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Rack and pinion questions.

DirkJr

DirkJr

New member
I recent bought a 1998 GTP. Replaced the trans and putting it back together, well I'm putting it back together and the rack and pinion fell out. The pic shows the shaft that slid out, does anything hold this in place? If so can someone circle where? Also this boot ripped and the car didn't have power steering when bought, bringing up 2 questions, 1) can I replace this boot with the rack and pinion installed and 2) would this cause me to not have power steering?
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That should be on the other side of the sway bar, you see the spot where it looks like 2 metal things are sticking up and it kinda makes a horseshoe? It goes there and should be bolted in and there should be another spot just like it on the side closest to where you took that picture. At this point in time I would just get a new rack, repairing them is kinda a pain in the ass and if it wasn't working before then its probably bad.
 
If you undo the super small torx screw you can move it back up and onto the steering shaft. Then bring the subframe up and back in place.
 
if the power steering was not working, and that boot kinda looks wet, hard to tell from a pic. but maybe just change the rack while its out. if the boot is wet from p/s fluid.
 
Bill if you also look the rack is not on the subframe anymore either, he said it just fell out. So I'm assuming that it literally fell out.
 


OP didnt specify that he removed the rack from the subframe. So like I said I just assumed that it literally fell out.
 
Maybe I read into what he said. He mentioned that when he was putting the sub back in.. the rack went splat.

It's kinda the way it happens ... the one out of a few hundred times that you drop the rack and all goes well otherwise. I'm BillBoost and I'll be here all week.
 
Well my question is why did he remove the rack from the sub?

And OP are you talking about he boot that covers the steering shaft? Or the boot on the side of the rack that holds the inner tie rod on? If you are talking about the boot that goes over the steering shaft that would not cause you to not have power steering. Now the boot on the inner tie rod would if it was leaking ps fluid.
 
When you do the trans.. you unbolt the rack from sub and leave it hanging. That way you don't have to deal with ps fluid and lines etc.

Trans drops out.. new trans in.. sub back up and bolt rack back to it.
 


Oh duh :th_doh: brain fart.

Oh well then, yeah before you get to far with putting things back together, like I previously stated the rack could be bad, and you don't want to put everything back together just to have to take it out again. Since its already out and everything is taken apart I would just replace the rack and the lines now so you don't have to do it later more of a preventative maintenance kinda thing. Now that shaft connects to the end of the steering column, if you look up at the firewall inside that boot there should be a little shaft with what looks like a clamp with a bolt on it, loosen up that bolt with a 10mm and open up that clamp a little bit and just slide the 2 shafts together, the one end should go in just like a pen going in a pen cap, then tighten that bolt back down.
 
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Here's the trick..

Don't turn the steering wheel more than a 1/4 of a turn or you kill the clockspring. That bolt.. is an 11mm BTW. and yeah.. you can do that knuckle and shaft easier than the whole rack. Then put the rack onto the sub.. bring it up and slide the knuckle onto it.
 
The 11mm you guys are talking about is lower down on the rack I believe. Also can I replace the boot without dropping the subframe again? I need to get the car moving but don't want to drop the subframe for a 3rd time.
 


No the 11mm is up inside the boot on the end of the steering column where it comes through the firewall.

Sent from A Galaxy Far Far Away........
 
So reach up into the steering boot and feel around? Could I just slide the two shafts back into each other and be done with it? (Meaning the subframe will hold the rack high enough so that the shaft can't fall out)?
 
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