I'd be curious what their weight is vs the OEM units when you pull them off.
Ordered my Steering Rack today...what else do I need.....? (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter flintknapper
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I'd be curious what their weight is vs the OEM units when you pull them off.
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- #83
Love to see a close up pic of the outer splines just for comparisons sake.
Ok. Give me a few.
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- #87
I like the beveled 'lead-in' on the OEM Diff Side splines. Should make it easy to hit the side gears.
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- #88
Cardone HD Diff Side Splines:
Flange Side Splines:
Flange Side Splines:
The splines look nice on the Napa’s, somewhat curious about the ball bearing count though. Is it possible to feel the bearings through the boot to yield an accurate count?
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- #90
Doubt it, the boot has a lot of bellows and the material is quite thick.
I kind of assumed that would be the case.
Do you have access to X-Ray machine?
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I saw 6 in a cv cage in the video below at the 7:40 timestamp. I believe his axle is OEM.
That is the outer joint, the 3 vs more ball bearings comparison is for the inner joint.
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Ahh okay my mistake
I don't hate packing bearings anymore after getting this packer.
Quick note to say that I installed the Detroit axle steering rack this weekend along with the poly big bushing. It went in fine and the improvement in steering is amazing. The unexpected benefit is that it rides so much smoother. Before replacement the small bumps would send a harsh shock through the front end. I was ready to rip out the OME shocks in an attempt to smooth things out.
Thanks for all the tips.
Thanks for all the tips.
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- #98
Well....was going to start on this project...but the Wifey doesn't want to drive my 80 series to work for a few days while I work on the LX. Instead...she wants me to wait until after tax season (she does accounting) when she can take vacation.
So....I thought I'd put a new D-Bushing on the Steering Rack to see if that would help tighten things up until then.
The front bolt isn't hard to reach....but the one in the rear is buried out of sight like Jimmy Hoffa. You can 'feel' it, but can't really 'see' it much. A couple of 'flex' tools help a lot with that.
I am lucky also that I don't have to deal with rusty bolts or parts. I can't imagine how those who live in the rust belt manage.
Anyway....got it done. It helped some, but the sooner I can get in there and replace the steering rack itself...the better.
So....I thought I'd put a new D-Bushing on the Steering Rack to see if that would help tighten things up until then.
The front bolt isn't hard to reach....but the one in the rear is buried out of sight like Jimmy Hoffa. You can 'feel' it, but can't really 'see' it much. A couple of 'flex' tools help a lot with that.
I am lucky also that I don't have to deal with rusty bolts or parts. I can't imagine how those who live in the rust belt manage.
Anyway....got it done. It helped some, but the sooner I can get in there and replace the steering rack itself...the better.
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Over the course of the weekend, I replaced the rack and pinion, all PS hoses, PS pump, reservoir, lower ball joints, new nitro upper control arms, extended sway bar end links, and new sway bar bushings. The front end is basically rebuilt. It's so much nicer to drive now. The job itself is only uncomfortable because I was working on the ground. It's not all that technical, just a lot of working in cramped areas. Thanks to everyone that has contributed to the topic!
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- #100
^^^^^
That doesn't sound good. Hopefully I'll have better access since I'll be pulling Hubs, rotors, CV's, upper and lower control arms and steering knuckle.
Probably leave the diff in place but I want to change the bushing in it as well.
I'm 6'-5" and 260 lbs.....so crawling around under the vehicle already isn't fun. Let alone when parts are hard to get to.
