Started 348 steering rack rebuild

Eric- did you happen to make any extra bushings that you might be willing to part with and sell?

Curious a couple of years on how they have fared?

Thanks!

Jason

 

These posts are extremely helpful, but as I notice almost everyone is US based, then these posts relate to a Left Hand Drive (LHD) rack, has anyone done a RHD one?" I am seem to be unable to get the rack clear enough to rotate it sufficiently to remove from the car

 

Thanks so much for the reply, I did follow the mist helpful posts, but I think my problem might be that in RHD the aircon hose goes through that hole as well as the steering arm and the sway bar, not leaving sufficient space to able to rotate the rack in recommended direction. Plus, I can't get my hands right into the space to rotate it! I'm thing I might need to remove the aircon hose which is a pain as it will have to be refilled etc.

Thanks again

Arthur

 

Thanks for the advice from everyone. I have completed the job and make a couple of observations on a RH rack removal:

1. There is no need to remove the air conditioning or other cables that intrude into the area housing the steering rack, but there is precious little room left to get the rack out.

2. You do need to remove the centre cover plate under the car to loosen the airconditioning hard line, plus the sway bar connections and mounting saddles.

3. You need to remove the bolts securing the sway bar saddles on the side you are withdrawing the rack through (they are very special and can be just twisted out, but care needs to be taken (and the nut refitted) to prevent them falling into the frame rail (don't ask how I know). Ferrarium gives an excellent tutorial on how to prepare them for refitting, and I thank him for that.

4. You need small hands to get in and rotate the rack to get it to move the right way, but it is do-able. Mine were too large!

5. Take care not to snag wiring and the heater hose connections inside the frame as you move the rack out

6. Installation is in effect reversal of the above.

7. You cannot do it on your own.

I had my rack reconditioned by Active Power Steering in Revesby Sydney but they are a large organisation with several branches, at a cost of $AU 460 which I think was very reasonable as everything including the steering arms, the rack end bushes (which were the source of my problem in the first place) and the bellows were replaced

Thanks again for the help and I hope that just add something

Arthur