fitting inner tie rod VR6, really need to remove steering rack?

[jonnykillpop 10]

Hello, I need to fit a new inner track rod to right hand side on my VR6, the rods bent (pretty sure my mechanic did it whilst changing wisbone, but the track rod end is seized on so can't do alignment and was an advisory on mot anyway that inner worn.

Got track rod, end and boot. Thought would be nice easy job, though never actually done on this or any car.

My old Golf GTi Haynes says got to remove whole steering rack then take off, on power steering, is this really necessary. Danger of damaging rack and pinion? Seems massive hassle, was hoping just to undo locknut and screw out?

Anybody done it. Should I just get my mechanic to do it, don't want to damage the rack.

[Sean_Jaymo 0]

Do it in situ. Not the best access but get it up on axle stands, pop some man pills and swap it over. Not difficult just awkward. No need to remove rack or anything like that.

[Supercharged 2]

Thin 32mm spanner needed to get to it between the subframe and wishbone with the steeering in the right place.

 

There's no way he'll have bent it doing a wishbone - the car must have hit something farily hard at one point but tbh the rod bending is a good thing - you'd have ripped subframe bolts out or worse if not - worth checking the car for other damage too though on that side!

[vw rule 19]

You will only do damage to the steering rack if you rock the spanner back and forth when unscrewing or refitting the tie rod,

just move the spanner until it stops, there's normally about 2mm to 3mm tolerance movement with in the rack,

then unscrew the tie rod with one brisk push of the spanner when it's against it's stop.

You may have to clean the female threads in the ends of the steering rack where the tie rods screw in to,

as there might be some old thread lock on them from when the car was built in the factory or from last replacement.

 

(if you don't remove the old thread lock from the threads this can course the threads to strip when fitting a new part)

 

If you don't have the rack against it's stop in the direction of rotation which you are going,

then this can result in chipped teeth with in the steering rack.[/B]

 

Don't forget to use a little thread lock on the inner threads of the tie rod, as you don't want it to work lose in time,

and put a little grease over the ball joint part of the new tie rod just before you refit / replace the rock boot.

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Si :thumbleft:

[davidwort 0]

you won't damage the rack, and one of these makes it a 5 minute job :)

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