Hello club4ag. I've been searching and searching and can't find a definitive answer. Seems to be alot of people running aw11 racks with no issues but heres my issue..

I just installed my aw11 manual rack into my car. Everything bolts up fine but having an issue with centering the rack. When I center my rack turn to turn, my drivers side tie rods are being held on with about 3 threads but my passenger side is threaded about an inch to 2 inches worth of threads. If I try to even out my threads I get less steering on one side than the other.

I read people saying that's what happens when you have an aw11 rack in an 86, but also read that they are just not centering the rack correctly. I'm pretty damn sure my rack is centered as I have an equal turn lock to lock but am I maybe using the wrong tie rods? Is the fact that I have a equal lock to lock means that my rack actually isn't centered?

I'm very sorry for asking something that has been covered ALOT, but something doesn't seem right. If its because I have a aw11 rack, then I can rest and be at ease, but I'd think I'd see more people saying it.

Thanks for all your help guys, I truly appreciate it.

you should have equal turns to each side, so you are centering it correctly.

what tie rods are you using?

thats very weird, i never ran stock rods with an aw11 rack, but my t3 ones have equal amount of threads on each side. Could it be that you have mismatched inner tie rods?

I would be checking inner and outer track rods to ensure they are equal both sides. Having different length outer rods is possible as they come in different lengths to suit different cars.
If they are all correct then you are best off centering the rack by having equal thread showing on each rod end. Add up the total of both of your rod ends and divide by two to get somewhere close.
To get good handling with minimum bump steer the inner ball joints should align with the track control arm inner pivots when the steering is straight.

all 86 use the same outer, but there are different inners between manual and power steering.

The aw11 rack is about 1" shorter on the pass side, but you should have no problem centering it properly with power rack inners

You can only really center the rack 'turn to turn' with the rack out of the car OR with the outer tie rods disconnected from the knuckles. Another way is measuring the distance between the rack end on the inner tie rod and the rack housing (get the distance equal on both sides). IIRC equal exposed tie rod threads on each side isn't a good method since the rack is slightly off centered in the chassis, it will very by a few threads on each side.

The inner tie rods and outer tie rods themselves should be the same length on each side.

Hey thanks for the reply guys! I forgot to add I installed lcas and adjusted them 25mm out each side. This is probably why I have so little thread engagement on the driver side.

Seems that RA40 outter tie rod and tie rod sleeve will give me the extra length that I need. With the rod end all the way in the sleeve, it is exactly the same length as the 86 tie rod. Full extended gives me about 2inches+ over the 86 rods.

Think I'm good to go. Appreciate the help and tips guys.

I'm using TE72 sleeves and outers with near 0 ackerman knuckles and 30mm extended LCA with plenty of thread engagement.

Get nst spacer it will center your rack up .. Ran to the same problem
That solved it install then center after alignment
Lock to lock same ... Bang in your frame a bit for extra clearance

I used power inners and outers