Further to the leaking fuel tank, just looking under my car regarding where the bolt comes through for tank strap.
I noticed a leaky steering box and a track rod looks different almost bent compared to the others !
The first photo is the rods at steering box and the second and third photos are of the rods at the other side of the car. The one in the centre looks very distorted. Is that usual or should it be looked at ?
Thanks,
Darryl

All looks normal to me. The last photo is the idler or relay lever and is meant to have that dip in it. I can see cracks in the rubber bushes which is not ideal and will need replacing eventually.

Should the rod and bush going into the idler arm look so distorted ?
Thanks

I think I see what you mean now. That balljoint is within the range that it is designed for. It might be OK straight ahead. If not it should go back to a better angle simply turning the rod by hand in the desired direction.

dk500 said:

Should the rod and bush going into the idler arm look so distorted ?
Thanks

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Darryl as Peter said it is perfectly normal. I just went and looked at mine, it is exactly the same, it's just caused by the angle to get it down to the wheel. It's a ball joint under that rubber so moves around as required. Hence why it is a good idea as Peter said to make sure the rubbers aren't cracked to prevent dust getting in their.

It did serve a purpose for me as well though as I found the rubber dust cover that covers the wire terminals had come off the end of the master cylinder.

fiat500 said:

I think I see what you mean now. That balljoint is within the range that it is designed for. It might be OK straight ahead. If not it should go back to a better angle simply turning the rod by hand in the desired direction.

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Sorry fiat500,
Could you explain a little more.
1) "It might ... Ahead" - I don't understand
2) "if not....desired direction" - do I need to undo anything to turn the rod ?
Thanks for your patience

Vitesse said:

Darryl as Peter said it is perfectly normal. I just went and looked at mine, it is exactly the same, it's just caused by the angle to get it down to the wheel. It's a ball joint under that rubber so moves around as required. Hence why it is a good idea as Peter said to make sure the rubbers aren't cracked to prevent dust getting in their.



It did serve a purpose for me as well though as I found the rubber dust cover that covers the wire terminals had come off the end of the master cylinder.

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Thanks for checking, it is actually a relief as I thought it looked odd !
Is it a tricky job to replace the dust covers. I would love to try a few of these jobs.
All you guys are very knowledgeable/helpful and I feel like a lemon reading some of your posts !

Darryl, you could just leave it alone because it will simply return to the position that suits it best. No tools to do what I suggested. Just grasp the bar between the balljoints and it will easily rotate to a position that looks better.
I was commenting on the relay lever bushes, not the balljoints because they look OK. The MOT man wil tell you when they need replacing. Avoid the first job because it is really tricky and could damage some fairly expensive metalwork if it is RHD, cheaper if LHD. Most people simply replace balljoints complete but doing that job or just the rubber boots does requre a special tool and a certain amount of confidence.
Get that tank out first because it is definitely an easier job and if you end up repairing it and replacing it will boost you confidence a great deal.

That track rod looks bent to me? - mine are all straight so you may need to use a bit of elbow grease to sort it out - it's only a thin hollow tube so no tools required although the tracking will need to be reset afterwards.

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with dunnah if we are talking about the idler arm that is exactly in the mirrored place of the steering box. It has a bend or two built in and is more twisted in appearance than the similar arm on the steering box as it pivots at a higher point.

I couldn't comment on the actual track rods as the photo doesn't show them clearly enough.

if you had the level of damage you are worried about I think the steering feel would have oddities that would show that up.

fiat500 said:

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with dunnah if we are talking about the idler arm that is exactly in the mirrored place of the steering box. It has a bend or two built in and is more twisted in appearance than the similar arm on the steering box as it pivots at a higher point.

I couldn't comment on the actual track rods as the photo doesn't show them clearly enough.

if you had the level of damage you are worried about I think the steering feel would have oddities that would show that up.

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Totally agree Peter. They still look fine to me, from what you can see of the track rods. If they were bent, as you say it would be so obvious on the steering, as the tracking would be out and you would get uneven tyre wear and pull to one side.