The easiest steering rack bushing install evar

[jamal]

Of course changing the rack was kind of a pain in the ass. Plus there's air in the system so I should probably check the FSM on how to do that or something. Plus I think it's a couple of splines off to the left.

My plan for the day was to change the rack, install subframe lock bolts, outrigger bushings, and get an alignment, and go driving up in the mountains with some people. The lock bolt install didn't go so well and I need to get those threads cleaned out really well if I want that to happen.

Here are the outrigger bushings:





All the directions I've read online are different and that was the only way they all fit together in a way that made sense. It almost seems like there needed to be another set of the small ones to go on the bottom. Also I haven't noticed a difference at all.

[IronMonkeyL255]

I'm tempted to give the Noltec outrigger bushings a try, since they completely replace the stock bushings instead of support it.

[boro]

I should have taken my rack off to install the bushings. I had to bend the hard lines a little out of the way and now they leak
Alas, I think it's time for a new rack any ways. Mine's a bit tired feeling these days.

[entirelyturbo]

Yeah, I didn't have any issues installing my bushings either since I changed my whole rack.

I'm sure there is a more professional and quicker/easier way to do it, but when I installed my new rack, I actually measured something like the distance between where the bellows mounts on the rack and the end of the inner tie-rod or something like that, on each side until I had the measurement dead on, thus making it dead center. I then used a little hole on the shaft going into the rack (purpose unidentified) and marked it in relation to the body of the rack, so I knew where dead center was when I hooked the steering column back up.

Regardless if it was a bit of a ghetto way to do it, the guy at the alignment shop stared at me in disbelief when I told him everything was eyeballed. I believe the right side was toeing out a little too much and that was it. The car didn't even pull on the way there.

Also have to add that I changed the outer tie-rods on my friend's newly-acquired Saturn last week, and the alignment shop he went to said everything was in spec.



Give the power steering system a little time. The air bubbles will work their way out of the system eventually.