steering rack ends I bought some steering rack ends to replace my old ones outer arms

[billythefish]

I bought some steering rack ends to replace my old ones but after I fitted them I realised that the steering was so tight I could hardly move it, so I took one off and found to my surprise that they were both the same handed, the guy I had bought them from had removed one of the notches indicating which side is which, two notches for the n/s and one for the o/s ( I think) anyway can any one tell me if this is correct?
tHANKS

 

[DaveP]

I'm almost certain (if you're talking about TCA's) that they're not handed. Balljoints are a different matter

 

[billythefish]

I am talking about the outer arms of the steering rack and I am almost positive that they are handed, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[mr-reno-139]

think youve got early car pre1982 with eye bolt holding arms to rack going through rubber bush def handed maybe even different ofset on really early cars with sprung loaded rack 60s 70s cars (not sure)

 

[billythefish]

Mine is a 1971 R4 850cc I'm almost sure that they must be handed, it would be nice to confirm it one way or the other because my steering is awfully stiff with them on.
The reason I think they are handed is when I took the old ones off, the nearside one had two two metal lines on top of the arm and the off side had only one on it.
When I inspected the new ones the nearside one had two metal lines on it but the off side one looked as though it had one of metal lines on top removed,hence leaving one metal line ,perhaps with a grinder to make a matching pair?

 

[malcolm]

They are handed. The part that attaches to the rack is bent one way. One side won't fit the other.

 

[billythefish]

Malcolm,thank you once again.

 

[DaveP]

Apologies for the red herring, I put the non sided type on an older type steering rack with no problems so I'm surprised the sided ones still exist.

 

[billythefish]

Just to confirm they are actually handed as Malcolm stated.

 

[malcolm]

There were a few different steering arms.

The first 2 series of R4 had long steering arms with a clevice which bolted to a rubber bush at the end of the steering rack. Really early cars (pre-'68 I think) had a real bend in the clevice. Those arms weren't available when I looked 2 years ago, and most people fit post'68 arms that have less of a bend. But there was still a bend at the end.

It wasn't until 1979(ish) that the steering arms were replaced with the track rod ends that you might find on modern cars. Those are the same both sides.

See http://www.franzose.de/en/Renault/R4/Spurstangen/ for pictures of the later two types.

Also a '68 to '79 arm fitted to Ornella with when I bought her (replaced with an earlier arm later. The silly sods had also fitted a later upper suspension arm on that side so the castor angle was different side to side and she went sideways over bumps).