ArmyofOne

My R&P is leaking. I am getting ready to drive the car to Los Angeles from Dallas next month, So (while I don't yet have to add fluid to the reservior), I would like to change it out. I have the rack. I just changed the tie-rod ends a few months ago, but ordered another set just in case I mess up the ones on the car and can't reuse them. I have the lines, new bushings, new front sway-bar bushings too (since its gonna be the best time to swap those out). Anything special about doing one on these cars? I have done them before on different makes/models, but never on an ES.

Oro

Personally, I would hate to do this and if it's just damp and not to the point of adding fluid, I would add some esterified oil to the system to condition the seals and possibly (very likely) stop the small leaking. I would empty the reservoir and refill with Lubegard PS fluid or another boutique PS fluid that was ester-based (Redline would be another candidate to check the chemistry). I have done a rack on one car that was a nightmare; this one doesn't look that bad, I've eyeballed it from underneath just as a "back of my head" kind of thought as it might be needed down the road - probably the same as you.

I saw a trick somewhere about doing the sway bar bushings - loosening frame bolts to create more clearance. I wish I had done that - it is a tedious job. Also, at around 250,000 miles, there wasn't anything wrong with the bushings once I got them out. Save that for last and feel free to skip it if time becomes a concern IMO.

ArmyofOne

Sounds good. Thanks. I already have the part, the boots on mine are torn so its only a matter of time before dirt gets in there and compromises everything (if it hasn't already). I really just want to make sure I don't get any surprises.

ArmyofOne

Swapped it today. Sway bar bushings were shot. The r&p was toast. It was the source of all of my front end racket. Start to finish the job took about 6 hours in my garage with no lift and basic hand tools. I used air impact to undo exhaust bolts, which broke

off to the alignment shop tomorrow.

Oro

Huh. Maybe I should follow your lead. I have no suspicions regarding the rack, no undue noise, and the car drives wonderfully. But I do know there is play in the tie rods. I'm doing the tie rods both inner and outer and an alignment in the next 6/8 weeks when new tires are needed. Maybe I should just do the rack - it is nearing 300k and as long as I am there...

Any tips on it, and where did you source the rack and cost, etc? Did you have to take out the front bank header or mid-pipe to get at the rack, is that what you mean?

ArmyofOne

I only removed the mid pipe. It needs to be removed to lower the subframe. The bolts broke at the flanges where the mid-pipe connects to the headers (in both cases), but a simple fix with a cut-off wheel and some new grade 8 hardware I had laying around, and I was good to go.

I got the rack and sway bar bushings from through amazon, from a company called Detroit Axle. They have a lifetime warranty on their components.



For the new tie-rod ends (replacing the ones I JUST replaced ), I went with MevoTech from Rock Auto:

MevoTech Left TRE

MevoTech Right TRE

That's all you need to have on hand (well and a grease gun for the TRE's)

The process is fairly simple:

-Jack up car and place on jackstands, as high as you can get it.
-measure front tires from centerline on left tire to centerline on right tire, on both the front and the back side of the tire. Write down these measurements, you will need them later.
-Remove front tires/wheels.
-remove sway bar links connecting strut to sway bar.
-Remove cotter pin and castle nut from TRE's on both sides.
-Remove TRE from hub.
-Remove steering column knuckle from rack and pinion.
-Remove mid-pipe on exhaust containing the flex pipe, downstream O2's and rear cat. If your bolts are rusty, don't bother, just cut them.
-Put jack under rear crossmember of subframe and remove 4 bolts and 2 nuts holding the subframe in place.
-Slowly lower jack until the subframe stops dropping.
-Remove sway-bar brackets (12mm bolts x4)
-Remove bushings from sway bar.
-Remove brackets holding high pressure input and output power steering lines in place.
-Remove those lines
-Remove 2 bolts holding R&P in place.
-Remove heat shield from old R&P and put on the new one.
-Remove old TRE's from R&P, and count the threads. This will give you a ballpark for the alignment.
-install new TRE's on new R&P using the thread counts for each side to get you close.
-Installation is the reverse of removal.

**When installing TRE onto new R&P, DO NOT tighten anything.

Once tires are back on, with car in the air, take new measurements. compare new with the old, and adjust the toe by turning the inner tie-rods until the tires line up with your original measurements. This will allow you to drive it to a shop with a proper alignment computer.