Date:         Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:00:25 -0700
Reply-To:     Jeffrey Vickers <jeff@VICKERSDESIGN.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeffrey Vickers <jeff@VICKERSDESIGN.COM>
Subject:      Re: Tips or Hints for Replacing Power Steering Racks?
In-Reply-To:  <20070816143418.E2A865F77F5@vickersdesign.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; delsp=yes; format=flowed

What Mike said... that and the fact that if your rack has been  
leaking like mine was, it'll be a filthy job. You also want to get  
the new tie rod ends in about the same place as the old ones so lay  
the new rack on the floor next to the old ones and just get them  
relatively close for the guy who does your alignment. He'll be happy  
about that.

I just did all the bushings in my Syncro front end so I took out the  
sway bar and radius rod but I can't tell you if you'll have to take  
yours out to get the rack in and out, but if you do it would be worth  

replacing those bushings since they're easy to do.

Also be sure to put 100 miles or so on the front end if you start  
replacing stuff before you get it aligned.

Jeff / 87 Syncaru Westy


On Aug 16, 2007, at 7:31 AM, Automatic digest processor wrote:

> Date:    Thu, 16 Aug 2007 10:10:59 -0400
> From:    Mike Collum <collum@VERIZON.NET>
> Subject: Re: Tips or Hints for Replacing Power Steering Racks?
>
> The "Hard" part for me, when replacing the power steering rack, was
> getting the steering shaft connector, that goes over the splines on  

> the
> rack, to open up enough for removal.  I ended up using a hammer and a
> "Railroad spike" which turned out to be the perfect tool for the job.
>
> Once that connector is off, the steering wheel will do 360º spins so
> reconnecting it a spline or more off is no biggie.  One just has to  

> pull
> the steering wheel and reset it there (after getting the wheels  
> aligned,
> of course).
>
> My rack came with new tie rods and tie rod ends ... which is good in
> that I would've been replacing them had they not come with it.
>
> One other thing ... my rebuilt rack's mounting points were off about a
> "Dollar's worth".  I say that because when I laid the rack on a level
> surface (mounts down) it would rock back and forth.  I found that 2 US
> quarter coins under one corner and 2 quarters under the opposite  
> corner
> was what it took to prevent any rocking.  If I had bolted it to the  

> van
> as it was it would have pushed 2 of the mounting bushings all the  
> way to
> the metal and would have still stressed the rack.  I got some big
> washers to use as "leveling spacers" and the result is good.  The  
> rubber
> bushings are now doing their job and the rack isn't being tweaked  
> by the
> mounting bolts.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> Richard Golen wrote:
>> Good Morning,
>>
>> I've ordered a rebuilt steering rack for my 87 Westy, and it should
>> be here around Tuesday. I plan on replacing the rack, and try to
>> salvage some sort of road trip for the tail end of next week.
>>
>> Unfortunately both Bentley and Haynes are rather lacking on
>> descriptions on how to replace the steering racks. I've looked at the
>> rack and it appears that the steering joint needs to be undone, two
>> power steering lines need to be undone, the tie rod ends popped, and
>> the four mounting bolts removed. I assume that putting in the new one
>> is the reverse proceedure (other than taking the outer tie rods off
>> the old unit and putting it on the new rack). Also I have to flush
>> the lines, etc. with Dextron.
>>
>> I figure this to be about a 3 hour job......
>>
>> Anyone have any tips and advice? Are there any on-line descriptions
>> that I can check out?
>>
>>
>> Thanks.