steering rack install issue

[Kings911]

Ran into a problem changing my power steering rack. I counted the turns on the ball joints off the old tie rod ends onto the new. Now that they are on the new rack the front wheels both point in toward the radiator. All the tie rods appear to be the right size. What did I do wrong in this process?

[drkshdw]

What year is your car? What year are the inner tie rods from? The >86 are shorter than the <87 inner tie rods. Sounds like you may have early ones on a late car?

[16again2009]

There are several videos on the internet how to do a driveway alignment. I did it on my dodge van yesterday after a steering rack replacement. It gets it close enough to get to the alignment shop. Counting the turns did not work for me either. It was over 1/4 inch off.

[Kings911]

Originally Posted by drkshdw

What year is your car? What year are the inner tie rods from? The >86 are shorter than the <87 inner tie rods. Sounds like you may have early ones on a late car?

89

How different? With the new and old racks right next to each other they appear to be identical.

Are they "inches" different?

Thanks

[Kings911]

[drkshdw]

Originally Posted by Kings911

89

How different? With the new and old racks right next to each other they appear to be identical.

Are they "inches" different?

Thanks

Early and late steering racks are identical. The difference is in the inner tie rods. Late inner tie rods are just over an inch longer on each side than the early inner tie rods (to account for the late offset wheels needed for ABS in later years). If you're using early inner tie rods on a late offset car, that would pull the wheels inward about an inch on either side which would account for them being pointed towards the radiator now.

[Kings911]

So its the inner not the outer rods that are the issue? Can I swap the inners from the old unit onto the new easily?

[drkshdw]

Yes and yes. You can use either an inner tie rod removal tool (a long tube with inserts that fit several different types of inner tie rods that make removal easy) or a 30mm wrench will do.

They're on there tight so you'll have to mount the rack somewhere to take them off. Clamp the rack in a vice or if you don't have a vice, bolt the rack back up to the crossmember and take them off that way.

[jtehfreaks]

I had the exact same thing happen when I swapped out my rack; the inner tie rods are too short. Just swap the ones from your old rack out with those from the new one, and you'll be set.

[Kings911]

Getting ready to swap over the tie rods and I noticed one thing about something unrelated.

I have a question about the wire that comes off the cross member and bolts to the front of the rack.

On the factory rack there is a plate with 3 both holes. 2 that bolt it to the rack and one for that wire. On the new rack there is no 3rd hole.

Recommendations?

[drkshdw]

That wire is to ground the horn. You can either switch plates from the original rack to the new one or you can attach the ground to the bottom bolt of that plate. Either will work. Unless you have a manual rack in which case there is a separate attachment to the left of the bushing that wire secures to.

[Kings911]

Really? That little brown wire from the cross member to steering rack grounds the horn?

Dang there is do much I don't know.

Thanks for all the help. Hopefully it's back on the road leak free tomorrow.

[Kings911]

Oops...car goes straight though errrrr.

[IdahoDoug]

Ah - details. Heh. I assume you're going to bring it in for an alignment and they'll deal with the steering wheel as well. In the past when I've tried to line up my own steering wheels, its best to put it on loosely (not stupid loose) and go for a drive to see which way it needs to be adjusted and how far. Pull over and mark the rim with a tape mark on your best judgement. Then either bring the wrench with you to make the adjustment and double check it on the drive back home to perhaps move a single spline. Then properly torque the steering wheel fastener at home.

Doug

[Kings911]

So that's all I really have to do huh? Just pull it and straighten it? Times like this I wish I didn't have an airbag. That's a 5 minute job on an early car haha.

[drkshdw]

Yep, just pull the wheel and install at the correct position. Park your car with the wheels pointing exactly straight, pull the airbag and steering wheel, put the steering wheel back on straight and reinstall the airbag. Don't start the car during the process or you may have airbag light issues (don't know how the airbags work on these cars so don't quote me on that). It's a 10 minute job on airbag cars, 30 seconds on non-airbag ones.

[Kings911]

Originally Posted by drkshdw

Yep, just pull the wheel and install at the correct position. Park your car with the wheels pointing exactly straight, pull the airbag and steering wheel, put the steering wheel back on straight and reinstall the airbag. Don't start the car during the process or you may have airbag light issues (don't know how the airbags work on these cars so don't quote me on that). It's a 10 minute job on airbag cars, 30 seconds on non-airbag ones.

So I wasn't able to put the wheel on straight because of the white tab that the airbag light goes through? I will try and takes pics but should that white tab spin?

I changed the cluster at the same time only to find the new cluster also didn't work

[drkshdw]

The clock spring needs to be rewound. Watch this video starting at 8:27. It'll show you how to realign the clock spring so that white tab will fit into the wheel at the proper location.

[Kings911]

Thanks. Yea I just watched that. I guess I have to take those dash pieces off to get to it though huh. No easier way.

[kwikt 911]

Does your rack have the alignment hole. Usually a plastic plug on the driver side bottom of rack.