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For me, it was hard to force the old school black rubber bushes into the rack subframe cradles (sorry I don't know the right word)
I call them "mounting ears", FWIW.
How much force did you need? The rack should just be a snug fit. If you had to (let's say) force the rack into position with a long bar for leverage, that's too much. Too tight might be putting the ears under constant strain. The ears are not especially rugged; I've seem some split and/or broken at the weld to the subframe.
It's not a terrible picture all things considered, but you can see that large gap on the left.
Order some Superflex poly bushes for that, or put the car on ramps and get under there with some washers, I cut out a slot in 4 copper washers and hammered them into one side of my bushing/mount. Other side I could pull the rack down and get them in then re-bolt. Makes a world of difference if you don't have the time for all new bushings.
I don't mind doing the new bushings, I only drive the car on nice sunny days back and forth the few miles to work. It's a labor of love right?
Gah! no no no! you have to drive her like you stole her or she will come to resent you. I made that mistake drove my car a few miles in the snow and cold until it blew brown soot...Did as Grant & Doug suggested and absolutely floored the car up the highway in 1st gear red lined until it was cleared out. These cars can't be puttered about on some country road.
Gah! no no no! you have to drive her like you stole her or she will come to resent you. I made that mistake drove my car a few miles in the snow and cold until it blew brown soot...Did as Grant & Doug suggested and absolutely floored the car up the highway in 1st gear red lined until it was cleared out. These cars can't be puttered about on some country road.
With these its abit more then that, contrary to all common wisdom they love to rev and anything less than 4000rpm is wasted gas. I swear the more I stomp it and do 90mph in 1st gear the better, it makes no sense but it works.
Ears? Makes sense. Common language is a good thing haha
Rethinking what I wrote - "hard and force" from the perspective of NOT knowing exactly what I was doing the first time, managing placement, the weight of the rack (although held some by inner tie rods), holding bushes in place (trying), positioning and then yes,,, laying on my back with little leverage was kinda hard to squish them/it in. I remember having to use my elbow to the ground to get the leverage I needed to hold it in place and push up a pit to squeeze them up and into place handling bolts. But no, no pry bars or real force, force. Hand arm pushed.
Still, I have a "next time" in my near future as I tried to go for bargain basement prices or, just got a faulty HPress hose. Its leaking ever so slightly a the hose/aluminum connection point at the lower portion of the soft hose to metal "U" to soft hose curve at at the front - where it mounts to subframe. PITA. More, being frustrated or lazy I wasn't able to get the bushings on the top EARS. My wheel/steering aint right but it ain't all bad. I feel like I have a ton of things to go back to to get just right...
But hey,,, Ive only driven her on the road two three times, yet. In time.
I'm using the simple flat black bushings again next time, and for now. Polys some day. So here's the thing! I wont be using (or buying) that thin metal surround bracket (# 1 in pic). The one that kinda "contains" the bushings. Mine was a rusty nothing when I found it in there. In order to hold the bushings in place, at least on the side where the steering column meets the rack with the two bolts, I plan to just put one or two pressure wraps of duct or aluminum tape to hold them still and then pop a hole in the tape when pushing the bolts home. Aluminum tape as opposed to duct maybe - worried about heat and fire due to exhaust pipes.
Is there a trick to holding the bushings (especially the upper bushings) in place as the rack is pushed back in and up,,, at least until bolt is secure?
boyoh, you guys sure make a simple thing into a major task!!
25 years ago , i was NOT satisfied with BS jag steering rack mountings, so being old fashioned ,i just whipped up a solid aluminum bush,on the lathe, and made custom ally washers to fit, been perfect ever since , not wishy washy feeling, and very improved steering response!
pic
Well... tomorrow I'm going for it! Does anyone have the exact size socket and washer they used for the makeshift puller? Just to save me some time running around. Hopefully by the end of the day it's all back together and tight!
I pulled my rack completely (3 times and not a lot O fun) the last time I did what's described below. But, I think, of you remove oil filter, undo the steering column knuckle from rack, using the tie rods to hold and support the weight of the rack, without taking it all down, what I did below can be done with the rack pulled as low as you can get it with hoses still connected. If not, certainly can be done with hoses disconnected... I hate the hoses!
For mine,,, don't make fun of me, I pushed a large screwdriver thru the rubber of the bushing. Applied some heat, pushed out the metal center. Ripped it out, old bushes were going in the bin. Put a hacksaw blade into the cavity, went in the direction of the THICKEST part of the bush housing or cylinder in the rack (towards the rack body if i recall)and slowly and level-ly ran the HAND saw thru the bushing case/shell until thru. It popped right out with only the smallest scratch in the rack frame. Later polished it out with some soft steel wool.
This gave me approximately a 16th extra inch. Could actually hear it when the bush casing gave way to give me the extra space, saw got a little hung up, pinched. A 16th, the width of the saw, is a BIG 16th in that situation....
I'm risky like that!
whatever ya do,,, good luck.
Of course you can do it however you choose, but just folding the outer shell in with a chisel is so easy I think it’s worth sharing a pic.
You can see the rusty ring around the outer shell where it sticks out of the rack. You can just fold that in with a chisel and then again a quarter the way around to create a nice place to drive it out.
I did all the work climbing under from the front, with the engine over my chest. Whether you are on ramps or stands makes no difference, but I can tell you that you want whatever it is to be very secure.
I had ramps under the wheels actually bearing the weight, and stands under the sills just in case.
When working under vehicles without ramps and wheels off... lay the tires down and slide them under the car just behind or in-front of where you are working.
When jacks or stands fail some times the car come down at an angel and the tires are wide enough to save your life. Tires are wide enough the support the car car even if it falls side ways a foot.
Last edited by icsamerica; 04-30-2018 at 09:13 AM.
When working under vehicles without ramps and wheels off... lay the tires down and slide them under the car just behind or in-front of where you are working.
When jacks or stands fail some times the car come down at an angel and the tires are wide enough to save your life. Tires are wide enough the support the car car even if it falls side ways a foot.
you tell'm ics!!! Ain't that the truth. Dont wanna make a mistake,,,, and catch a bad one!!! A reeeeeal bad, one! Safety first!!!
I ordered the sport bushes today and the Jaguar removal tool to make the job a bit easier. I have an eclectic collection of "specialty" tools and figured why not add another to the fold.
Well complete hell on earth! The worst part of this is that I don't have a garage where I can take apart some stuff and leave it for another day. I'm not sure how it is in Europe etc but as soon as I saw that steering column pinch bolt I knew I was in for it. I could get a socket on the bolt but I could not get an open ended or anything on the other side because of zero space! Then I started thinking ok even if I get it off how can I get it back on. I can't even fit my fat hand up there to start the bolt in. So I turned to the lower bushings... started wondering if I could just do them with some rack twisting... well after many many hours of twisting upside down and making presses etc. I did the passenger side bushing. I was able to drop that side enough to get it out and back it. The worst part about it. The car feels 75% better! If I can get the other 2 done it will be like new. If I had my own garage where I could leave it and come back to it I'd like to think I could do it. Wrenching on your back is just the worst thing possible though. I'm going to see how much a "pro" will charge to do the last 2. I don't want to but it's just a nightmare
I'm guessing a pro is going to charge way to much... I guess I just have 1 question. I was able to get a socket on the pinchbolt through the wheel well.... what do you use to get a lock on the nut? Seems like a flat socket wrench with a long handle would be the best way... any suggestions? I won't be defeated!
I'm guessing a pro is going to charge way to much... I guess I just have 1 question. I was able to get a socket on the pinchbolt through the wheel well.... what do you use to get a lock on the nut? Seems like a flat socket wrench with a long handle would be the best way... any suggestions? I won't be defeated!
I've always somehow managed to get a box-end wrench (ring spanner to the British?) on the backside and sorta wedge it into position. Sometimes it drops off. Refit it. It'll drop again, maybe. Or not. Just gotta keep after it !
Having a huge selection of different length/style of wrenches and extensions helps.
Other times I've managed *just* the right combination of extensions and wrenches....and exact right body position....to allow me to hold the backing wrench with one hand and work my ratchet with the other. Almost like divine intervention. Don't ask me what the magic combination is. I can't begin to remember, sorry !
Well complete hell on earth! The worst part of this is that I don't have a garage where I can take apart some stuff and leave it for another day. I'm not sure how it is in Europe etc but as soon as I saw that steering column pinch bolt I knew I was in for it. I could get a socket on the bolt but I could not get an open ended or anything on the other side because of zero space! Then I started thinking ok even if I get it off how can I get it back on. I can't even fit my fat hand up there to start the bolt in. So I turned to the lower bushings... started wondering if I could just do them with some rack twisting... well after many many hours of twisting upside down and making presses etc. I did the passenger side bushing. I was able to drop that side enough to get it out and back it. The worst part about it. The car feels 75% better! If I can get the other 2 done it will be like new. If I had my own garage where I could leave it and come back to it I'd like to think I could do it. Wrenching on your back is just the worst thing possible though. I'm going to see how much a "pro" will charge to do the last 2. I don't want to but it's just a nightmare
Have you removed the oil filter? There is that and,,, something I don't like to touch cuz it's like plumbing in an old house,,, dropping the exhaust at the manifold area - if I remember right...?
Yes! It is a tough job. 3times for me and I will be going back in, soon. I know it. But it gets "easier" everytime...
Well complete hell on earth! The worst part of this is that I don't have a garage where I can take apart some stuff and leave it for another day. I'm not sure how it is in Europe etc but as soon as I saw that steering column pinch bolt I knew I was in for it. I could get a socket on the bolt but I could not get an open ended or anything on the other side because of zero space! Then I started thinking ok even if I get it off how can I get it back on. I can't even fit my fat hand up there to start the bolt in. So I turned to the lower bushings... started wondering if I could just do them with some rack twisting... well after many many hours of twisting upside down and making presses etc. I did the passenger side bushing. I was able to drop that side enough to get it out and back it. The worst part about it. The car feels 75% better! If I can get the other 2 done it will be like new. If I had my own garage where I could leave it and come back to it I'd like to think I could do it. Wrenching on your back is just the worst thing possible though. I'm going to see how much a "pro" will charge to do the last 2. I don't want to but it's just a nightmare
actually 944... remove the oil filter. Be ready for a quart of oil. Remove the nuts and bolts from the rack, so it will also move around some. You might have to give a little yank to free up over and around exhaust and other places that might want to keep it up there. The steering coulmn has a piviot joint and will offer some freedom IF you can get it as free as you can from surrounding catchups... and i aint talking Heinz....
Turn the wheel (by push raised tire around left and right) so the bolt on the tower and column is facing down - at you. Lay with your body sticking out under the driver door and towards undet the fender well-ish area. Contort, move around, best position/angle as Doug said is about the most import part of this as it will allow you to see and use both hands. Do that before you even start wrestling. Best position will save sweat.... If need be, and I didn't have to, get a wrench on that back side. Use a long,,, 2 or 3 if need be and the 12mm for the pinch - I think it is. That part is very possible.
Yes, the no garage thing sucks. But it's possible to get her done.
04-27-2018, 08:54 PM
