it to wear and transmit the pressure to the steering rack. So now that's knackered as well.

I'm looking at new rack, bearings on both sides, boots, tie rods too? What have I forgotten?

Is the split boot strictly relevant?

Also, where is the metallic sound coming from?

E D I T: I've just checked my paperwork, and yes, I paid for new front bearings when I had the van checked over after I bought it exactly four years ago. The one that has failed most badly now was replaced again two years ago. Is this normal for these vans? Is it just crappy parts? Or is there some deeper problem I need to investigate?


 

Replacing bearings every 2 years... No something is not right. Did the last garage slather the bearings in grease or use the mc Donald's sized sauce packet of grease.



Before you chuck that amount of money at it get checked by a garage and bin your last garage.


Can you DIY. All easy jobs with lots on YT.

ps source the parts from brickwerks

Before throwing money and time at it, park up on level flat ground and take a good hard look at the camber and toe settings. It can be done with a spirit level, four bricks, two lengths of straight batten and a tape rule.
What does it tell you?