I've heard of a place called "Hose-man"
Based out of la mirada calif. suppose to be able to make anything. Good luck!
Based out of la mirada calif. suppose to be able to make anything. Good luck!
How To: Replace your own steering rack (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter ENGINE er
- Start date
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PabloCruise
SILVER Star
I hope my lines spin free when I do this!
2001LC
SILVER Star
Donor 100 series.
most stores that make hydraulic hoses can bend you a new one also.
I'll check around, I'm sure someone around here makes hoses. Thanks for the advice guys.
If you see a commercial mowing truck with zero turn mowers ask the guy who they have make the hydraulic hoses for their mowers when they start leaking.
They will know of a quality place that does it for good prices locally
They will know of a quality place that does it for good prices locally
Update, I found the aftermarket hose from Sunsong on e-Bay, PN 3402991. It came yesterday and I put in this morning, pic of the new hose below. It seems to be of good workmanship and had all the right bends in all the right places and fit with no problems. Best of all, it cost me 35 bucks...hopefully it lasts a good long time. Here's a pic of it as received.
About to have the guys at TOYO Masters work on my 03 LX. Is Beno still around?
When jacking up the engine, is it necessary to loosen the bolts on any of the other motor mounts? Thanks in advance...I'm hoping to get this done tomorrow
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Can I ask if you replaced that oil cooler gasket without removing the coolant lines?
I have a new gasket and need to replace it but just don't want to tamper with the coolant lines unless I absolutely have to. The mileage is high enough on my LC that if I need to remove the coolant lines I need to purchase new ones with new clamps as I don't want t do it again.
I feel better knowing I don't need to drain all the oil as it sits relatively above the oil pan level and will be also be sitting on its front frame on 12-ton jack stands.
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Bump...Please? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
fwiw, I loosened all motor mounts. I couldn't tell for sure if I needed to, but I remember them all being fairly accessible.
DirtDawg
"It'd be alot cooler if you did"
Only one side needs to be loosened. I use the driver side.
DirtDawg! Thanks man...I've been having nightmares about snapping the mount on the other side of the motor!
DirtDawg
"It'd be alot cooler if you did"
No worries. There's enough rubber on the other motor mount to allow it to flex.
That's where my thinking took me, thanks for the response...sounds like it's no harm done to just disconnect the driver's side.
So I am looking (drearily) into doing this project. I am looking to get a rack from the dealer (they match the price from online competitors a lot of the time) for like $480. In what way did the new rack help driving/steering? I have replaced all the control arms and tie rod ends, but it still feels a little loose when hitting pot holes hard enough or turning on inclined/uneven surfaces. Thank you wonderful people.
For me it reduced slop and steering effort, you could drive it with a pinky finger when it was done and aligned. Prior to the swap I had a lot of wander under acceleration and had developed a clunk or hard spot from some trail damage no doubt. If you are smooth but sloppy I wonder if you have tried replacing the rack bushings with urethane copies yet? That is a cheap way to tighten up the steering and the urethanes could be re-used if you went to a new rack in the end anyway. You can get it ridding nice but it will still be a body on frame truck so it won't handle like a sports car no matter what you do...
I just completed this today (after starting last night with the help of a friend). What a b*&%h. I myself did the engine lift technique, don't even try to get the oil filter housing off, the seal will probably not go on correctly after. You really have to get it at least an inch off the engine mount for the rack to clear. If the rack is still not clearing, try turning it (especially the part that connects to the steering shaft) to get it out the front.
Advice on the steering shaft i thought of afterwords. Unbolt the link with the tires still on the ground, and wiggle the steering wheel, it might help break it loose?
I STILL HAVE TWO PROBLEMS THOUGH. I do not think my rack was centered when I put mine back in, so now my tie rod thread count is off on both sides and my steering wheel is not straight. I have not had an alignment yet so I don't know if that will take care of it. When I turn all the way left it is not stopping where it should or sounds like it's straining to turn.
OTHER PROBLEM. When I turn the steering wheel, I can still see the rack moving side to slide- like it's slipping through the grommet... What is that about? I have new OEM bushings and grommet in.... wtf?
HELP
Advice on the steering shaft i thought of afterwords. Unbolt the link with the tires still on the ground, and wiggle the steering wheel, it might help break it loose?
I STILL HAVE TWO PROBLEMS THOUGH. I do not think my rack was centered when I put mine back in, so now my tie rod thread count is off on both sides and my steering wheel is not straight. I have not had an alignment yet so I don't know if that will take care of it. When I turn all the way left it is not stopping where it should or sounds like it's straining to turn.
OTHER PROBLEM. When I turn the steering wheel, I can still see the rack moving side to slide- like it's slipping through the grommet... What is that about? I have new OEM bushings and grommet in.... wtf?
HELP
The only way you could get side to side movement in the rack is if the large bolt, close to the drivers side, is not tight or the bushing is worn.
To get your rack centered, set the tie rod lengths equal to each other. You can roughly check the toe with a tape measure so you limit wear on your tires when going to get the alignment. With your tie rods the same length, go for a quick test drive. If the steering wheel is off, note which way it needs to go to get centered. Loosen and adjust the steering shaft at the rack. Do your best to move it only one spline then reassemble. This isn't to bad if you applied some sort of lubricant or grease to the splines during reassembly. Repeat as necessary. You want the steering shaft and rack to be as close to true center as possible so that you can use the full range of the rack.
To get your rack centered, set the tie rod lengths equal to each other. You can roughly check the toe with a tape measure so you limit wear on your tires when going to get the alignment. With your tie rods the same length, go for a quick test drive. If the steering wheel is off, note which way it needs to go to get centered. Loosen and adjust the steering shaft at the rack. Do your best to move it only one spline then reassemble. This isn't to bad if you applied some sort of lubricant or grease to the splines during reassembly. Repeat as necessary. You want the steering shaft and rack to be as close to true center as possible so that you can use the full range of the rack.
