How to remove the steering rack. Do-it-yourself diagnostics and repair of the steering rack. Dismantling, diagnostics and installation of the steering rack
Hello dear car enthusiasts! In what cases is it necessary to replace the steering rack?
Some drivers who are inexperienced in automotive science may have a question: why is it necessary to replace the steering rack, how difficult is this operation, and is it possible to perform it in amateur conditions? Let's try to deal with these questions.
The steering mechanism is one of the most important components of the car device, which is responsible not only for performing the function of changing the direction of movement of the car, but also for the safety, and sometimes the life of the driver himself, passengers traveling with him and other people involved in road traffic.
This is explained by the fact that the correct maneuvering of the car makes it possible to avoid collisions with obstacles that suddenly appear on the roadway, to ensure unconditional and complete control over the direction of the car's turn.
Thus, there is no need to prove that the technical condition of the parts that make up the steering must always be in a fully operational condition.
If, during the next technical inspection, the master says that there is something in the steering that is out of tolerance, then it is necessary to find out the source of its occurrence and urgently eliminate it.
Most likely, such a backlash appears and. If this is not the case, then most likely it is necessary to replace the steering rack with a new one, preferably branded.
How to replace the steering rack with your own hands?
Naturally, the driver has a problem, but how to remove the steering rack on a particular car?
It is recommended to start the procedure for removing this part on a specific vehicle by reading the service documentation (manual), which usually describes this operation and how it must be performed.
But, if you couldn’t find the necessary documentation, then you can use a few simple, but sometimes very effective steps:
- Find out which one is used on this car: electric booster, hydraulic booster or a simple rack and pinion mechanism.
- If a simple rack and pinion mechanism is installed, it is necessary to: release the fastenings of the steering tips; loosen the bolts securing the mechanism to the car body; remove the universal joint, it can be released through the left or right side.
- In case it is installed, it is necessary to preliminarily: release the high pressure pipes; Drain the power steering fluid into a free, clean container.
- For a variant of the system with a hydraulic power booster, which is attached directly to the steering rack, it must be borne in mind that the removal of the steering rack is much more complicated.
To remove it, it may be necessary to dismantle the subframe of the car, which is a rather complicated operation, which is almost impossible to perform without outside help. In this case, it is recommended to contact the service center.
Self-installation of the steering rack
After replacement, the steering rack is installed in the following sequence:
- Check - tie rods, they should be in the same position as before removal.
- Place the steering gear on the right.
- Connect the steering rack shaft and the lower universal joint (steering arm).
- Tighten the hinge bolt.
- Connect the pipes to the steering rack using new sealing rings.
- Align the position of the pipelines in the brackets, then tighten the fastening.
- Install the brackets and tighten them.
- Position the tie rods on the pivot arms and secure them with new nuts.
- Fill the power steering container with working fluid. Add fluid after pumping if necessary.
In order to prevent the need to make expensive repairs to the steering mechanism, it is necessary to replace the failed protective elements of the steering mechanism in time.
It is recommended to do tire balancing in a timely manner, and avoid driving on flat tires or uneven rims. Subject to these recommendations, the steering mechanism is able to serve for a long time properly and without breakdowns.
This will relieve you of the need to often solve the problem: how to replace the steering rack and ensure traffic safety.
The steering rack is considered a fairly reliable unit, which very rarely fails, but there are exceptions when this unit gives car owners a lot of inconvenience. Steering problems are indicated by characteristic knocks, accompanied by an unpleasant twitching of the steering wheel on rough roads. In this case, it is necessary to either replace the steering rack or repair it. In this case, the first option is more reliable. More on this later in the article.
The design of the rack mechanism is quite simple. The steering rack is a part of the mechanism that controls the given movement of the car and the movement of the wheels. Her work is based on the movement of the drive gear associated with the steering wheel. As for the principle of operation of the mechanism, it is also simple. When the steering wheel is rotated, the rack moves in a given direction - to the right or to the left, which activates the steering rods - and the wheels turn.
Steering rack functions
The main function of the steering rack is to convert the rotation of the steering wheel into coordinated wheel movements.
In addition, the steering mechanism performs the following functions:
- Transmits power to the steering gear.
- Increases the force applied to the steering wheel.
- When the load is removed, it returns the steering wheel to the neutral position.
Steering racks are electric, hydraulic and mechanical. In fact, the first two types differ from mechanical ones only in the presence of an amplifier (electric or hydraulic), which makes it easier for a motorist to drive a car.
Steering rack damage
- Malfunction of the inner part of the steering rack. Breakage of the gear itself or the gear mechanism.
- Deformation of the rack body. This leads to the complete immobilization of the car.
- Violation of the integrity of the tips, steering rods (curvature, crack, and so on) due to mechanical stress (corrosion, damage, impact, and so on).
- Depressurization of the steering rack. After a leak, sand and dust particles penetrate inside, after which the steering rack completely fails.
- Critical wear of internal mechanisms. In this case, driving a car becomes impossible.
When is the steering rack replaced?
Rail repair is possible when the inside of the mechanism is not broken. If, during the inspection, you find serious wear on the inside of the steering rack and its elements, the presence of dirt inside the rack, damage to the anthers, then there is only one way out - replacing the rack. This is the only way to solve the problem with this node. Many workshops offer their services for the restoration and repair of steering racks, but all restoration work, as a rule, solves the issue for a short time.
Do-it-yourself steering rack replacement, step by step
First of all, prepare the tools and materials that will be required during the replacement of the steering rack, and also complete all the preparatory work.
tools, consumables, fixtures
- New steering rack.
- Tip remover.
- Wooden supports.
- Rags.
- Liquid key.
- Thin screwdriver.
- A hammer.
- Ratchet heads.
- A set of wrenches and socket wrenches.
preparatory work
- Before starting work, place the machine on a level place and apply the parking brake. Place bricks under the rear wheels. After securing the car, move to the front.
- Set steering wheel to neutral position.
- Loosen the wheel nuts one by one.
After completing all the preparatory work, jack up one side of the car, remove the wheel and lower the car by installing supports. Do the same on the other side. So you will be able to free access to the steering tips, which will simplify the dismantling of the steering rack.
Before unscrewing the steering tips, clean the mounting bolts from dirt with a metal brush, then pour over with a WD solution (the so-called liquid wrench).
While the liquid corrodes rust, free access to the rail. Removal will be prevented by an alarm siren (if any) and a gas adsorber. Carefully unscrew the terminals and set them aside.
dismantle the tips
If you change the tips along with the steering rack, when removing the old ones, knock them out with a hammer or use a special puller.
Using pliers, remove the key from the mounting nut and unscrew it. Insert a fork mount under the rubber seal, and place the upper part of the finger on the tip bolt. Tighten the puller nut until it stops and knock out the tip from the rack mount with a hammer blow.
strip removal
- Loosen the fasteners of the cross. This connection is located in the passenger compartment under the brake pedal. We remove the rubber mat and raise the casing so that nothing interferes. It is worth noting that the internal fastening is made in the form of a clamp with small slots. To release, you need to unscrew only one nut.
- Next, go back under the hood and unscrew the mounting nuts of the steering rack clamps.
- Now the rail is free and it remains only to remove it. Take the body with both hands and, loosening, pull it towards you. If you can’t remove it, then the splined connection is stuck. Arm yourself with a hammer and do not tap it very hard.
- When all fasteners are disconnected, we pull out the rail through the hole in the arched space of the wheel. Turn it to the left or right so that the splined shaft enters the recess.
The steering rack must be removed very carefully to avoid damaging the fuel hose or electrical wiring. It is advisable to carry out all work with an assistant.
steering rack installation
- We clean all the seats with a brush and sandpaper. We process the landing studs with graphite grease or grease.
- Before installing a new rail, open the plugs and fill the holes with lithol.
- We start the rail under the hood. This is done in the reverse order of removal. It is necessary to carefully rotate it around the axis, in order to avoid damage to mechanisms and wiring.
- Put the rail on the studs, put on the clamps and screw on the nuts.
- At the last stage, tighten the stud nuts.
- When the rail is installed, put on the tips, twist them and install the wheels.
After replacing the steering rack, be sure to adjust the alignment.
Often in various forums dedicated to auto topics, you can find complaints from car owners about a knock in the steering wheel. In this case, most often the best way out is a replacement. Let's look at how this part is arranged, typical malfunctions, and discuss repair options.
How is the control gear arranged?
This part performs the functions of communication between the steering wheel and the wheels of the car. With the help of this part, the force from the steering wheel is transmitted to the wheels of the car, and as a result, the car makes a turn.
The gearbox is connected to the wheels by means of steering rods, as well as tips. This part is a gear, which is mounted on the shaft of the column, is engaged with the teeth on the rack. When the shaft rotates, the gear shifts this gear piece to the side.
In most cases, the design of the control gearbox consists of anthers, sealing rings. You can see what the photo looks like below.
Typical malfunctions
In the first place among the breakdowns is a knock. This is the most disgusting and most unpleasant for the motorist of all those sounds that are heard from under the front axle of the car. At first, this knock is barely noticeable, but then its intensity constantly increases. Then, after a while, these knocks are given into the hands. After a few months, driving on rough roads becomes like death. The steering wheel twitches in my hands like a wounded beast.
It is interesting that all this manifests itself only on small road potholes. But the car overcomes deep pits quietly. This is the first sign that the steering rack needs to be repaired.
Another popular sign is the tight work of the mechanism. It happens that the steering wheel works very tight in only one direction. After a short parking under the car, you can observe an oil puddle and a characteristic hum in the power steering. All these are signals that soon the car will become impossible to control. This applies to hydraulic mechanisms. The cause of such malfunctions are seals that have become unusable.
There is another error. This is a backlash. You can feel it with your hands. The steering wheel can move freely to the right and left when driving at low speed. At the same time, the sharpness and sensitivity of reactions to the driver's influence are necessarily lost. Among the reasons for this, one can single out a disturbed contact angle of the teeth of the gearbox and gear, vertical free play of the bearing, worn silent blocks, as well as other mechanical damage. Here the best way out is to replace the steering rack.
They also highlight a poor return of the steering wheel to the central neutral position. Here, most likely, the shaft, the gear reducer itself, or its crankcase is deformed.
Self-diagnosis
In order to find out exactly whether a complete one is needed or whether a simple repair can be done, it is worth carrying out small diagnostic measures. This is easy to do by hand.
Repair and adjustment can be dispensed with if a normal knock is heard. For diagnostic procedures, you will need to dismantle the steering wheel. Then you should pull the shaft up and down. If there is a distinct movement, then this means that there is no grease in the rack and pinion bearing.
You can also check the level of contact between the gear and the gear reducer, as well as possible backlash in the bushing. This is done using a fairly reliable vice, as well as the place where the rods are connected. This is done in the following way.
The joint is found under the hood and the shaft is pulled. If the movements are slow, then the knots are loose, it's not scary. If all these actions are accompanied by a terrible rattle and knock, then things are bad. Steering rack needs to be repaired.
You have three options to salvage the part and get your car back in control.
This is the purchase of a repair kit and independent repair work, a trip to the service station, and there is also another radical solution - replacing the steering rack entirely and completely with all the giblets.
If there is a certain amount of money, then, of course, it is best to install a completely new part. Restoration in the service station will come out a little cheaper, but there are no guarantees for how long the gearbox will last. Do-it-yourself repairs are the cheapest, but require the purchase of a repair kit. Is steering rack replacement expensive? The price of this work for the VAZ is 1500 r, plus add here the price for a new part. It turns out a round sum.
Steering gear bushing
The design of the gearbox has a special bushing. If you feel a significant increase in the effort to turn the steering wheel, if you notice drips from the mechanism, if knocks are clearly transmitted to the steering wheel, if there is play when operating the steering wheel, then the steering rack bushing will need to be replaced.
Replacement process
Car repair professionals do not recommend doing independent repairs of this kind, because this mechanism has a complex design, and for some operations you may need a specific tool. We will not listen to experts. Indeed, for repair work, a conventional set of tools is enough, which can be easily found in any garage, as well as a repair kit.
The repair kit includes anthers, as well as seals, clamps, corrugated rings.
How to disassemble the rail?
It is very difficult to do this work alone. This work should be done with a friend, neighbor, whatever. A partner is needed in the first steps. That's when you need to dismantle and disassemble
The first step is to remove the right tire, and preferably the wheel completely.
In the next step, unscrew the nut from the tip. If the nut is hard to come by, try soaking it in WD-40. Then turn the steering wheel all the way to the left.
So, using a flat screwdriver, the gearbox must be disconnected from the rods. To work more conveniently, you should slightly raise the car. The next step is to remove the plastic plug and unscrew the lock nut. The retaining rings must also be dismantled, and then the shaft and stuffing box can be removed from below. The upper oil seal can be removed only after the pin that holds it has been dismantled.
After all these actions, the retaining ring is removed, then the gear reducer, and now the plastic bushing and oil seal are easily and simply removed from it.
Components will be covered in dirt and oil, so they need to be thoroughly cleaned. After cleaning, inspection and inspection can be carried out. The bushing should be changed necessarily, if it is seriously worked out. The sleeve usually fails due to corrosive processes.
We replace the sleeve
This is not difficult, but it does not always work out the first time. You need to work carefully. Putting a fresh bushing into the seat is not very convenient. The body of this part has a semicircular flat shape. It is in this form that you need to get special “ears” on the sleeve. It is also more convenient to do it together. A partner can work as a steering wheel - then the part will go easier.
After installation, the sleeve should be well lubricated. To do this, you can use a special tool or use ordinary lithol. Then, after assembling and installing the thrust, its hinges also need abundant lubrication.
Steering rack boot replacement
This small detail prevents water, dirt and dust from entering this mechanism.
With use, this anther may become unusable, for example, break - then it needs to be changed. It is far from always possible to understand that this protective casing is torn. In order to make sure that the anther is intact, you should turn the steering wheel all the way to the right and inspect the part of interest to us. Then - the same thing, but turn all the way to the left.
The steering wheel must be rotated because it moves the rod and the gear part. Together with these elements, the protective casing is also deformed.
So, let's try to replace the part without the need for dismantling.
To do this, remove the air filter so that it does not interfere with us later. Also disconnect the water drain pipe. Now unscrew the mechanism protection. This is easy to do by twisting a few M10 nuts.
Now the cleaning stage. Everything should be cleaned and thoroughly lubricated. You can use CV joint grease, lithol or graphite grease. Before putting in a brand new boot, lubricate its inside. After all, it moves along with the rods. Put it on the rail and make sure it moves freely. Then roll everything back.
Replacing the steering rack of the 2110th VAZ
Using the VAZ 2110 as an example, let's see how this design is replaced. Removing the rail is the easiest part of the job.
To do this, unscrew the bolt holding the clutch. You will find it under the pedals. Here you will need a key for 13. Next - get over to the engine compartment. Here, unscrew the nuts that secure this entire structure to the body. Next, move the mechanism forward until the mount comes out. Now the part can be reached through the wheel arch. It remains only to install a new part and assemble in the reverse order.
The steering mechanisms of cars are divided into two types: worm and rack and pinion. With a different approach to implementation, they have the same task: to provide a connection between the rotation of the steering wheel and the rotation of the wheels. Worm gears are easier to manufacture, but do not provide sufficient steering accuracy, which is important at high speed. Therefore, a steering rack is installed on most modern cars. This assembly is more difficult to manufacture and repair, but the relationship between the angles of rotation of the steering wheel and the front wheels of the car is more accurate. To facilitate the rotation of the steering wheel to help the driver, a hydraulic or is installed. This makes driving less tiring, but adds to the hassle when repairing or replacing the steering rack, including on the VAZ 2110.
The design and arrangement of the rail on the VAZ 2110
The principle of operation of the steering rack is as follows. A gear is installed at the end of the steering shaft. It is engaged with a gear rack (hence the name). When the steering wheel is turned, the gear moves the rack left and right, turning the wheels. For this, the steering levers are connected to the rack with steering rods.
This is what the dismantled mechanism looks like
Rack designers need to strike a balance between lightness and steering comfort. It all depends on the gear-to-rack ratio.
- If the steering wheel is made light, the control will become blurry, you will have to make too many turns of the steering wheel to turn. This is unsafe when driving on the track, where fast reaction is important.
- Sharp steering is more predictable and safer, but the driver puts in a lot of effort when maneuvering, especially when parking.
- A rack with a variable gear ratio partially solves this problem. In the near-zero zone, the steering is sharp, which gives confidence on the highway. It is easier to steer closer to the edges, but you have to make more turns of the steering wheel. This is convenient, for example, in any parking lot at low speeds.
To maintain a balance between sharpness and ease of control, amplifiers are installed on the steering mechanism. According to the principle of operation, they are hydraulic (GUR) and electric (EUR).
Three types of steering racks are installed on the VAZ 2110: without an amplifier (with a variable gear ratio), with a hydraulic booster and an electric booster, and you can install the amplifier yourself.
Symptoms
Without proper care, such as lubricating the bearings and checking for play, the steering rack can quickly fail. Symptoms of a malfunction that indicate that the mechanism should already be changing:
Video: How to tighten a loose mechanism
Dismantling, diagnostics and installation of the steering rack
Regardless of whether the rail will be repaired or replaced, it must be properly removed and reinstalled.
Replacing the steering wheel on the "classic" is not difficult at all if you have the proper desire. Information on dismantling can be drawn from this material:
List of DIY tools
For dismantling and repair, you will need the following tools:
How to remove a part from a car for inspection
You need to know the location of the parts in the rail in order to diagnose carefully and scrupulously
Removal sequence:
The need to replace the steering rack: diagnostics
To restore the efficiency of the steering rack, it is not always necessary to replace it, often the problem can be solved by carrying out maintenance with the replacement of tips, boot and bushings. It is not worth it for beginners to service the steering wheel on their own. In the design of this mechanism, there are many springs and pressing washers, and not everyone can disassemble the mechanism, sort out the parts and correctly replace them with new ones. Unprofessional installation of these parts will lead to incorrect operation of the mechanism. The same applies if you need to loosen the mechanism or tighten it. It must also be remembered that repair work may well be more expensive than replacement, so the choice is sometimes obvious.
For VAZ 2110 cars, steering rack repair kits of different composition are produced. They also differ in the year of manufacture and the presence of an amplifier.
Experienced car owners restore the rails on their own, but this is not always possible.
The steering wheels of VAZ 2113-2115 cars do not have an outstanding design, so many motorists prefer to replace them. To carry out an independent replacement procedure, it is recommended that you read this article:
It is necessary to change the part in the following cases:
- a crack in the rail body or the thread of the fastening of the tips is torn off;
- very strong knocks in the rail, increased steering play;
- corrosion of the internal parts of the steering rack caused by a rupture of the rubber boot;
- the rail was deformed after the accident.
In the above cases, it makes no sense to restore the removed part. Restoration by professional craftsmen will cost a lot of money. Therefore, it would be more expedient to change the entire rail, which will require less time and financial costs. It will be much easier to buy a new one in the store and put it in the assembly in place of the old one, ensuring the excellent operation of the steering mechanism for several years to come.
Installing a new
After diagnosing and repairing the rail, install it in place:
- We expose the rail to the middle position. To do this, unscrew the shaft in any direction until it stops and return it 2.5 turns. The shaft flat should be on the right and vertical.
- We carefully start the mechanism through the arch and fix it in the reverse order of dismantling. tighten the bolts with a torque wrench.
If the steering malfunctions, you should not immediately call the service station or buy the entire assembly. If you have basic locksmith skills, you can repair and adjust the steering rack in your own garage. At the same time, you will be sure that you did not spend extra money and the work was done efficiently.
An urgent question for many motorists is how to remove the steering rack. And this is not surprising, because it is one of the most important mechanisms of the machine. It basically depends on how the vehicle will be driven. Therefore, you need to monitor and maintain it in good condition.
A number of factors indicate the failure of this mechanism, but the most popular are: characteristic noise, play appears, oil stains appear under the machine. If you notice this, then you need to take the necessary measures as soon as possible. One way to repair is to replace the rail. However, before replacing the steering rack, you need to remove it correctly.
What you need to remove the rail
Before starting work, you should prepare for it accordingly. You will need:
- Keys set.
- Tip remover.
- Wood supports.
- Rags.
- Liquid key.
- A hammer.
- Screwdriver (thin).
- Jack.
Once you have prepared the required tools, you can begin work.
Preparing to remove the steering rack
First you need to fix the vehicle, put it on the parking brake. For greater reliability, it is better to substitute stops under the rear wheels. After the machine is securely fixed, you need to:
- put the steering wheel in neutral position;
- loosen the nuts on the wheels;
- take a jack and raise one side of the vehicle;
- remove the wheel by placing supports under the car.
We perform the same procedure on the other side. As a result of these steps, you will be able to completely open access to the tips, which will make the removal of the mechanism much easier.
Rail dismantling procedure
First you need to find out what kind of rack and pinion mechanism you have:
- with hydraulic booster;
- with electric booster;
- mechanical.
The next steps will depend on this. For a mechanical steering rack, before you start to disconnect the tips, you need to clean the bolts themselves from dirt. For this, a metal brush and WD solution will do.
At first, in the process of removing the rail, the gas adsorber and the alarm siren, if you have one, will create interference and difficulties. Carefully disconnect the terminals and move them aside. We knock out the steering tips with a puller or a regular hammer.
Now we begin to remove the mechanism itself:
- you need to loosen the fasteners of the cross. It is located in the passenger compartment under the brake pedal. You will need to remove the carpet and lift the trim. So you can avoid any difficulties during work. Internally, the mount is made in the form of a clamp, which has small slots, in order to release it, it is necessary to unscrew 1 nut;
- let's move on to the hood. Here it will be necessary to unscrew the nuts securing the steering clamps;
- the rail is released, now you can simply remove it. We take the body and carefully pull. If this is not possible, then the spline connection may have stuck. In this situation, you need to lightly hit it with a hammer;
- freeing the mechanism from the fasteners, we pull it out through the wheel opening. To do this, you need to turn it to the right or left so that the splined shaft passes into the resulting free space.
Important: Pull out the rail with great care to prevent any damage to the fuel hose or wiring.
In the case when a power steering is installed, it is necessary to remove the liquid from the tank and drain the remnants through the high pressure pipes, and then disconnect them as well. Disconnect all sensors and remove coupling.
When the EUR is installed, simply remove the minus terminal from the battery before starting work (after this mechanism is removed from the EUR as standard).
Outcome
The steering rack is removed approximately the same on all brands of vehicles with different power steering. In order to remove the steering rack, you need to have the time, tools and little skills of an auto mechanic. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to take the car to a car service.
