Changing The Steering Rack Bushing

[rallysteve 22]

I noticed yesterday that there is a worrying amount of axial play in the left hand end of my steering rack. This also seems to be the source of the knock when reversing off the drive.

Can i remove the track rod and replace the bush in that end easily with the rack in situe or do i have to remove it from the car?

Cheers

[Tom Fenton 1,536]

Are you sure you mean axial (in line) play? If the bush is worn I'd call it radial play, anyway enough of being pedantic!

 

It is worth trying to do it in situ, I've never tried it. I think you may struggle, reason being that the rack itself on full lock away from the bush is still engaged in the bush, so although you will probably easily get the circlip out, you might struggle to physically get the bush itself out. The bush is only plastic so if I were going to attempt it I'd look to drill a couple of small holes into the bush and then screw in some self tappers to try and pull/prise it out. It is a reasonable fit in the end, but usually its easy to get out as with the rack out of the way you can just destroy it in on itself then it comes out easily. You've nothing really to lose by trying, if you can't get it out you'll have to get the rack off the car in any case.

 

I have got a brand new genuine Peugeot rack bush if you need one, £4, or alternatively a recon square drive manual rack that has done about 5k miles on my car before I removed it to fit a power rack, £15.