I spent most of today on removing my front subframe for a big job I've been putting off for a while. I was following the Jaguar FSM removal method where the steering rack goes down with the subframe then comes off afterwards since I wanted to flush my PS fluid anyway.

I got a bit held up on the step where the lower steering column is drawn away from the rack input stud - after removing the bolt, mine wouldn't budge. After a while of hammering and prybaring I managed to get it wiggly and loose, and most of the way off. I figured that was it, and it would slide the rest of the way off as I dropped the subframe. Nope. As the subframe went down, the lower piece of the column came out of the gaiter, still attached to the steering rack.




Can I slide this back into the rest of the steering column with no concern? Or am I SOL and in need of a new column now?


Honorable woes mention: I figured out my sporadic electric power loss under hard braking! The PS return line was rubbing into the starter motor cable crimp, very slightly wearing through the heatshrink, enough to expose some wire, and then touching that under just the right amount of braking. I was tying the return line to a trans cooler line to keep it from dangling, and nearly jumped when it suddenly sent out a bunch of sparks. At least that's an easy fix, bend the return line slightly, reinsulate the wire, and now that all the rubber is being renewed that shouldn't happen anymore.

 

No circlip or snapring should go back in . Without a pilot or bullet looks easier said then done unless you have someone very very slightly wiggle the steering wheel at the neutral position or the match with the tire position . Double check before bolting lower carriage

 

I have never won when it comes to doing it the 'easier' (allegedly) way by leaving the steering rack on. I always cave in by removing the drivers side of the rack first , remove steering shaft coupler and then removing the rest of the rack off the subframe and continuing on with the rest of the job.

 

Did you have a knock when braking and going over bumps? If yes, the column is the culprit. Get yourself a new imporved version... They are still available

 

Daim, are you talking about the steering coupler/shaft assembly?

 

One thing at a time Just spent a bunch on this overhaul, and got a pair of front brake calipers and bleeding tools on the way as well... And I may need to replace my center muffler. I'll put the steering column in my list of parts though, it seems like a smart idea, with the rubber bushing and all. Just found the TSB referencing it, TSB 211-06. It looks like it's maybe the same lower column that comes on the x350?

 

Unfortunately it isn't the same. The length is different.

I bought a used one for like $75. My nasty clonks and bangs have gone. I thought I would need to redo the front subframe. I've got all the parts here but noticed the play in my steering.

 

The lower steering column. The section between car interior and engine bay/pinion.

 

I'll see how it goes once everything is back together - looks like the lower piece in the original post was ok to just slide back in - gave it a good dose of grease for the hell of it. I did end up having bad subframe bushings, one shot Vee, and both motor mounts in need of replacing, so I'm hoping those give a significant improvement.

Today I learned I should have just bought a recon'd LCA instead of trying to press the old lower ball joint out. More on that tomorrow...

 

Keep us updated. My lower ball joints are very loose. Not any slack yet but loose. So I will be doing something sometime...

And yeah, the old steering column can be pushen together again. But when it is in, feel the slack. Give it a good shake. A tiny little rattles is enough to transfer to the car...

 

I did check that when I reinstalled the lower piece - mine didn't have any play I could feel under the car. Mine had a spring steel sleeve on it, you can kind of see towards the top of the picture; I'm wondering if those wear out or break off causing the play, because without it I could definitely see there being play in the steering. I have noticed my steering has a degree or so of free movement - I'll know for sure once this overhaul is done how much better it is. For that I'm suspecting rack wear itself, or possibly the upper column, since I've had issues there before. Someone here mentioned adjusting rack gear preload, I may try that if it gets to it, once I eliminate other causes.

I finally managed to get the old LBJ out today. I got a recipro saw, which helped massively with that and cutting the old subframe mounts free. To free the LBJ, I first cut the raised section that hooks the gaiter on, letting the ball joint itself fall out. Once that was done, I dremeled the back of the cup until the slot was large enough to fit the recip sawblade through. Think about 15-20 mins of just holding a dremel to the cup at max buzzing away. Then I was able to cut sideways to the end of the cup, until I hit the arm itself, letting me finally break the cup loose and knock it out. Basically the same idea as cutting the subframe mounts out, but with much more effort.

I did what others said to make install easier, stick the new LBJ in a freezer and heat the arm itself up. As I was installing the new LBJ it started to go in crooked, causing my jury rigged press tool (some short threaded 2" steel pipe) to go crooked and bend over the side of the LBJ, bending the LBJ flange, and causing my press to send most of the parts and tools in every direction. Fortunately nothing hit me, not looking to get a press plate to the gut... Immediately after that I went to Amazon and ordered a new preassembled arm. $110 well spent, and for some reason the RH was only $64, I wasn't planning on doing that one but I am now while everything is apart. The cost savings aren't even all that great if you're using parts that aren't URO-price, and makes sense if you're going to pay someone else to be pressing parts in anyway. I'll see what the quality of it is when it comes in.

Yeah, a lot of the failure of install was on me for not having the correct tools, but that's what happens when trying to do this stuff at home. Should have just bought the arms yesterday, may have been able to use the wasted time to get the subframe itself back in today and get my engine off the damn sling.

As usual my sig manages to stay relevant. Buy the arms.

 

The mentioned play is what caused me to change the steering rack AND the lower coloumn. I replaced all parts of the steering rack incl. rack itself. That meant a good used rack, new outer and inner balljpints, new rubber brackets. All replaced to find that it did nothing. I thought it was pinion wear... Nope. These racks as it looks don't wear badly. Mine had 210k km (about 130k miles) on it and still nothing. I had at first abput 1° of play. But it got worse by the months. The spring clamp inside was still in mine.

And all that was indicated by the clonk when braking (feelable in the steering column) and the clonk when going over rough surfaces.

When I removed my column, you could only hear a tiny click. First few seconds of the video, but extended to the position it would work in, it was that what you hear later in the video. My opinion: worst steering column design after the spiked solid ones of the 50ies