Rebuild Steering Rack

[Longboarder]

Just put new rack and pinion in the sierra housing. Cranked down the pinion retaining collar tight with some threadlock on and peened over the rim so that's fixed.

Track rods to fit and I haven't a clue how tight to do them up and any method of locking them. And finally how tight does the rack pressure spring and housing have to be? Is there some specific engagement like hard up and back off a half turn or somesuch?

 

Nigel

[Guest Ian & Carole]

Nigel

 

I seem to think that they are nipped up tight and then "peined into the joint with a centre punch.

 

I must confess when I extended my metro rack last year, after fitting the wish bones, and extending the steering arms I gave them a quick tack with the mig.

 

Just enough to know they were secure, no heat issues and not enough to be an not too much if I needed to remove them again.

 

HTHs

 

Ian J

[Guest ScotMac]

My rack is brand new and i haven't had it apart and besides it isn't a sierra, and i have never had a sierra apart either....but, my sierra manual has a section on rebuilding it (do you have the green one?). It looks like that is the tie-rod balljoint. If so, it says:

 

"17 - coat the thread of the tie-rod balljoint w/ loctite 270, refit the tie-rod to the rack and tighten the balljoint to the specified torque."

 

Front of chapter has: "tie-rod to steering rack balljoint: 72-88 Nm/53-65 lbf ft"

 

HTHs. Scot

[Longboarder]

Thanks guys. I have the blue manual which doesn't have that info.

 

Just left with the rack to pinion engagement setting.

 

Nigel

[Guest ScotMac]

Your right, it looks like it doesn't (no, i didn't doubt you). It looks like this link shows your manual, where it shows the pictures i have for the exploded view, but is missing the entire "overhaul" section (strange):

 

http://www.scribd.com/full/413417?access_key=hmmyitoh2vo88

 

Oh, i see. The blue one is the "service and repair" manual and the green is the "workshop" manual. They are doing "factoring", hoping to force people to buy two books.

 

OK, as i said, i have no steering rack internals knowledge, and this stuff looks pretty hairy...so here is the overhaul section (Matt if you think it is too much, please go ahead and delete it...tho i thinks haynes just copied it from the ford workshop manual in the first place):

 

(I think what you are looking for is #14, but i have no idea)

 

1-clean the exterior of the steering gear w/ paraffin and wipe dry

2-mount the steering gear in a soft-jaweed vice, then remove and discard the clips and slide the rubber gaiters off the tie-rods

3-move the rack fully to the left and grip the rack in the vice (use jaw protectors)

4-if the original tie-rods are fitter, use a pipe wrench to unscrew the balljoint fromm the rack and remove the tie-rod. If service replacement tie-rods are fitted, us a spanner on the machined flats

5-remove the right-hand tie-rod the same way

6- use the fold tool 13-009 or a suitable allen key, unscre and remove the slipper plug and remove the spring and slipper

7- prise out the pinon dust cover, then using ford tool 13-009 or a locally made four segment tool, unscrew the pinion retaining nut and withdraw the pinion and bearing using a twisting action

8-withdraw the rack from the steering gear housing

9-clean all the components in paraffin and wipe dry. Examin them for ware and damage and renew them as necessary. If ncessary the rack support sush in the housing can be renewed by driving it out of the housing by using a suitable drift. Care drive the new bush into the end of the housing until it is seated as shown in fig 11.40 (just shows it seated in the end of the rack housing where the tie-rod bolts up). Ensure that the plattic lugs on the bush locate in the groove in the housing.

10-lightly coat the rack w/ the specified semi-fluid grease and insert into the housing (semi-fluid grease - Duckhams Adgear 00).

11-coat the pinion and bearing w/ grease and locate it in the housing at the same time meshing it w/ the rack

12-fit the retaining nut and tighten to the specified torque (70-100nm/52-74lbf ft). Lock the nut by peening in the four places.

13-move the rack to its central position, then fit the slipper and spring. Coat the plug w/ thread-locking fluid and tighten to the specified torque. Loosen the plug 60deg to 70deg.

14-using a piece of string and a spring balance, check that the turning torque of the pinon is between 0.8 and 1.4Nm (.6 and 1.0lbf ft). To do this accurately, turn the pinion anti-clockwise (i think that means counter-clockwise) half a turn from its central position, and measure the torque while turning the pinion clockwise through one complete turn. Turn the pinion anitclockwise (counterclockwise) 180deg back to its central position on completion.

15-if necessary, tighten or loosen the slipper plug until the turning torque is correct. Ensure that no free play exists between the rack and the slipper, then lock the plug by peening the housing at the three positions.

16-move the rack fully to the left and grip the rack in a soft-jawed vice as during dismantling.

17-coat the threads of the tie-rod balljoint w/ loctite 270, refit the tie-rod to the rack and tighten thee balljoint to the specified torque (72-88 Nm/53-65 lbf ft).

18-refit the rh tie-rod the same way.

19-refit the rubber gaiters, secure w/ new clips

20-fill the pinion dust cover w/ semi-fluid grease and refit over the pinion.

[Longboarder]

Thanks Scot. It's 13/14 I'm after. Tighten to torque and loosen 70 degrees. Then check with spring balance it requires 1ftlb to turn! I think I might skip the last stage, and go by feel. You can have a rest from typing now for the blisters on your fingers to heal!

Thanks again.

 

Nigel

[Guest Ad_W2001]

turn the pinion anti-clockwise (i think that means counter-clockwise)

 

you would indeed be correct in thinking this! <3 the english language