Otto Mechanic

I'm re-installing my front suspension after a complete tear down and rebuild using new Supermount engine mounts and a new LR 3 piece crossmember. I pulled the A arms (aluminum, '89 S2) to rebuild the ball joints using the Rennbay kit.

I've removed the power steering system (except the oil cooler) and am replacing it with a "de-powered" rack I built last year ( https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-...l#post12236081 ).

Question is, when mating the rack to the existing U joint, is it better to do this before or after installing the A arms? Of course "installation is the reverse of this procedure", but I'd like to hear from anyone who's tried putting the rack in before the A arms; easier? Harder?

Thanks,

thomasmryan

The divots for peening the inner tie rods is on the backside of the tooth rack so it's best to install those first.

It really doesn't matter which order. Jürgen sets the tie rod in the knuckle under tension (using the puller backwards) and then torques the nut.

Otto Mechanic

Please forgive me, I don't understand this answer.

The textbook sequence for re-installation would be:

1) Install engine support crossmember

2) Install A arms

3) Install steering rack

The rack has been completely rebuilt on a bench and will be installed as a unit with the transplanted tie rods and new tie rod ends installed.

The question is if there is any access advantage to reversing steps 2 and 3.

Regards,

Otto Mechanic

I wrote: "The question is if there is any access advantage to reversing steps 2 and 3."

To further clarify, I'm concerned about access to the U joint connecting the steering column to the steering rack. It was difficult to remove for lack of clearance and I'm wondering if installing it before the A arms go in might make it any easier, or if that's even practical?

Thanks very much in advance Thomas, I've gained many insights in the past from your advice.

Regards,

MAGK944

Mounting a manual rack before or after installing the a-arms makes little if any difference. The hardest part to fit is not the rack mounts or tie rods, it's the intermediate shaft which is some way away from the arms. iirc you have to sort of feed the shaft into place (its clocked) before you locate the rack into place on the mounts. The a-arms do not get in the way to perform that maneuver.

Otto Mechanic

That answers my question then.

Thanks Mike,

Otto Mechanic

I don't suppose there might a any tricks to setting the rack up before mating it to the intermediate shaft? As you say, it's clocked, so if I can avoid having to remove and replace the steering wheel by setting it up right during installation that might be good. I'm thinking of putting the wheels back on and centering them before I try to insert the steering shaft into the intermediate at the U joint?

MAGK944

Yes, clarks garage at section 9.0 gives a good write up on this.

Otto Mechanic

Perfect. Another question and a tip of my own:

Clark's just says "Install and hand tighten the upper driver's side mounting bolt.", which is far easier said than done. At least on my car, the alternator prevents me from inserting that bolt; there's no clearance. During removal, I left this bolt in until I'd removed the rack. I intended to place it in before I connected the rack to the U joint, but forgot. Now I'm stuck with:

a) Uncoupling the U joint, installing that bolt in the hole, and re-coupling the joint.

b) removing the alternator.

Neither alternative is attractive. I'd say it took a good half hour to mate the rack with the U joint, not something I want to repeat, but on close examination it also seems getting the alternator out of the way is also no small task.

I'm thinking I must be looking at this all wrong since Clark's doesn't even mention the problem.

As a side note, I was able to center the rack using Clark's method, then hold the rack in place using a RemSet nail (from a Remington Power Nailer) by inserting the pointy end of the nail into the view port to engage the rack pocket, then sliding the orange rubber gasket on the nail into the view port hole. It fit perfectly and no grinding or ball bearings were needed. I also cut the head off the nail so it didn't stick out too far.

GPA951s

I had to do this a ton of times because when I drop my engine it comes out the bottom. Once everything is in place Leave the bolts that hold the cross member to frame loose so that it still hangs down a little, Loosed the caps that hold the rack to cross member on the driver side they have to come come all the way dis-engaged, then I Grab the rack and align the splines, put the rack in its " home " then put the cap on the the driver side and slowly by hand draw all the bolts in making absolutely sure that the steering shaft is sliding nicely to its final position. on the rack. once everything is in place, tighten up! THEN install the tie rod ends to the spindle.

Otto Mechanic

After a little noodling I figured this out.

The way to get the top driver's side rack bolt in doesn't involve removing the alternator (thankfully). Instead. the upper passenger side bolt is removed (the one Clark's tells you to install first). This frees the rack to be rotated up while it's still attached to the intermediate shaft, the upper driver's side bolt can be inserted, the rack is then rotated back into its normal position and the remaining three bolts are inserted and secured to torque specs.

I've also attached a picture of the RemSet nail in position, holding the rack at center during installation. It's the orange thing in the middle right of the picture.

Thanks to all for the useful comments and the moral support,

thomasmryan

looks good. way better access to the bottom end.

does your car need the grounding wire at the steering for the horn? (I know its a track car but, its a horn. lol)

I would zip tie the equalizer tube to the rack just for good measure.

Otto Mechanic

I believe it does need the grounding wire, which may still be attached to the old cross member. I'll check for that, good call.

Yes, the original equalizer was tie wrapped to the steering rack, that hasn't been done yet in the picture. My first pass at this was to plug the equalizer ports with silicon, that was a bad idea since it caused the bellows on the tie rods to collapse when I turned the rack, so I installed a new equalizer and used heat shrink tubing to seal it to the ports.

I'm happy this is in clean now. Again, thanks for the assistance,

thomasmryan

The equalizer tube shrunk a few mm from age and heat so the shrink tubing look like a good idea.


Did you use the copper never seize on the inside faces of the washers of power flex bushings? You want the sliding contact on that side of the washer and not on the control arm side. It looks too clean and that stuff gets everywhere.

V2Rocket

looking forward to your impressions of the fully depowered rack and the supermounts.