How hard is it to change a steering rack?

[carfreak85]

My hatch needs a new steering rack badly! How long does this usually take and how do I get the alignment correct afterwards (Besides a shop, which I might do anyway.)

[Hondasucks]

It's actually not that hard. Undo the tie rods from the knuckles, do not unthread them from the steering rack. Unbolt the steering shaft, adn unbolt the four bolts holding the rack in. Slide the rack out from the driver's side of the car. Depending on the year, the center section of the frame may or may not unbolt. Migth take some finessing to get it out without unbolting the tie rod. Lay the old rack on the ground and line the RACKS up with each other, ignoring the posiston of the tie rod ends. NOW, with the racks themselves lined up, note whether or not the tie rods line up. If they dont, adjust accordingly (Make sure teh racks are both centered!) if they do, bolt in the new rack.

 

If you must remove one of the tie rod ends to get it out of the frame, simply measure the distance between the inner edges of both front tires, on the front side adn the back side, with the wheel centered, and then note what it is when you get the new rack in.

[spideyz]

You make it sound easy Hondasucks. I like that kind of reply. Haven't had to do this on my subes yet, but I like to keep informed just in case.

 

 

Cheftim, what sort of symptoms are you having. Lots of play and knocking when you rock the steering wheel?

 

Keith

[rallyruss]

if you have power steering its a little more tricky. the lines are a bit dificult to get to and are always covered in grime. its easyer to drop the rack down a bit to get to the lines.

 

if you want to get the alignment really close afterinstall spin the tire and spray paint a line around it. then rig up a devise to scribe a straight line on the paint or use a marker to make a true straight line. Do this on both tires. measure inbetween the lines on each tire front and rear. do this after you set the steering wheel straight by sighting down the outside edge of each front tire looking at the rear tire as a point of referance.

this can take a while to get set correctly but if you take your time you can get it within the specs. after lowering cars or other major suspension work I usually do this to get it close.

[Hondasucks]

You could also just measure from tread to tread.

[carfreak85]

I might just take it to sears or speedware motorsports for a suspension alignment. Lots of positive camber, that I know shouldn't be there.

[GeneralDisorder]

Well - I doubt they will even touch a body lifted soob, but who knows.

 

Also - there actually is no adjustment possible for the camber - is this a PK kit? If so, your front strut's are probably adjusted all the way up causeing the bad camber situation. It's funny that there really is no alignment on a soob other than the tie-rod ends. Toe adjustment is all you have - the other factors are part of the suspension. Bad springs could cause negative camber, but positive is because the struts are too strong. The positvie camber will wear the outer edges of the front tires...... but those swampers are HARD rubber. and can take the abuse. If you really want to fix it, increase the size of the lift blocks on the engine cross-member by 1" - if they are 3" now, use 4" blocks. If they are 4", then use 5" blocks. You can make your own blocks or call PK - I'm sure he could hook you up as well.

 

GD

[mcbrat]

if it's a byb lift, you can take the strut blocks out and grind a bit of metal off of them...

 

 

grind off the red areas. this will make it fit better into the strut tower, and help the camber....