Steering Racks And Track Rods :)

[kate205gti 4]

bit of advice needed please ive done a few searches and still none the wiser

 

my mi is due for an mot on Monday and the following points have been picked up as needing fixing

 

-OS outer CV Boot split *****

-NS balljoint dead ******

-Play in NS track rod ******

-Creak in steering

 

 

Ive already swapped the wishbones for some genuine pug ones, and have a new cv boot to go on tonight but its the "NS balljoint dead" bit that im a bit stuck on

 

I can do driveshafts and wishbones track rod ends but have never gone any further in before lol! is it easier for me to replace the track rod (and ends?) or replace the whole steering rack?

I quite fancy a quick rack but my car is non pas - is the pas based quick rack awkward to fit?

ive got 2 hours tonight and about 6 hours tomorrow to fit what i need to get it through the mot - would I be able to fit a new steering rack on my own in this time? or am i better off fitting a track rod for now? (and is that any easier?!)

 

thanks a lot for any advice!

[Anthony 1,003]

Easier replacing the whole rack in my opinion, especially if you want a quicker rack as well - might as well kill two birds with one stone and all that.

 

You'll need to partly drop the subframe to fit a PAS rack, but that's not the end of the world really. Steering rack is held on by two bolts, plus the intermediate shaft and trackrod ends.

 

Should take a couple of hours I'd say.

[kate205gti 4]

ahh cool thanx anthony - track rod ends i done before how do u drop the subframe? please?

 

anyone got any pics??

Edited May 19, 2006 by kate205gti

[Anthony 1,003]

From underneath the car, you'll see two 16mm (IIRC) bolts on either side at the rear of the subframe where it bolts into the shell (into the front footwells). Undo these completely. There's one bolt either side roughly above the driveshafts where the subframe bolts to the chassis legs - loosen these off a couple of turns but don't completely remove them.

 

That should give you enough movement in the subframe that it'll hang down at the rear enough for you to take the steering rack out. It's still a fairly tight squeeze, but it does come out

 

Reassembly is the reverse of removal as they say, but make sure you don't cross-thread the bolts and make sure they're tightened well (the torque setting is in the Haynes manual, but "pretty damned tight" usually suffices if you've not go a torque wrench handy)

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

Don;t forget that if the Power rack is used, you'll need the lower UJ to suit

[ashley peddle 3]

Don;t forget that if the Power rack is used, you'll need the lower UJ to suit

 

Whats a UJ?

[inferno 1]

urm... am i imagining it or have i just seen some1 suggest its easyer to change a rack than a trank rod??!

 

and a uj is the universal joint from rack to columb! otherwise known as the knuckle join!

 

NS balljoint dead... did u push it too far or not enough into the hub and wrecked it? if your unsure ask to see the problems while its still on the ramp!

[Batfink 201]

UJ = universal joint

If you need a power steering rack I have one on the shell I am going to scrap

[ashley peddle 3]

ahh thanku

Edited May 19, 2006 by ashley peddle

[kate205gti 4]

cheers kev need one like tomorrow thou MOT on Monday! eek!

 

and tom no i didnt it was just an old gsf one that had some abuse earlier in the year on a very twisty track - ive replaced the wishbones now anyways so thats not an issue anymore (and i didnt think it was possible to not push it far enough in/too far - the pinch bolt wouldnt go in! lol!)

 

sounds like i might be better off sticking a standard rack on there for now and then faffing about with rams after MOT/FCS maybe

[Anthony 1,003]

sounds like i might be better off sticking a standard rack on there for now and then faffing about with rams after MOT/FCS maybe

To be honest, I'd do the job once if you can at all help it. Remember that the tracking will need to be redone after swapping the steering rack over as well before driving the car in anger, so you don't really want to do that twice either.

 

The ram takes about 5 minutes to remove, so that's no big deal really. From memory it's two bolts and two small pipes....

[kate205gti 4]

but i only have tomorrow to sort it and i havent got a pas rack in the barn!

[Anthony 1,003]

I meant if you could get Kev's

 

Shame, as if I'd known you needed a PAS rack I could have brought one of mine up with me last week...

[Higgy 0]

Creak in steering could well be the Top Mount Bearings.

 

I had a creak, so I took top the front suspension apart yesterday. And what do you know, the Top Mount Bearings are shot away!!!

 

Picked up a PAS rack from the scrappy also, need to get a gaiter kit now though The ram is very easy to remove. You will need a TORX type socket for 1 bolt (or an allen key works) and the other is a standard (16mm?) socket on the other.

 

Higgy.