Issues after rack and pinion swap (alignment and leak)

[gregzbutt]

So my inspection was due recently, and among the issues that needed to be addressed on my 91 was that it needed a new steering rack and pinion assembly. The shop wanted almost $400 in labor to swap it out, so I decided to do it myself. I replaced the rack and the outer tie rods at the same time. Now that the car is all put back together I've noticed that the new parts have helped solve a slight vibration issue I was having. Great! But now I'm having other issues I didn't before the swap.

The first problem is the alignment. I first took the car to a local sears immediately following the rack install to get everything back to normal. They did a pretty bad job, so I took it to another sears that was supposed to correct the problems of the first store. While the front end alignment settings now look ok on paper, the car now has a pretty strong pull to the right. While I'm cruising down the highway the steering wheel naturally wants to settle cocked to the right, and the car pulls that way as well. With the wheel centered it wants to pull to the left. With the wheel slightly right of center it will drive straight. The only thing out of spec on this alignment job is the toe on the right rear. The shop told me that when they tried to adjust it, it kept moving from between .37 and .41 degrees, so they left it at .37 since it was the best they could do. They told me that this would be causing my car to pull to the right, which makes sense, but the car never did this before I put the new steering rack in! Is there a chance I didn't properly align the steering column to the rack and pinion assembly when I installed it? Could that be why the steering wheel is off a little bit? And regarding the "un-ajustable" toe setting in the rear, might the car need a new alignment bolt? I do a lot of highway driving and this constant pull is driving me crazy. It drove straight as an arrow for years before I put this new rack in.

The other issue I'm having since installing this rack is that I'm now leaking power steering fluid. It appears to be coming out around where the lines bolt into the rack and pinion assembly. I thought I tightened the lines down pretty good. The rack I purchased came with a set of o-rings for these lines that I was supposed to install to comply with the warranty. I was a little weary of putting them in, since it seemed like the old rack didn't have any o-rings installed. I haven't had a chance to take the o-rings out to see how the lines sealed without them yet, but could their presence be causing the leak? I thought I'd ask to see what others have done.

Any input you guys have is much appreciated. I'm gonna get this girl all straightened out someday.


Greg

[Doctor J]

Greg:
The rear toe IS adjustable but if it was not causing the car to pull before alignment been done it is not likely the reason. When the car has steady pull and front toe is within the specks on both sides the shim is added on the sway bar to control arm connection to adjust the cross caster. If the cr goes straight with hands off the steering wheel BUT the steering wheel is crooked the tie rod lengths are adjusted unevenly (bad center steering)
Regarding the leak The rubber seal on high pressure flare fitting will cause more problems, that connection should have no rings unless they were used originally.

[racer66]

ok so first i would check that the rack and pinion is centered properly with the column.center the wheel then turn full lock left and count the turns.then center again and turn full lock right and count the turns.are they equal or very close to being equal.if it isnt this may cause a memory steer cause the rack is trying to center itself.also the rear cam for the toe may be bad or i believe the tabs that hold the cam in place could be worn.

[JustanotherJeeper]

Hi Greg, sorry to jump in on your thread. Can you provide some detail on how to do the rack and pinion swap? Do I need to remove the engine?

Thanks,

Carl Saiyed

[Jimnist]

Carl, take a look at this thread:

How to:Power steering conversion/Rack removal 2nd Gen (may apply to other Gens)

[JustanotherJeeper]

Originally Posted by Jimnist

Carl, take a look at this thread:

How to:Power steering conversion/Rack removal 2nd Gen (may apply to other Gens)

Thanks!!

[gregzbutt]

Thanks for the help fellas. I took those o-rings out and I haven't had any leaks since.

JustanotherJeeper: The job was a pain in the butt, although easier than what i expected. You have to unbolt the lower crossmember and center member to take it out the bottom. No need to pull the engine.

As for the alignment issue I did as sracer66 suggested and found out that I can turn the wheel a little more to the right than i can on the left. It makes sense now that its the rack trying to center itself. I'm thinking that I messed up the alignment of the universal joint when I bolted the rack in. I was thinking that I could take the steering wheel off and replace it rotated to the left slightly, so that it evens out the amount that i'm able to turn it left and right of center. This, followed by another front alignment to adjust the tie rod ends to match. Could there be any issues doing that?

[white90dx]

Originally Posted by gregzbutt

Thanks for the help fellas. I took those o-rings out and I haven't had any leaks since.

JustanotherJeeper: The job was a pain in the butt, although easier than what i expected. You have to unbolt the lower crossmember and center member to take it out the bottom. No need to pull the engine.

As for the alignment issue I did as sracer66 suggested and found out that I can turn the wheel a little more to the right than i can on the left. It makes sense now that its the rack trying to center itself. I'm thinking that I messed up the alignment of the universal joint when I bolted the rack in. I was thinking that I could take the steering wheel off and replace it rotated to the left slightly, so that it evens out the amount that i'm able to turn it left and right of center. This, followed by another front alignment to adjust the tie rod ends to match. Could there be any issues doing that?

Should be fine. You will need a steering wheel puller to do it at the steering wheel, but its easy other than that. You will be able to get it right within a few degrees.

This is where having a simple car with no steering angle sensors, etc. comes in handy.

-Charlie