tditom
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2001
- Location
- Jackson, MI
- TDI
- formerly: 2001 Golf GL, '97 Passat (RIP) '98 NB, '05 B5 sedan
The Bentley manual gives no real guidance on this. I could not find a procedure here, but did come across the link to ProStreetDriver's video on youtube (thanks for that, PSD), and a pretty good DIY on vortex.
My procedure differs in that you do not remove the lower control arms. Practically all of the hardware is 'always replace', so this will save you some time and a few bucks and you may not need to have a front end alignment done. Please note: If your car is not tracking straight or you have uneven front tire wear before you start, then by all means DO get a front end alignment done after replacing the rack!
This was performed on a 98 NB with manual transmission. I don't believe you need to remove the sway bar to remove the rack, but ours was off because we were going to replace the bushings anyway. It is my belief that you have enough room to get the rack out with the sway bar is in place. If you do need to remove the sway bar, then bolt the retaining clips in place before inserting the new tie rod ends into the steering knuckle! Otherwise you don't have much room to get that short little 13mm bolt in place
Parts needed
Procedure
I will edit to add part ordering info. Please let me know if I missed anything and I will correct as needed.
My procedure differs in that you do not remove the lower control arms. Practically all of the hardware is 'always replace', so this will save you some time and a few bucks and you may not need to have a front end alignment done. Please note: If your car is not tracking straight or you have uneven front tire wear before you start, then by all means DO get a front end alignment done after replacing the rack!
This was performed on a 98 NB with manual transmission. I don't believe you need to remove the sway bar to remove the rack, but ours was off because we were going to replace the bushings anyway. It is my belief that you have enough room to get the rack out with the sway bar is in place. If you do need to remove the sway bar, then bolt the retaining clips in place before inserting the new tie rod ends into the steering knuckle! Otherwise you don't have much room to get that short little 13mm bolt in place
Parts needed
- Rack and tie rod ends- you can find a rebuilt ZF for less than $400 with tie-rod ends. Note that if you go this route the tierod ends will NOT come with bolts and they will need to be ordered separately.
- 1.5 L power steering fluid Pentosin CHF 11S Synthetic Hydraulic Fluid or equivalent
- Steering column universal joint to steering gear bolt (1 ea) N10072202
- Rear subframe bolts (2 ea) PN N90752802
- Front subframe bolts (2 ea) PN N90734902
- Subframe to steering rack bolts (4 ea) PN N10015506
- Power steering line banjo bolt washers. (2 ea of 2 different sizes) PN N0138495, PN N0138487
- Dogbone mount to tranny bolts (1 ea of 2 different sizes) PN N90597005, PN N10246610
Procedure
- Suction out as much PS fluid from the reservoir as possible
- Set parking brake and block a rear wheel
- Loosen front wheel lug bolts
- Remove two plastic nuts retaining cover over steering column to gear linkage near the pedals by the driver's floor mat
- Turn steering wheel to access/remove 13 mm bolt securing column to gear linkage
- Lift up the colum linkage to separate from the rack splined shaft
- Raise car as high as you can and support it with jackstands (make sure you leave room to remove the subframe and related bolts)
- Remove front wheels
- Remove belly pan
- Remove securing nut from end of each tie-rod with 18mm socket and pop tie rods out of steering knuckles
- Remove bolts retaining exhaust bracket to subframe with 13mm socket
- Loosen, but don't remove, the 4 subframe to steering rack bolts with 13mm socket
- Temporarily support engine/tranny with floor jack and remove the two dogbone mount to tranny bolts noting that the short one is closer to the front of the car with 16mm socket.
- Move floor jack from tranny and locate it in the center of the subframe. Ensure you don't block access to the subframe to rack bolt heads.
- Support subframe with floor jack and remove the 4 subframe to body bolts with 21mm socket
- Lower floor jack enough so that you can access both banjo bolt connections on steering rack through left wheel well
- Remove bottom banjo bolt with 17mm socket and try to catch the fluid draining out of the line with a pan
- Transfer shipping cover from the new rack's banjo bolt holes to the one in the car so fluid doesn't spill everywhere while you're pulling the rack
- Repeat with top banjo bolt fitting.
- Ensure the lines are clear of rack and slowly lower the subframe until you have room to remove the rack toward the engine.
- Remove the 4 previously loosened subframe to rack bolts
- Tip rack forward so that the steering column linkage clears the bottom of the body and pull it out over the sway bar
- Set the new rack on the ground next to the old rack. The car we did this on was tracking straight and had good tire wear, so we were confident that the toe (and overall distance between tie rod ends) was set correctly. In our case, the distance between the ends of the replacement rack was the same as the one that came off the car. If these were different then we would have needed to loosen the jam nuts on both inner tie-rods and then adjust the outer ends the same amount to keep things centered.
- Note the position of the right bracket on the old rack and make sure the new rack's bracket is in the same position.
- Transfer the aluminum heat shield from the old rack to the new one (Spec is 22 Nm), and the shipping plugs back to the new rack. Keep the shipping covers on the tie rod ends until you are ready to insert them into the steering knuckles. This will help protect the threads from getting dinged up while you are positioning the rack.
- Wipe off the subframe and ensure rack locating holes are clear.
- Installation is the reverse of removal. Guide new rack over the sway bar and insert the locating pins on the rack brackets with the holes in the subframe.
- Evenly snug, but don't torque the rack to subframe bolts until you have the subframe secured to the body
- Raise subframe until you can connect the banjo bolts without straining the lines. Use the new sealing washers. Torque top banjo bolt to 45 Nm and bottom to 38 Nm.
- Slowly raise the subframe into position with the floor jack. Ensure the gasket around the gear linkage is lined up with the hole in the floor of the car.
- Attach the 4 bolts that secure the subframe to the body with 21mm socket. Ensure the subframe is tight against bottom of car. Tighten all 4 in stages. Spec is 100 Nm + 1/4 turn.
- Tighten the 4 subframe to rack bolts with 13mm socket. (I had to temporarily loosen the nut securing the aluminum heat shield to the right side bracket in order to allow that bracket to go in evenly.) Spec is 20 Nm + 1/4 turn.
- Install new bolts for securing dogbone mount to trans. Short one is toward front of car. Both are torqued to 40 Nm + 1/4 turn. You will probably need to lift the engine/trans assy with floor jack to allow the holes to line up.
- Remove shipping covers from tie rod ends and insert the end into the tapered hole in the steering knuckle.
- Ensure taper on tie rod end shaft is fully engaged into the tapered hole in the steering knuckle while torquing the new nut to spec (20 Nm + 1/4 turn)
- Install front wheels.
- Fill power steering reservoir to MIN line on dipstick.
- Check banjo bolt seals for leakage.
- From inside drivers footwell, attach steering column linkage to rack gear splined shaft. Note that this only will go on one way- there is a flat on one side where the splines are missing, and opposite of the flat is a cut out for the retaining bolt's shank.
- Slowly rotate the wheel in either direction until it stops.
- Check that the both tires are not touching anything in the wheel well. If they are then your rack is probably not centered.
- Now slowly rotate the steering wheel to full stop in the other direction while keeping track of the number of steering wheel revolutions it takes to go to the other stop.
- Check that the both tires are not touching anything in the wheel well. If they are then your rack is probably not centered.
- Divide the number of revolutions in step 42 by two and turn the steering wheel that number of revolutions. Your steering wheel should be centered. If not then you may need to center it after getting the front end alignment done.
- Secure the steering column linkage to the steering gear shaft with the new bolt and torque to 30 Nm.
- Replace the plastic cover on the linkage joint.
- Start engine and slowly rotate the steering wheel a few times from stop to stop. Check banjo bolt seals for leakage and then shut off engine.
- Replace belly pan.
- Lower car enough to torque wheel bolts to spec (120 Nm)
- With car level, ensure that the power steering fluid is at the MIN mark. Add or remove fluid as necessary.
- Remove wheel chock.
- Test drive the car. Steering wheel should be centered. Take your hands off the wheel and note any wandering. If the wheel is not centered or the car wanders, then get a front end alignment ASAP.
- Shut off car after test drive and check PS fluid level hot. Add/remove as necessary to bring level between MIN and MAX marks.
I will edit to add part ordering info. Please let me know if I missed anything and I will correct as needed.
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