Post edited 10:56 pm – April 30, 2011 by yellocoyote

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Steering Rack

Removal

-Set parking brake

-Raise front, set on jack stands and remove wheels

-Center steering

-Disconnect tie rod ends (21 mm)

-Remove drivers side tie rod end (count rotations and make note of it for installation)

-Remove fans (Electric fan 10 mm, requires unbolting upper cross member 10 mm)

-Remove serpentine belt (Tensioner 15 mm, clockwise to releave tension)

-Disconnect sensor in power steering line that connects below the power steering pump just behind the pulley.

-Disconnect this same power steering line (16 mm / flange wrench recommended)

-Slightly turn the steering wheel to position the steering shaft linkage bolt for easy access, then lock the steering wheel.

-Remove the steering shaft linkage retaining bolt (13 mm)

-Lift the steering linkage to remove it from the steering rack input shaft

-Remove steering rack retaining bolts (24 mm for both the bolt and nuts under the cross member)

-Grab the input shaft and rotate the steering rack forward

-Remove the power steering supply lines (18 mm / flange wrench recommended)

-Remove the hard lines from the steering rack (13 mm / flange wrench recommended)

-Remove oil filter drainage tray from front diff (13 mm nut on passenger side / 10 mm bolt on drivers side)

-If possible remove the bushings from the steering rack

-Rotate the steering rack forward and push back so the cross member mounts drop behind the cross member

-Push the drivers side tie rod all the way in

-Fish the steering rack out the passenger side wheel well. The drivers side tie rod will have to be moved occasionally. When the steering rack input shaft is near the front diff mount the rack will need to swing towards the front of the vehicle and the drivers side tie rod will pass under the oil pan and trans cooler lines.

-Remove passenger side tie rod end and jam nut (count rotations and make note of it for installation)

Installation

-Install passenger side jam nut and tie rod end (used recorded count rotation for installation)

-Remove the hard lines from the new steering rack (13 mm / flange wrench recommended)

-Push the drivers side tie rod all the way in

-Fish the steering rack in the passenger side wheel well so that the cross member mounts are behind the cross member. The drivers side tie rod needs to pass under the trans cooler lines and oil pan. The accordion boot will have to be pushed up to clear the front diff mount.

-Lift and rotate back the steering rack so the cross member mounts are above the cross member

-Install the steering rack bushings

-Install oil filter drainage tray on front diff (13 mm nut on passenger side / 10 mm bolt on drivers side)

-Install the hard lines on the steering rack (13 mm / flange wrench recommended)

-Install the power steering supply lines (18 mm / flange wrench recommended)

-Rotate the steering rack back

-Install steering rack retaining bolts (24 mm for both the bolt and nuts under the cross member / 120 ft-lbs)

-Install drivers side tie rod end (used recorded count rotation for installation)

-Connect tie rod ends (21 mm / 80 ft-lbs)

-Straighten steering knuckles

-Install the steering linkage on the steering rack input shaft

-Install the steering shaft linkage retaining bolt (13 mm)

-Connect the power steering line that connects below the power steering pump just behind the pulley (16 mm / flange wrench recommended)

-Connect sensor to this same power steering line

-Install serpentine belt (Tensioner 15 mm, clockwise to releave tension)

-Install fans (Electric fan 10 mm, requires unbolting upper cross member 10 mm)

-Add power steering fluid

-Bleed power steering

-Install wheels, remove from jack stands

-Release parking brake

 

The Boy swapped out the steering rack on my KJ today – it ended up being more of a 1-person job.  

I was concerned that it would be a huge production based on how the remove and replace instructions read in the FSM and on some of the threads I researched on various forums.  Everywhere I read said that the front differential and/or lower control arms would have to be removed or loosened in order to do the swap.  He managed to remove the old rack and reinstall the new one without touching the diff/LCA's or loosening anything related to them. 

Nasty mess that was the old rack:

 

New rack, waiting to be installed:

 

RIP steering rack (169,100 miles)  

 

The Boy, posing like it's a prize catch or something:

 

The void where the old rack once was – out with the old…

 

And in with the new!

 

Once everything was reinstalled and put back together, we bled the power steering system… and then took it for an alignment.  All is well once again.

 

EDIT:  Not sure why the forum decided to align the photos this way…