Steering gear - removal and refitting
Removal
1 Set the front roadwheels in the straightahead position.
2 Raise the front of the vehicle and fit safety stands (see “Jacking and vehicle support”).
3 Working under the bonnet, remove the pinch-bolt from the coupling at the base of the steering column shaft.
4 Extract the split pins from the tie-rod balljoint taper pin nuts, unscrew the nuts and remove them.
5 Separate the balljoints from the steering arms using a suitable tool.
6 Flatten the locktabs on the steering gear securing bolts and unscrew and remove the bolts.
Steering gear unit securing bolts (arrowed)
Withdraw the steering gear downwards to separate the coupling from the steering shaft and then take it out from under the front wing.
Refitting
7 Refitting is a reversal of removal. If a new rack and pinion assembly is being installed, the tie-rod ends will have to be removed from the original unit and screw onto the new tierods to approximately the same setting. If a note was not made of the position of the original tie-rod ends on their rods, inspection of the threads will probably indicate their original location. In any event it is important that the new tie-rod ends are screwed on an equal amount at this stage.
8 Make sure that the steering gear is centred. Do this by turning the pinion shaft to full lock in one direction and then count the number of turns required to rotate it to the opposite lock. Now turn the splined pinion shaft through half the number of turns just counted.
9 Check that the roadwheels and the steering wheel are in the straight-ahead attitude, offer up the steering gear and connect the shaft coupling without inserting the pinch-bolt.
10 Bolt up the gear housing and lock the bolts with their lockplate tabs.
11 Reconnect the tie-rod ends to the steering arms. Use new split pins.
12 Tighten the coupling pinch-bolt to the specified torque. Lower the vehicle to the floor.
13 If the tie-rod ends were disturbed or if a new assembly was installed, check and adjust the front wheel alignment.