92 SC400 steering rack replacement-- How to.
02-11-07, 01:09 PM
#1
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
92 SC400 steering rack replacement-- How to.
This is an excerpt from a pm to someone, but should make good sense regarding how to install the rack and pinion on a 400.. The part # shows to be the same from a 92-94, but I'm sure the procedure applies to most SC's.. 300's as well.
Sorry about no pics, you wouldn't want to touch your camera either while doing this job. Of course you probably wouldn't want to do this job period.
Mine was leaking through the pass. side boot, after 153k, the leak was slow and could've been stopped by stop-leak, but I was installing the daizen rack bushings anyhow, and thought why not, since Aliga had a 60k mile unit in very good condition. The car has also been involve in an accident and the passenger side lca bushings were much worse than that of the drivers side, so I think the wheel was hit pretty good on that side-- as the wheel bearing on that side was also shot when I got it as well.
You disconnect the tie rod ends with a pitman arm puller. I got one from Harbor Freight for $7, some of their tools don't even work at all. This particular one worked like a charm though. (I bought a nut splitter that was useless from them)
It does appear that you can get to the fittings through the a/c lines with a wobble, but it wouldn't be fun without some surgical tools. I dis/connected the lines with the rack unbolted, as they have some slack in them and you can hold onto the rack while you torque/untorque them-- I didn't try to get at them from above, though it's probably possible with a wobble and 12" ext.
If you had only seen me wrestling the rack to position it exactly right to start the threads for each line, turn the body this way, turn the neck this way, twist this way, pull that way, AAAHHHHH!! $$%%^#$ -- Try again-- MMMMMMMMMGGHHH!!$%^^%$$ --
Finally-- after laying under the rack with it lying ontop of me, wrestling with arms legs and whatever else would move it, I finally got the fitting bolts to thread -- whew!!! Done--
I also had to reposition the steering wheel once, by reconnecting it to the shaft-- a la-- removing bolts to disconnect and reconnect in proper position. It helped to go ahead and connect the tie rods to the spindles to align them straight on, then you can set teh steering straight on, then and only then can you re-connect the shaft by sliding/shimmying it back into the steering shaft splined sleeve by the firewall. There is a 12mm bolt behind a hidey-hole plug in the driver fender well by the firewall you will see and you must remove the plug to remove the bolt, and that you must remove completely to spread the split/clamp in the steering shaft-- Easily done with a large flat blade -- really large-- A helpful tip, when removing this bolt in the shaft thru the peep-hole, a small powerful magnet proved helpful to stick onto the socket, holding the bolt when removed-- just so ya don't lose it.. (of course somehow that magnet is now affixed to my steering shaft-- but I know where it is if I need it)
....
When reconnecting the shaft halves together, you can just loosen the clamp on the pass. side and maybe remove one of the bolts in it, and then totally remove the bolts in the driver side-- and with the tie -rods in place be sure the wheels are straight on and the steering wheel is straight on--
Once you get it here, you can begin shimmying the steering shaft halves back togehter.. You can reach through behind the aluminum subframe by the header and push up and down on the shaft while pushing teh pass. side of the rack towards the rear of the car, watching for the bolt holes on teh pass. side of the rack to line up into position. Once these are in position, and you are sure your wheel is straight on with the wheels, you can go ahead and install all the bolts and torque them well (~80 ft/lbs +/- 5 is prob. good)....
Then you can re-insert the shaft bolt by the fender well thru the peep hole, and torque it well too--
There is also a plug on the rack near the input shaft that is reached under the hood with a long skinny flatblade, and should of course be re-connected to the new rack as well.
Now you're done-- but need to burp the system, and this can be done without starting the car at least partially to get as much fluid into the pump/rack/lines as possible. Do this by filling the reservoir and turning the rack lock to lock 25 or so times--
(use standard dexron 3/mercon ATF-- according to the cap)
Then start the car, and it'll whine like crazy, so quickly refill the reservoir, then turn it back and forth 10 times, top it off-- repeat this process til the whine stops and the level stabilizes--
Then you can drive it 5 miles and wait overnight for the bubbles to work their way out of the system, as the fluid foams when the prime is broken.
The next day it should have no noise at all. Turn it lock to lock several times again and check the level one more time, and it should be good to go.
You want to replace the gasket rings on the line connections when you do this, but I used the originals and just torqued them well and it appears to have no leaks as of yet.
Sorry about no pics, you wouldn't want to touch your camera either while doing this job. Of course you probably wouldn't want to do this job period.
Mine was leaking through the pass. side boot, after 153k, the leak was slow and could've been stopped by stop-leak, but I was installing the daizen rack bushings anyhow, and thought why not, since Aliga had a 60k mile unit in very good condition. The car has also been involve in an accident and the passenger side lca bushings were much worse than that of the drivers side, so I think the wheel was hit pretty good on that side-- as the wheel bearing on that side was also shot when I got it as well.
You disconnect the tie rod ends with a pitman arm puller. I got one from Harbor Freight for $7, some of their tools don't even work at all. This particular one worked like a charm though. (I bought a nut splitter that was useless from them)
It does appear that you can get to the fittings through the a/c lines with a wobble, but it wouldn't be fun without some surgical tools. I dis/connected the lines with the rack unbolted, as they have some slack in them and you can hold onto the rack while you torque/untorque them-- I didn't try to get at them from above, though it's probably possible with a wobble and 12" ext.
If you had only seen me wrestling the rack to position it exactly right to start the threads for each line, turn the body this way, turn the neck this way, twist this way, pull that way, AAAHHHHH!! $$%%^#$ -- Try again-- MMMMMMMMMGGHHH!!$%^^%$$ --
Finally-- after laying under the rack with it lying ontop of me, wrestling with arms legs and whatever else would move it, I finally got the fitting bolts to thread -- whew!!! Done--
I also had to reposition the steering wheel once, by reconnecting it to the shaft-- a la-- removing bolts to disconnect and reconnect in proper position. It helped to go ahead and connect the tie rods to the spindles to align them straight on, then you can set teh steering straight on, then and only then can you re-connect the shaft by sliding/shimmying it back into the steering shaft splined sleeve by the firewall. There is a 12mm bolt behind a hidey-hole plug in the driver fender well by the firewall you will see and you must remove the plug to remove the bolt, and that you must remove completely to spread the split/clamp in the steering shaft-- Easily done with a large flat blade -- really large-- A helpful tip, when removing this bolt in the shaft thru the peep-hole, a small powerful magnet proved helpful to stick onto the socket, holding the bolt when removed-- just so ya don't lose it.. (of course somehow that magnet is now affixed to my steering shaft-- but I know where it is if I need it)
....When reconnecting the shaft halves together, you can just loosen the clamp on the pass. side and maybe remove one of the bolts in it, and then totally remove the bolts in the driver side-- and with the tie -rods in place be sure the wheels are straight on and the steering wheel is straight on--
Once you get it here, you can begin shimmying the steering shaft halves back togehter.. You can reach through behind the aluminum subframe by the header and push up and down on the shaft while pushing teh pass. side of the rack towards the rear of the car, watching for the bolt holes on teh pass. side of the rack to line up into position. Once these are in position, and you are sure your wheel is straight on with the wheels, you can go ahead and install all the bolts and torque them well (~80 ft/lbs +/- 5 is prob. good)....
Then you can re-insert the shaft bolt by the fender well thru the peep hole, and torque it well too--
There is also a plug on the rack near the input shaft that is reached under the hood with a long skinny flatblade, and should of course be re-connected to the new rack as well.
Now you're done-- but need to burp the system, and this can be done without starting the car at least partially to get as much fluid into the pump/rack/lines as possible. Do this by filling the reservoir and turning the rack lock to lock 25 or so times--
(use standard dexron 3/mercon ATF-- according to the cap)
Then start the car, and it'll whine like crazy, so quickly refill the reservoir, then turn it back and forth 10 times, top it off-- repeat this process til the whine stops and the level stabilizes--
Then you can drive it 5 miles and wait overnight for the bubbles to work their way out of the system, as the fluid foams when the prime is broken.
The next day it should have no noise at all. Turn it lock to lock several times again and check the level one more time, and it should be good to go.
You want to replace the gasket rings on the line connections when you do this, but I used the originals and just torqued them well and it appears to have no leaks as of yet.
The following users liked this post:
RudysSC (09-19-22)
11-22-22, 10:40 AM
#4
I have about 2mm of rack play when I have the left front tire up. Is this normal? The tie rod end is solid on the knuckle, its the entire rack end that has play...? Is there a grub nut that I can tighten to decrease the rack to pinion play?
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92, bushing, column, connection, install, installation, leak, lexus, pinion, plugs, rack, replacement, sc400, shaft, steering
