Steering rack removal and replacement

[rolesyboy]

Looking at Steering rack removal and replacement with the subframe in place on a hydro car. Is it easier (I am assuming it is possible??) to do this than deflate the suspension and remove the front subframe assembly? I’ve only ever done this building a car from a bare shell
Thanks in advance. Mark

[iain1967s]

I don't think you need to deflate the hydro suspension, but you need to unbolt the subframe from the body to lower it 3 to 4 inches to get clearance at the rear, else the steering pinion box won’t pass through the gap. The hydro hoses should have just enough slack in the loops between the hydro bags and the bulkhead connection. Almost as if someone designed it that way

Easiest method I've done (on zbarbera's dry Mk1 S, but same approach) is to put the body on jack stands with planks of wood lengthways to spread the load on the sills, then put a trolley jack under the diff and unbolt the rear remote gearchange mount, lowering it slowly down. Just be careful not to stress the hydro hoses as they get brittle with age.

Depending how long a clutch flex hose your car has, you also might need to unbolt the slave cylinder from the transfer gear housing. If you have carbs that are close to the bulkhead crossmember, those need to come off the manifold too. There's usually enough flex in the exhaust not to have to unbolt that, but you can undo the heel board mount to make things a bit easier.

Getting the rack out is then quite trivial - remove the U shaped bolts from the rack, disconnect the steering column Jesus bolt and pop the track rod ends out of their steering arm tapers, then you can pull the complete rack out through the drivers side wheel arch.

[Peter Laidler]

I did this solely to write it up as an article for the Forum. Maybe you could resurrect this article and read it. NO need to deflate the hydro system. I found that you could release the rear and top sub frame tower bolts. Allow the rear of the sub frame to drop a the rear (still attached at the front.....) by an inch or so. You can release the rack. The pinion part will drop and then, by rotating the rack and a bit of judicious wiggling you'll be able to rotate and pull it clear.

If you have a Mk2 rack, with the centralisation locator plug, make sure that you modify the rack while it's out to make life easy in the future.

Here's a GOOD tip. Make sure that you NEVER allow the sub frame tower bolt holes to become mis-aligned with the corresponding bolt holes in the sub frame. If you do, in my experience of replacing them afterwards, if they are misaligned, then it is a real bastard to re-align them in order to replace the 4x bolts.
If I had to do it again I would make a couple of long threaded studs to use as slaves. Then, after tower bolts had been removed but BEFORE lifting the body away, I'd insert the long threaded slave studs. When job done, lower body knowing that bolt holes in body and sub frame are still aligned. Remove slave bolts and insert standard bolts

[rolesyboy]

Thanks folks. Rack removal is easy. It was the hydro bit that was the limiting factor. Wasn't sure if I could drop it enough with hydro hoses and pipes to get the pinion out etc but it sounds infinitely do-able.
Great instructions. Thanks

[olddave]

And trial fit the u-bolt fitment from inside the car. They usually spread a bit and foul the mounting holes. 'Adjust' them in a vice, makes life a lot easier when trying to refit when under the car.

[rolesyboy]

More excellent advice from the forum. Thanks folks. Jobs on!