What a rack!
10-27-2004, 05:54 PM
#1
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What a rack!
Now that the subject has your attention 
After pulling 1 boot back slightly and having PS fluid run everywhere, i came to the quick concluson my rack is indeed shot.
Sooooo., I dropped my steering rack this AM to replace it. I hit the Nichols site and Pirtle site as usual and found some good info
I then dug in my records to find that it is a Rebuilt PORSCHE ZF unit, installed on 12-5-96 at 97645 miles. that makes it 8yrs and 52K miles old.
I think now its failure can be be linked to 3 things,
1) its age....my guess is that this timespan could be average for a rebuilt, especially with a few DE's tossed in there and some SCCA pylon time and Vegas heat in the summer.!
2) new driven speed with my pulleys
3) and...as careful as i was, i may have got some dirt in there or somehting
All factors IMHO and ether way its out.
Easy job and made much easier by a few tips outlined below.
Those who have dropped a rack know of those 4-17mm bolts that like to just spin when you loosen them!
There isnt enough roomn to easily get a wrench on the back side to counter hold.
Below is what i did.
http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/steeringrack0101.jpg
http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/steeringrack0102.jpg
http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/steeringrack0103.jpg
If the pictures don’t display, try the actual web page I made, its small but should hit the highlights of dropping the rack .
http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/steeringrackREM.htm
New rack and i will be on the road shortly and the dyno after that.
Pics still dont dsiplay right!
After pulling 1 boot back slightly and having PS fluid run everywhere, i came to the quick concluson my rack is indeed shot.
Sooooo., I dropped my steering rack this AM to replace it. I hit the Nichols site and Pirtle site as usual and found some good info
I then dug in my records to find that it is a Rebuilt PORSCHE ZF unit, installed on 12-5-96 at 97645 miles. that makes it 8yrs and 52K miles old.I think now its failure can be be linked to 3 things,
1) its age....my guess is that this timespan could be average for a rebuilt, especially with a few DE's tossed in there and some SCCA pylon time and Vegas heat in the summer.!
2) new driven speed with my pulleys
3) and...as careful as i was, i may have got some dirt in there or somehting
All factors IMHO and ether way its out.
Easy job and made much easier by a few tips outlined below.
Those who have dropped a rack know of those 4-17mm bolts that like to just spin when you loosen them!
There isnt enough roomn to easily get a wrench on the back side to counter hold.Below is what i did.
http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/steeringrack0101.jpg
http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/steeringrack0102.jpg
http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/steeringrack0103.jpg
If the pictures don’t display, try the actual web page I made, its small but should hit the highlights of dropping the rack .
http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/steeringrackREM.htm
New rack and i will be on the road shortly and the dyno after that.
Pics still dont dsiplay right!
10-27-2004, 06:02 PM
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Originally Posted by heinrich
OK I will....
NICE RACK TONY!!!!
NICE RACK TONY!!!!
If you havent, you need to check out the "Grid Girls" thread in OT!!
BTW..Nice to see you again last weekend!
10-27-2004, 06:06 PM
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Yo, To-ny! Another fine helpful tool for our upcoming rack change! Thanks! 
It is sad that after several years we have to have our racks "serviced"....but we do LOVE bolt-ons!!!! LOL!!
It is sad that after several years we have to have our racks "serviced"....but we do LOVE bolt-ons!!!! LOL!!
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10-27-2004, 07:00 PM
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Tony,
Were your boots worn on the top enough so that there were holes in the boots? The gears on my rack finally cut holes on the bellows, and since they were facing up they trapped water and road grime/ sand. That's what killed my rack at 40k. With some boot support I hope I've eliminated that problem.
LM
Were your boots worn on the top enough so that there were holes in the boots? The gears on my rack finally cut holes on the bellows, and since they were facing up they trapped water and road grime/ sand. That's what killed my rack at 40k. With some boot support I hope I've eliminated that problem.
LM
10-27-2004, 07:19 PM
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Originally Posted by mark kibort
where is OT?
mk
mk
10-27-2004, 07:22 PM
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Ah, yes - we all appreciate new and different ways of getting at a good rack ....
Nice trick with the Dremel: a shallow socket with a stubby ratchet will fit on three of the bolt heads, and the fourth can be done that way - but is easier when wedged against the crossmember with a screwdriver: then hit the 17mm nuts with your rat-a-tat-tat.
I assume that there are new inner tie rods with the 'new' rack you are getting - or you would not have touched the outer joint. Mine was sent on for a rebuild ( not exchange), so the boots were moved back, and the inner 'big' end screwed out of the rack: that will reasonably preserve the alignment on reassembly by avoiding the outer rod ends.
Question - does your new rack come with four new bushings, or do you transfer the existing ones? Is the outer steel collar preened over, in either case,to further secure the bushing in the rack 'ears'? I had advice both ways - but when I had removed the leaking rack, the bushings were not preened over , so pressed out easily. They were reinserted similarly after the rack was rebuilt (not preened) - so I'm curious .....
Nice trick with the Dremel: a shallow socket with a stubby ratchet will fit on three of the bolt heads, and the fourth can be done that way - but is easier when wedged against the crossmember with a screwdriver: then hit the 17mm nuts with your rat-a-tat-tat.
I assume that there are new inner tie rods with the 'new' rack you are getting - or you would not have touched the outer joint. Mine was sent on for a rebuild ( not exchange), so the boots were moved back, and the inner 'big' end screwed out of the rack: that will reasonably preserve the alignment on reassembly by avoiding the outer rod ends.
Question - does your new rack come with four new bushings, or do you transfer the existing ones? Is the outer steel collar preened over, in either case,to further secure the bushing in the rack 'ears'? I had advice both ways - but when I had removed the leaking rack, the bushings were not preened over , so pressed out easily. They were reinserted similarly after the rack was rebuilt (not preened) - so I'm curious .....
10-28-2004, 02:37 AM
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I tried that process Tony did a month ago but I couldn't get enough torque to hold the screwdriver and turn the nut so I got frustrated and cut the f*cker off completely and replaced the bolt. One way for that job is stubby wrenches. Also do it when you need an oil change. Taking out the filter will help on one of the bolts. That job blew but the second won't be so bad. My mounts just came in. Man that is one job I am not looking forward to.
Last edited by jserio; 10-28-2004 at 05:56 PM.
10-28-2004, 12:33 PM
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Great tip. I have this job on the horizon. Interestingly, my original rack, with only 135,000 kilometers on it, is not leaking or otherwise misbehaving ,except that the bushings are shot. I have bushings and new boots in hand but have been holding off anticipating that I will be putting in a whole new rack soon anyway.
10-31-2004, 12:09 PM
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I've done two racks (actually Nicole's twice and removed my rack for a motor mount job) and not had a problem getting an open-end on the heads of those four bolts. Tony's idea is clever, as always, but I think the bolts can be counterheld with regular tools. You may have to turn the bolt until the flats line up and the wrench seats, and it won't seat all the way. Still, I found I was able get one on and wedged against the cross member to hold it while I removed the nut.