Power steering update

[sheffieldcortinacentre 759]

10 hours ago, Stuwindsurf said:

 

Here's a pic of the parts after they were media blasted and epoxy primed, don't know if you can tell from these...

Nope they look correct, if memory serves think Granada are a bit squarer 

[Stuwindsurf 4]

These are the ball joints and track rod ends I fitted, both listed for Mk3/4/5 Cortina, anyone had any issues with these brands?

 

[sheffieldcortinacentre 759]

Both good brands.

[TimB 102]

Whilst drilling the ball joint fixing holes put the camber back to negative camber the process shouldn’t have been necessary.

How are you measuring the camber and Toe?

As Craig said I’m only clutching at straws, but it sounds to me that the suspension subframe, components and the rack are not a compatible match. But like I said before I am not familiar with MK3,4 or 5 front suspensions.  But I do know suspension technology and what you are experiencing is very strange.

The bump and rebound action of the suspension should not affect the Toe. The distance between the tie rod ball joints is a set distance so pulling in the wheels should not happen when the suspension moves in either direction. 
Sorry possibly not a lot of help and probably telling you what you already know.

Hope and answer comes up soon.

[Stuwindsurf 4]

13 minutes ago, TimB said:

Whilst drilling the ball joint fixing holes put the camber back to negative camber the process shouldn’t have been necessary.

How are you measuring the camber and Toe?

As Craig said I’m only clutching at straws, but it sounds to me that the suspension subframe, components and the rack are not a compatible match. But like I said before I am not familiar with MK3,4 or 5 front suspensions.  But I do know suspension technology and what you are experiencing is very strange.

The bump and rebound action of the suspension should not affect the Toe. The distance between the tie rod ball joints is a set distance so pulling in the wheels should not happen when the suspension moves in either direction. 
Sorry possibly not a lot of help and probably telling you what you already know.

Hope and answer comes up soon.

 

For the camber I used both an angle metre and a builders square against a level flat surface. It is only to get it in the ball park before I get it set up properly with the correct tools. Again I could physically see the wheels lean out the the top which I why I then checked them and adjusted as mentioned.

 

For the Toe measurement I set the car at ride height again on a flat level surface and measured between the front of the wheel rims and the back of the wheel rims and adjusted accordingly to get them the same. Again only to get them in the ball park for now.

 

I agree with you that it appears that the rack and suspension components aren't compatible but what I don't understand is how others like Craig have fitted the same components with no issues! In fact Ford fitted the same front subframe as the MK3 to the MK4 which the power steering rack came off!!

 

It is certainly a srange one, when I get a chance I'm going to remove the springs so I can see exactly what's going on throughout the whole suspension movement bump stop to full droop

Edited yesterday at 07:39 PM by Stuwindsurf

[sheffieldcortinacentre 759]

As said loads have done this ,the cradles have minor differences over the years but nothing that would cause this.

In 40 years of messing with these I've only once had a problem in the mid 90s as mentioned above ( actually the opposite ) but it was as baffling .

I've had the lopsided rear ( one side lower than other several times which again defied all measuring one of mine is now 1 inch lower on pass side, so is spaced to level it up) drove the same either way but was noticeably wrong when measured at arches ( original  not replaced) but not at axle mounting points ???? Twisted shell ?????? Again who knows, loads of people have come across this over the last 50 years but no one ever seemed to know what it was???

Edited 21 hours ago by sheffieldcortinacentre