We break down the process of how to Rebuild a Steering Rack and help you decide whether to go for a full Rebuild or to opt for an Exchange Unit instead.
Disassembly and Initial Inspection
Racks are completely taken apart so all individual parts can be inspected. Look for shaft wear, measure pinion gear wear, and inspect the valve body for any signs of leakage. All these items can often be repaired within the rack housing but on some occasions the rack housing itself is often too damaged to carry out a full repair and in these cases the whole unit would be replaced for a new refurbished rack.
Cleaning and Measuring Wear Clearances
All metal parts are thoroughly cleaned and then measured to check the wear clearances of the rack-and-pinion. These are checked against the original manufacturers’ tolerance figures – usually within a few hundredths of a millimetre. Clearances outside of these figures could cause the car to lose precision steering.
Replacing Seals and Damaged Parts
Seal kits must be of the correct specification for the rack being reconditioned. This must also be matched to the type of hydraulic fluid that is currently being used in the vehicle. If the wrong type of seal is used then it is likely to fail prematurely. All end bushes, tie-rod seats and any shaft sections that have been damaged in any way are replaced during this stage of the rebuild with new ones.
Pinion Pre-Load Adjustment
The pinion pre-load is then set on the rebuilt rack using a torque wrench to the specified value. This affects how much resistance there is when steering through the straight ahead position. If too loose then the steering becomes vague, but if too tight then it becomes too hard to steer and tire some more.
Bench Testing Before Refit
Power steering specialists will also pressure test the newly rebuilt rack on their workbench to check for any leaks prior to refitting your car. More on power steering specialists can be found at https://westernpowersteering.co.uk/.
A rack that has been properly rebuilt can feel and perform as well as a new rack.
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