Lotus were clever enough to use the same Triumph steering rack in the Lotus Elan, Elan +2, Lotus 7 and Lotus Europa.
However, with the passage of time and regular use the internal components will show signs of wear.
Servicing the steering rack is straight forward as conventional fasteners and bearings have been used throughout the entire assembly.
It is important to dismantle the rack so as to carefully check the movement/operation of the pinion and rack.
It is critical to check the component mesh for the entire length of the rack as this will show up damaged teeth (caused by a previous accident if the steering was on full-lock during the impact)
From experience it is very unusual to have a tight spot at the straight ahead position.
Usually, the steering rack spends 90% of its operating life in the straight ahead position so this is where you would expect the components to be worn and sloppy.
