Champagne

Hey Gang,

anyone as an easy way to remove the steering rack bushings on an S4

I have one out, but it was a bear: I removed as much of the rubber as I could, then I put a small socket between the top side of the bushing and the crossmember and used a floor jack to jack the rack up. The middle part of the bushing came out. I then used a chisel to bend the top part of the flange. Actually bending the whole thing toward the middle until I could grab it with pliers

There must be an easier way

Thanks in advance

Paul

BC

Paul - is taking the rack out not an option? The metal on the original bushings is actually pounded out over the rack itself, making just pushing it out very difficult. I usually pound those lip back up, and push out he bushing with a hammer (while the rack casting is fixed in a vice). It usually takes me a while, and I have not found a better way in the 4 racks I have done.

I hope that helps. In the case of the rack ON the car, I would think some PB blaster will really be needed, as there is usually some corrosion between the bushings metal and the aluminum rack body.

ROG100

Support the rack and place some wood behind.
Locate the slot in the metal bushing.
Use an air chisel carefully and push the metal bush at the split point towards the center of the hole and it will come out.
Takes about 60 secs each one.
Roger

Danglerb.

Paul, I don't know the easy way to do this job. But give me a few minutes and I'll get back to you with the right answer. By the way, you should wrap steering rack in Ostrich before re-installing. I'm sure that will be enough to put you over the top to win 1st place this year at SITM. Chuck Z can't beat a leather wrapped steering rack with a suede exhaust.

RyanPerrella

Danglerb has a new user ID now?

HUH?

Champagne

Thanks guys,

air chisel sounds like the deal, but I don't have one.
I will try and refine my original attempt. Once the center part is out, getting the out sleeve out is fairly easy.

Paul

ROG100

Paul,
Substitute the air chisel for a hammer and chisel.
Just concentrate your effort on the split part of the bearing.
Roger

Rob Edwards

Dr Bob and I knocked out my four rack bushings with a little harbor frieght chisel and a BFH in about 10 minutes, after pushing out the old rubber using two sockets and a C-clamp. Was a (relative) piece o' cake. If you're adding Carl's solid mounts, they will seem like they're too big to go in, but they will. Run the rack mounting bolts thru the soild bushing and reinstall the rack- ratcheting the bolts into place will draw the bushings in.

Champagne

That's the plan Rog, thanks again.

And yes Rob, I'm giving Carls solid mounts a try.

Paul

ErnestSw

after I loosened the bolts giving myself a couple inches play I used cutting wheels on a dremmel to cut the lower lips off and then pushed them up with a socket.

borland

http://members.rennlist.com/pirtle/svc_sr.html#buchse

Champagne

DONE


I ended up using a thin blade to cut through the rubber around the center bushing. Once that was done, the middle part could easily be pushed out.
Then, following Roger's advice, I located the joint in the sleeve. A few well located blows of the chisel and the sleeve collapses on itself.

About 5 minutes each.

Thanks again for all the inspiring suggestions.

Paul

fraggle

I beat mine with a chisel until they collapsed. Didn't completely remove the rack.

SharkSkin

I used a thin drill bit and drilled enough of the rubber that I could rip out the center spacer, then pushed the edge of the bushing inward enough to get some channellocks on it and yanked it out -- wouldn't work with the rack on the car though.

ROG100

Paul,
"About 5 minutes each"
Did you stop for a beer in between each one?
Roger