so i decided to tackle this today, the drivers side has been loose sense spring, the passenger side just got loose after the trip to atlanta (mi) last month. over the summer the drivers side got very loose!

anyway, start with removing the skid plate and outer tie rods, i just replaced those early summer with spicer parts, the moogs didnt last long!




next remove the fluid cooler and lines from the rack





next remobe the bolt that holds the steering shaft to the rack, note do not rotate the steering shaft or damage to the clock spring may result.


next remove the bolts that hold the rack to the frame


this is where it gets tricky, you will need to remove the bushings and metal sleeves, michigan winters are not nice.




i had to clean the corrosion out of the holes.

next push and twist the rack towards the passenger side enough to get the rack out through the front. sorry i dont have any pics i was doing this alone.



now that the rack is out clamp it in a vice and remove the boot clamps and boots, be carefull to not damage the clamps, you will need to either reuse them or replace them, do NOT use zip ties!



now the inner tie rod is exposed, use the special tool and remove them.




next get your new spicer inner tie rods ready


they come with loc-tite and grease


loc-tite the threads and install the inner tie rods, torque them to 70 ftlbs



now reinstall the boots


now reinstall the rack in the truck





use a new cotter pin dummy!


next refill the pump with merc V and bleed the system.

next get an alignment.



yeah yeah i see my left camber is borderline. but its still green (in spec)

now finally test drive your truck and enjoy your straight steering wheel for the first time in 8 months!


and sorry for the poor pics. camera phone was acting gay
recap, this is not an easy job. it took me a better part of 4 hours total and i am a pro and had a lift at my disposal.

 

yeah i know. i dont know why it was taking crappy pics today

mine were 5 years old, 54K and a lot of abuse.

this i will say, i will NEVER replace these again!

if they get loose again then it will be time. dana 44, coil overs and other things.

 

alldata says to remove the rack, it also says to NOT use zip ties for the boots.

the reason i removed the rack was so i could make sure to get the clamps on the boots tight and right. i couldnt see getting in there with the special clamp tool i have.

i dont want to take the chance on a zip tie breaking and mud getting in there. my truck gets a lot of "off road" abuse.

so i am very happy you can change one in 15 minutes. i hope the zip tie holds!

 

special tool 4 inner tie rods? I used a big pipe wrench, worked fine. As far getting the zip ties on, no problem when you turn the steering to lock. Put both Moog inners and outers on in about an hour and a half, never removed the rack though. Then took her for alignment. Good write up though (especially the part about removing the rack; since I've read about a number of steering rack failures on here). Wow, and I thought Hawaiian salt air was bad for vehicles.

 

i'll see if i can get the alldata R&R printed and post it here.

and i do not recommend using a pipe wrench as you could damage the rack.

i really don't care how you guys do this, not my truck.

just rather posting the proper way to do the job.

 

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Truck works fine, rack works fine. As far as manuals dictating the "proper" way to do things, both BMW and Ford manuals ( I own and work on both types of vehicles) recommend a whole host of "special tools". This type of BS will tend to cost someone (especially the do it yourself guy) a heck of a lot of cash. I've opted to build my own tools and take what I can from the manuals (not following everything to a T, other than torque specs, clearances, settings and assemblies etc). As I said before, enlightening write up (didn't think to replace tie rod ends that the rack had to be pulled; now I have another way to look at it). BTW, a big open end works just as good as a pipe wrench (the kind with out the crimped jaws) to loosen the inners.

 

let me try this again, i do not recommend using a pipe wrench to remove or install inner tie rods.

 

Flaming River makes a nice ( 17:1 ) rack and pinion. I don;t know what it costs for inner tie-rods, but a whole rack is.. 130$.

 

Yep, my rack is ruined! Get a clue why don't ya. I didn't recommend anything. Pipe wrench was what I used, it worked, rack works fine, nothings ruined blah, blah, blah....the end. As far as the type of wrench that I did use, as I said before, it didn't have crimping on it (in other words the jaws were smooth). And, as I previously mentioned, you can use an big open box to do the job just as easily. The main point being made was that I didn't have to take the rack out to do the job. Why do people have to be so pretentious on this site? The "Here's my way, the right way and that's the only way mentalily" won't work out here in the sticks. If you're gonna get stuff done on an island, you have to be resourceful.