Steering rack issues solutions and swaps....

[dr_mat 0]

Was it a worn bottom bearing causing your slack? The slack I'm talking about is when you turn the steering wheel and nothing happens at the road wheels, LOL! I wouldn't have thought the column itself can cause that? The UJ, yeah, but a long bit metal rod with a bearing at each end?! Not discounting it....just doesn't compute in my head.....but then the Rado does defy all logic and reason anyway :-)

 

Don't know which bearing was at fault, because my old column got destroyed trying to get the ignition stuff off it. All I know is I could grab hold of the bottom of the column and move the steering wheel - and feel a tiny bit of disconnect, and after swapping it there's no disconnect. Thing is it's not just a rod with a bearing, it's two rods with four bearings and a complicated CV joint in the middle .. (And I don't think the bearings really matter, tbh.)

 

Meanwhile, my VR should have genuine VW, 60k mile wheel bearings, but the hubs/wishbones are all original. My track rods and BJs are new(ish) genuine VW, my bottom ball joints are new(ish) GSF.. There's not much left!

 

That £160 counts the hubs and wishbones? That's not bad at all if so. I had wondered if my front bearings might be iffy. Can't hurt to swap 'em I suppose... Maybe I'll put it on the list! :)

[Rossco 0]

Well mine turned out to be a broken helper spring on the passenger front coilover, changed that the other night and everything feels a bit more solid, test thrash the night :)

[rmn 0]

Anyone have the part numbers of the seat rack or an idea of price?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

That £160 counts the hubs and wishbones? That's not bad at all if so. I had wondered if my front bearings might be iffy. Can't hurt to swap 'em I suppose... Maybe I'll put it on the list! :)

 

That's just the hubs and bearings. The hubs are normally £70+VAT each and the and the bearings are usually £28+VAT each, so £160 inc VAT for all of it was good going :-)

 

To be fair there is very little need to replace hubs, maybe if you screw a wheel bolt thread or feck up a bearing removal or something, but as I got em cheap, I thought I may aswell start with a nice new mating surface for my new brakes and to make sure everything is square.

 

I wanted to replace the bearing housings too but at £165+VAT each....screw that, but Vince checked them and they're straight. The caliper mounting part of the housings often get bend by inexperienced people when pressing bearings in and out, but mine were OK.

 

I forgot the column has that curious thing in the middle of it!

[dr_mat 0]

Anyone have the part numbers of the seat rack or an idea of price?

 

The part number is earlier in the thread, iirc, and the price is about the same as the VW rack (it's the same part!). You don't do this for fun ...

[Geo 0]

No need to buy a new one in my opinion when any scrapyard is full of fresh secondhand units.

[Rossco 0]

Well mine turned out to be a broken helper spring on the passenger front coilover, changed that the other night and everything feels a bit more solid, test thrash the night :)

 

Well it deffo feels a lot better but it is still making that noise, these cars, its like a pure rip of emotions owning one

[Yandards 0]

Checked all the torque loadings on the subframe and suspension bits on the front, with the cars weight on its wheels. Discovered the front subframe to car big bolt (Not the one that you access through the wishbone, but the one that holds that rear wishbone bush in) was around 1 and half turns lose from its torque of 130nm. This was a new bolt (along with all the others) that were changed when I did my suspension upgrades/rebushing about 2 years ago but only around 8k mileage wise. I am wondering if the load was correct when fitted by due to the car being on axle stands and the droop caused by the wishbones loading the bush you get a false torque load?

 

Is this where the clunk noise is coming from? None of the other bolts had come loose either....

[24V Renshaw 0]

Where did you get that torque setting from?

I bought two new bolts this week and re-tapped the threads in the body (M12x1.5), just to make sure they will go in clean. I don't think mine are 130Nm....

 

Jay

[Yandards 0]

Where did you get that torque setting from?

I bought two new bolts this week and re-tapped the threads in the body (M12x1.5), just to make sure they will go in clean. I don't think mine are 130Nm....

 

Jay

 

Er the VW running gear manual..

 

The G60/16v subframes are 130nm tight and the VR ones are only listed as 70nm plus a furthur 90 degrees.

[24V Renshaw 0]

I was thinking about that VR torque setting. "70Nm plus a further 90 degress" That almost suggests they are stretch bolts....

I have new bolts to go in so will tighten them later on and see what affect it has.

 

Jay

[Yandards 0]

I was thinking about that VR torque setting. "70Nm plus a further 90 degress" That almost suggests they are stretch bolts....

I have new bolts to go in so will tighten them later on and see what affect it has.

 

Jay

 

The only problem with that line of thinking is that the bolts are the same on the 16v, G60 and VR6. Even the rear wishbone bush is the same regardless of type of engine.

 

I would hazard a guess that the captive nut is the same too. As such I think the difference in figures may be due to the way that the wishbone mounts to the subframe. The plus(VR) suspension setup must require less torque to ensure the subframe is correctly tightened down onto the steel bush in the centre of the rear wishbone bush :roll:

[Mike Edwards 0]

Can someone who's done it tell me how to remove the rack without dropping the subframe please?

 

Assuming it's possible....

[dr_mat 0]

IIRC you have two choices: drop the subframe or remove the steering column. There's no way to get the UJs disconnected otherwise.

[Yandards 0]

Can someone who's done it tell me how to remove the rack without dropping the subframe please?

 

Assuming it's possible....

 

If you are changing the tie rods I believe this is possible insitu.

 

If not there is this article about doing it in the wiki:

 

http://www.the-corrado.net/wiki/index.php/Steering_Rack_Replacement

[Geo 0]

Apart from disconnecting the UJs, the other problem with removing the rack with the subframe in situ is physically getting it out once it is unbolted. The part where the steering column attaches means it cannot slide out to one side through the gap between the subframe and chassis. As Yanards says, if you take off the tie rods you may be able to take it straight up out of the engine bay but even then the exhaust manifold and other bits and pieces will be in the way, not to mention the fact that removing the tie rods with the rack in situ is an awkward job in itself. Overall dropping the subframe is a much easier option in my opinion.

[Mike Edwards 0]

Your mission - should you choose to accept it - is to figure out how to do this using 2 trolley jacks, a bottle jack and a pair of axle stands...

[dr_mat 0]

I think you'll have to start simple. QE2 in a whisky bottle maybe ...?

[_leon_ 0]

@Mike Edwards: to change the rack? You can do it with that lot - I did it using 2 trolley jacks and 2 axle stands. and tools and hands ;)

Just drop the subframe - it'll make life much easier for you - when the cars only on axle stands getting the rack off the bolts attached to the subframe requires some room - unless you want to knock the 4 bolts out then drop the subframe and provide yourself with enough room to lift it up and over.

1 jack under the engine for when you unbolt the rear 2 engine mounts, 1 under the subframe for when you unbolt and I'm sure you can guess where the axle stands go ;) lol

 

As a side issue, after changing my steering rack I got a very noticable clunk when turning ther wheel slightly - located it to a pinch bolt at the UJ within the cabin - i.e. the UJ before goign through the bulkhead. Tightened it up and much much better...

[Rossco 0]

Your mission - should you choose to accept it - is to figure out how to do this using 2 trolley jacks, a bottle jack and a pair of axle stands...

 

Yeh man, if you cant do it with all that lot then you should leave it too a garage like

[keystarG60 0]

Can you guys help me out.

 

From the problems you describe, think i may have some rack issues.

 

Problem is, i have no idea how they operate/look.

 

Andrew

[Geo 0]

Your mission - should you choose to accept it - is to figure out how to do this using 2 trolley jacks, a bottle jack and a pair of axle stands...

 

I did it with 4 axle stands and one trolley jack as follows:

 

Remove 13mm bolt from universal joint where steering column joins to rack.

 

Loosen Wheels

 

Jack car up on each side and support with 2 axle stands (not under subframe!)

 

Remove wheels

 

Undo track rod end nuts and remove track rod ends from front hubs.

 

Undo bottom balljoints and remove from hubs.

 

Remove 17mm bolt from top of gearbox mount.

 

Remove 2 17mm bolts from underneath rear engine mount (access from under subframe)

 

Jack engine and gearbox slightly off mounts and support with axle stands.

 

Now the only thing holding the subframe in place are the retaining bolts and the pas pipes attached to the rack. Removing the bolts is self explanatory (support subframe with jack, remove bolts and lower)

 

The pas pipes can be done 2 ways.

 

You can either disconnect the pipes from the pump and reservoir and take them down with the rack or you can lower the subframe slightly first to gain access to the 2 pipes where they attach to the rack and remove them from the rack before lowering it fully. If I had access to a lift or pit then I would do it that way but on the ground I think it is easier to do it the first way.

 

Once you have the subframe out then remove the pipes (if you haven't done so already) and then there are 4 13mm bolts holding the rack in place on the subframe.

[_leon_ 0]

i was forced to take out a pipe with the rack due to a rounded head - regardless that way you can clean the filth off and waxoyl the metal sections.

[Mike Edwards 0]

Ah right - I understand now!

 

You're lifting the engine/gearbox off the subframe, supporting the car then dropping the subframe out.

 

Manoeuvring the various bits with the weight of the engine still attached to the frame was giving me pause for thought.

 

In which case the I see 1 day of prep and 1 day of JFDI to change the rack, rods, rod ends, wishbones (inc bushes) ball-joints, drop-links and all the bushes/bolts

[_leon_ 0]

yep - once the subframe is lowered and the engine is supported - then you can really get working