Steering rack gators - trapped air

[Iain]

Rebuilding a steering rack (quickrack internals) at the moment, come to put the gators on and it seems to trap air inside one gator instead of flowing down the rack between eachother.

As shown, too much air and it does this when it's fully in:

http://iainel.co.uk/images/forums/NovaWIP2/684.JPG

And too little does this on full extension:

http://iainel.co.uk/images/forums/NovaWIP2/685.JPG

Has anybody had this problem before?

[garyc]

try cutting the cable ties off and try again.

[John]

cheap sh*t gaiters, put the oe ones on.

[Iain]

Have tried 'neutralising' the air in them and then refitting cable ties and it's the same problem.

John I tried fitting gators that were fine on the rack previously and they have the same problem!?

[Pistol Pete]

OE ones are stiff plastic type stuff IIRC. Those look like cheap rubber types.

[Welsh Dan]

Too much grease in the rack?

[Iain]

Will get a price on GM gators tomorrow if I have time, still not convinced though!

I emptied a shedload of grease out earlier thinking it was the problem. The one next to the pinion is ok now but the passenger side still has the problem.

[AlexW]

I dont think its any of the above tbh, gators go like normal iain said, and benn said he filled his rack with grease without a problem?

Im wondering how air tight the standard items are lol

[Iain]

Just refitted the internals in to a new rack housing - completely cleaned the insides out and only used grease on the pinion/rack contact parts and a little around the housing inside and it all works fine now.

You squeeze one gator and you can see the other one move though, so air definitely moves between each side to equalise the pressure...