Travel Restrictors/Rack Limiters
If you’re having trouble with your front rims slightly rubbing on you’re A-arms when you’re at full lock in a turn you might need to add a travel restrictor.
I use the words travel restrictor because if you go to a Ford Dealership and ask the parts person behind the parts counter for rack limiters or steering rack limiters they won’t find it catalogues. Ford has them listed as Travel restrictors part # N804842-S washer, they (Ford) didn’t have a clue what Steering Rack Limiters where when I asked if they carried them so if you go to Ford ask for the Travel Restrictors, about anywhere else you can call them Steering Rack Limiters or Rack limiters.
Cost... I paid $5 for the package of 4 in 2001 the price seems of doubled or tripled since then.
There are 5 different thicknesses of travel restrictors but the most commonly used is the N804842-S white, which is 6.5mm in thickness and is the one I’ve posted above. These are some others that you might find.
In this diagram (part 21) you can see how the restrictors restrict the travel of the steering rack, thus stops the wheels from rubbing on the A-arms.
Travel restrictors/Rack limiters do not come with any instructions on the installation.
As far as installing the Travel Restrictors/ Rack Limiters it’s easy; the hardest part is jacking up the car.
Here is what you need to do to install them.
(1) Block the rear tires so that the car can’t roll forward or backwards.
(2) Jack the front of the car up high enough for you to work on the steering rack.
(3) Doing one side at a time; Slide under the car and locate the steering rack and remove the clamp (part 22) from the bellows. (rubber boot).
(4) Slide bellows (part 23) back toward tie rod end. (away from rack housing)
(5) Turn tires so that you can see the coupler on tie rod assembly (part 26) and rack assembly (part12) you now open up the travel restrictor slightly and slide 1 new travel restrictor over and onto the large smooth shaft of the rack assembly.
(6) More than likely you will already have a travel restrictor on the shaft put there from the factory leave it there----don’t remove it.
(7) Now spin the tire on the side that you were working on to make sure that the spinning wheel does not touch the A-arm, if it does rub then only add 1 more travel restrictor to that side. If the wheel does not rub you’re finished, start on the other side.
When finished with both sides slide the bellows cover back over the gear housing, tighten the clamps and then lower the car to the ground
Remember by adding the travel restrictors to you steering rack your turning radius will be somewhat wider that it was before.
Travel Restrictors/ Rack Limiters come in the following thickness
Ford Part # Thickness Color
N804842-S 6.5mm White
N808506-S 10.65mm Blue
N807853-S 2.4mm
W705003-S 4.25mm
W705004-S 7.25mm
If you’re having trouble with your front rims slightly rubbing on you’re A-arms when you’re at full lock in a turn you might need to add a travel restrictor.
I use the words travel restrictor because if you go to a Ford Dealership and ask the parts person behind the parts counter for rack limiters or steering rack limiters they won’t find it catalogues. Ford has them listed as Travel restrictors part # N804842-S washer, they (Ford) didn’t have a clue what Steering Rack Limiters where when I asked if they carried them so if you go to Ford ask for the Travel Restrictors, about anywhere else you can call them Steering Rack Limiters or Rack limiters.
Cost... I paid $5 for the package of 4 in 2001 the price seems of doubled or tripled since then.
There are 5 different thicknesses of travel restrictors but the most commonly used is the N804842-S white, which is 6.5mm in thickness and is the one I’ve posted above. These are some others that you might find.
In this diagram (part 21) you can see how the restrictors restrict the travel of the steering rack, thus stops the wheels from rubbing on the A-arms.
Travel restrictors/Rack limiters do not come with any instructions on the installation.
As far as installing the Travel Restrictors/ Rack Limiters it’s easy; the hardest part is jacking up the car.
Here is what you need to do to install them.
(1) Block the rear tires so that the car can’t roll forward or backwards.
(2) Jack the front of the car up high enough for you to work on the steering rack.
(3) Doing one side at a time; Slide under the car and locate the steering rack and remove the clamp (part 22) from the bellows. (rubber boot).
(4) Slide bellows (part 23) back toward tie rod end. (away from rack housing)
(5) Turn tires so that you can see the coupler on tie rod assembly (part 26) and rack assembly (part12) you now open up the travel restrictor slightly and slide 1 new travel restrictor over and onto the large smooth shaft of the rack assembly.
(6) More than likely you will already have a travel restrictor on the shaft put there from the factory leave it there----don’t remove it.
(7) Now spin the tire on the side that you were working on to make sure that the spinning wheel does not touch the A-arm, if it does rub then only add 1 more travel restrictor to that side. If the wheel does not rub you’re finished, start on the other side.
When finished with both sides slide the bellows cover back over the gear housing, tighten the clamps and then lower the car to the ground
Remember by adding the travel restrictors to you steering rack your turning radius will be somewhat wider that it was before.
Travel Restrictors/ Rack Limiters come in the following thickness
Ford Part # Thickness Color
N804842-S 6.5mm White
N808506-S 10.65mm Blue
N807853-S 2.4mm
W705003-S 4.25mm
W705004-S 7.25mm
