MR2 steering rack [Archive] - Toyota Forums

Ray O

02-22-2005, 11:45 AM

"anon" <none@whatever.com> wrote in message
news:cvf6mr$l4$1@sparta.btinternet.com...
> is it possible to rebuild the MR2 steering rack (SW20 1990 Mk2 (power
> steering)) with new seals,

Yes, it is possible to rebuild a steering rack with new seals, however, the
success rate for a do-it-yourselfer is probably pretty low. The job needs
to be done very carefully in very clean conditions, almost like a doctor's
office. You will need special service tools to do the job, and the price of
the kit is probably close to the price of a replacement rack. Because of
the low success rate of rebuilding racks, most service facilities just
replace them with either new or rebuilt racks.

You will also need to do a complete 4-wheel alignment on the car when done,
equipment that most people do not have in their garage.

recently i have been experiencing strange
> behaviour with the steering, it tends to wander, and doesnt always
> cetralise, everything else is in A1 condition, ball joints, tyres, wheel
> alignment etc, and the car is treated with kid gloves, IE: with great care
> so its not the result of a knock etc.
> What kind of behaviour would result if one of the power steering seals
> were
> worn, it sometimes feels as though its trying to steer one way or the
> other
> on its own, although this is very slight, but nonetheless cruising at
> speeds
> between 60 - 80mph have now become less controlled.
> i can't physically feel any wear in the rack itself, the tie-rods all
> seems
> good as do the steering couplings.
> a new steering rack is around £300 uk so i don't want to replace it if i
> can
> avoid it.
> secondly, assuming its feasable to rebuild the rack does anyone know where
> i
> can get a seal kit from in the uk, or from the US if shipping is an
> option.
> many thanks for any guidance.
> regards.
> steve.
>
Worn rack seals usually result in leaks or difficult steering. Check the
condition of the u-joint(s) in the steering shaft to make sure they are not
loose, worn, or binding. Make sure there are not broken belts in any of the
tires.

You did not mention if you had the alignment checked recently, that is a
good first step to diagnosing your problem. The MR2 has a lot of positive
caster to help steering stability, and if that spec is off, you will
experience some wandering.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

anon

02-23-2005, 05:36 AM

Thanks for your reply, I am a technician in the UK, just never actually
rebuilt a Power steering rack during my time, I wouldnt bother for a
customer, but since the cost of a new rack for the MR2 is ridiculously
overpriced compared to most power racks i would consider rebuilding it.
i guess the real poser is the cost of a repair / rebuild kit in comparison
to a new rack.
steve.

"Ray O" <rokigawa@tristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
news:d2f6c$421b6859$44a4a10d$1615@msgid.meganewsse rvers.com...
>
> "anon" <none@whatever.com> wrote in message
> news:cvf6mr$l4$1@sparta.btinternet.com...
> > is it possible to rebuild the MR2 steering rack (SW20 1990 Mk2 (power
> > steering)) with new seals,
>
> Yes, it is possible to rebuild a steering rack with new seals, however,
the
> success rate for a do-it-yourselfer is probably pretty low. The job needs
> to be done very carefully in very clean conditions, almost like a doctor's
> office. You will need special service tools to do the job, and the price
of
> the kit is probably close to the price of a replacement rack. Because of
> the low success rate of rebuilding racks, most service facilities just
> replace them with either new or rebuilt racks.
>
> You will also need to do a complete 4-wheel alignment on the car when
done,
> equipment that most people do not have in their garage.
>
> recently i have been experiencing strange
> > behaviour with the steering, it tends to wander, and doesnt always
> > cetralise, everything else is in A1 condition, ball joints, tyres, wheel
> > alignment etc, and the car is treated with kid gloves, IE: with great
care
> > so its not the result of a knock etc.
> > What kind of behaviour would result if one of the power steering seals
> > were
> > worn, it sometimes feels as though its trying to steer one way or the
> > other
> > on its own, although this is very slight, but nonetheless cruising at
> > speeds
> > between 60 - 80mph have now become less controlled.
> > i can't physically feel any wear in the rack itself, the tie-rods all
> > seems
> > good as do the steering couplings.
> > a new steering rack is around £300 uk so i don't want to replace it if i
> > can
> > avoid it.
> > secondly, assuming its feasable to rebuild the rack does anyone know
where
> > i
> > can get a seal kit from in the uk, or from the US if shipping is an
> > option.
> > many thanks for any guidance.
> > regards.
> > steve.
> >
> Worn rack seals usually result in leaks or difficult steering. Check the
> condition of the u-joint(s) in the steering shaft to make sure they are
not
> loose, worn, or binding. Make sure there are not broken belts in any of
the
> tires.
>
> You did not mention if you had the alignment checked recently, that is a
> good first step to diagnosing your problem. The MR2 has a lot of positive
> caster to help steering stability, and if that spec is off, you will
> experience some wandering.
> --
> Ray O
> correct the return address punctuation to reply
>
>
>

Ray O

02-23-2005, 12:16 PM

"anon" <none@whatever.com> wrote in message
news:cvhmbc$bqs$1@hercules.btinternet.com...
> Thanks for your reply, I am a technician in the UK, just never actually
> rebuilt a Power steering rack during my time, I wouldnt bother for a
> customer, but since the cost of a new rack for the MR2 is ridiculously
> overpriced compared to most power racks i would consider rebuilding it.
> i guess the real poser is the cost of a repair / rebuild kit in comparison
> to a new rack.
> steve.
>

The cost of a repair/rebuild kit for a rack should be substantially less
than for a new rack. The high price of the kit I referred to before was for
the SST kit, not the rebuild kit. IIRC, the kit consists mostly of seal
drivers.

If you're willing to invest your time and the cost of a rebuild kit and you
have access to the factory repair manual and a good set of seal drivers,
alignment rack, etc, then give it a try.

There are also several aftermarket racks available, you might want to check
those out as well.

Good luck!

--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

fireball

03-03-2005, 10:05 PM

"Ray O" wrote:
> "anon" <none@whatever.com> wrote in message
> news:cvhmbc$bqs$1@hercules.btinternet.com...
> > Thanks for your reply, I am a technician in the UK, just
> never actually
> > rebuilt a Power steering rack during my time, I wouldnt
> bother for a
> > customer, but since the cost of a new rack for the MR2 is
> ridiculously
> > overpriced compared to most power racks i would consider
> rebuilding it.
> > i guess the real poser is the cost of a repair / rebuild kit
> in comparison
> > to a new rack.
> > steve.
> >
>
> The cost of a repair/rebuild kit for a rack should be
> substantially less
> than for a new rack. The high price of the kit I referred to
> before was for
> the SST kit, not the rebuild kit. IIRC, the kit consists
> mostly of seal
> drivers.
>
> If you're willing to invest your time and the cost of a
> rebuild kit and you
> have access to the factory repair manual and a good set of
> seal drivers,
> alignment rack, etc, then give it a try.
>
> There are also several aftermarket racks available, you might
> want to check
> those out as well.
>
> Good luck!
>
> --
> Ray O
> correct the return address punctuation to reply

I just discovered the source of steering wheel play in my 1987 MR2--in
a location I didn’t even know was possible. So you might check to see
if this is your problem too. Everything under the front end is tight,
but the steering wheel has ~4 cm of free play. When I looked up under
the dashboard at the linkage from the steering wheel to the fireall, I
found free play between two parts of what appeared to be a single
steel rod. It is between one U-joint connected to the steering wheel
and another leading to the rack. The part consists of a ribbed steel
rod inserted into a steel sleeve. It apears the two are glued
together with some rubber compound which has deteriorated and is
falling out. Does anyone know what’s going on with this or whether it
can be fixed without replacing the entire steering wheel linkage?

--
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Ray O

03-04-2005, 01:38 PM

"fireball" <UseLinkToEmail@New & Used Cars Forums - AutoForumz.com> wrote in
message news:4227d096$1_3@alt.athenanews.com...
> "Ray O" wrote:
> > "anon" <none@whatever.com> wrote in message
> > news:cvhmbc$bqs$1@hercules.btinternet.com...
> > > Thanks for your reply, I am a technician in the UK, just
> > never actually
> > > rebuilt a Power steering rack during my time, I wouldnt
> > bother for a
> > > customer, but since the cost of a new rack for the MR2 is
> > ridiculously
> > > overpriced compared to most power racks i would consider
> > rebuilding it.
> > > i guess the real poser is the cost of a repair / rebuild kit
> > in comparison
> > > to a new rack.
> > > steve.
> > >
> >
> > The cost of a repair/rebuild kit for a rack should be
> > substantially less
> > than for a new rack. The high price of the kit I referred to
> > before was for
> > the SST kit, not the rebuild kit. IIRC, the kit consists
> > mostly of seal
> > drivers.
> >
> > If you're willing to invest your time and the cost of a
> > rebuild kit and you
> > have access to the factory repair manual and a good set of
> > seal drivers,
> > alignment rack, etc, then give it a try.
> >
> > There are also several aftermarket racks available, you might
> > want to check
> > those out as well.
> >
> > Good luck!
> >
> > --
> > Ray O
> > correct the return address punctuation to reply
>
> I just discovered the source of steering wheel play in my 1987 MR2--in
> a location I didn't even know was possible. So you might check to see
> if this is your problem too. Everything under the front end is tight,
> but the steering wheel has ~4 cm of free play. When I looked up under
> the dashboard at the linkage from the steering wheel to the fireall, I
> found free play between two parts of what appeared to be a single
> steel rod. It is between one U-joint connected to the steering wheel
> and another leading to the rack. The part consists of a ribbed steel
> rod inserted into a steel sleeve. It apears the two are glued
> together with some rubber compound which has deteriorated and is
> falling out. Does anyone know what's going on with this or whether it
> can be fixed without replacing the entire steering wheel linkage?
>

The steering column is designed to collapse upon impact, referred to as an
energy absorbing steering column. The part of the column that collapses
usually looks almost like a basket weave but I've never looked closely at
the MR2's design and it may be more like a telescopic design.

The best way to find out if it can be fixed without replacing the entire
steering column is to go to a Toyota dealer and ask the service department
or ask the parts department to show you the parts drawing.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

hachiroku

03-04-2005, 03:22 PM

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 10:45:17 -0600, Ray O wrote:

>
> "anon" <none@whatever.com> wrote in message
> news:cvf6mr$l4$1@sparta.btinternet.com...
>> is it possible to rebuild the MR2 steering rack (SW20 1990 Mk2 (power
>> steering)) with new seals,
>
> Yes, it is possible to rebuild a steering rack with new seals, however, the
> success rate for a do-it-yourselfer is probably pretty low. The job needs
> to be done very carefully in very clean conditions, almost like a doctor's
> office. You will need special service tools to do the job, and the price of
> the kit is probably close to the price of a replacement rack. Because of
> the low success rate of rebuilding racks, most service facilities just
> replace them with either new or rebuilt racks.

LOL! The success rate from some of the rebuild shops isn't so swift,
either! We had to return about 10% from our supplier! Still, better than
some alternators we were selling! (60% return rate!) Even though we had
some in stock, the boss would not sell them!

>
> You will also need to do a complete 4-wheel alignment on the car when done,
> equipment that most people do not have in their garage.
>
> recently i have been experiencing strange
>> behaviour with the steering, it tends to wander, and doesnt always
>> cetralise, everything else is in A1 condition, ball joints, tyres, wheel
>> alignment etc, and the car is treated with kid gloves, IE: with great care
>> so its not the result of a knock etc.
>> What kind of behaviour would result if one of the power steering seals
>> were
>> worn, it sometimes feels as though its trying to steer one way or the
>> other
>> on its own, although this is very slight, but nonetheless cruising at
>> speeds
>> between 60 - 80mph have now become less controlled.
>> i can't physically feel any wear in the rack itself, the tie-rods all
>> seems
>> good as do the steering couplings.
>> a new steering rack is around £300 uk so i don't want to replace it if i
>> can
>> avoid it.
>> secondly, assuming its feasable to rebuild the rack does anyone know where
>> i
>> can get a seal kit from in the uk, or from the US if shipping is an
>> option.
>> many thanks for any guidance.
>> regards.
>> steve.
>>
> Worn rack seals usually result in leaks or difficult steering. Check the
> condition of the u-joint(s) in the steering shaft to make sure they are not
> loose, worn, or binding. Make sure there are not broken belts in any of the
> tires.
>
> You did not mention if you had the alignment checked recently, that is a
> good first step to diagnosing your problem. The MR2 has a lot of positive
> caster to help steering stability, and if that spec is off, you will
> experience some wandering.

c0smic

03-04-2005, 09:41 PM

fireball wrote:

> I just discovered the source of steering wheel play in my 1987 MR2--in
> a location I didn’t even know was possible. So you might check to see
> if this is your problem too. Everything under the front end is tight,
> but the steering wheel has ~4 cm of free play. When I looked up under
> the dashboard at the linkage from the steering wheel to the fireall, I
> found free play between two parts of what appeared to be a single
> steel rod. It is between one U-joint connected to the steering wheel
> and another leading to the rack. The part consists of a ribbed steel
> rod inserted into a steel sleeve. It apears the two are glued
> together with some rubber compound which has deteriorated and is
> falling out. Does anyone know what’s going on with this or whether it
> can be fixed without replacing the entire steering wheel linkage?
>
There is one U-joint between the steering shaft and the rack and a Mark 1
MR2. It is held in place with set bolts. There is another U-joint above it,
but I think it’s part of the steering shaft and not replaceable without
replacing the steering shaft. It’s probably the lower U-joint that needs
replacing. Just loosen the set bolts and pull the U-joint up on the shaft
to free the bottom part and then drop it down. It’s definitely not glued
with rubber. The rubber is probably the grommet where the pinion shaft
comes through the firewall. It’s hard to get to. You will need to lay on
the floor. The only trick is to get the steering pinion and the steering
shaft in the exact position they were before you removed the U-joint. There
are about 12 splines on the U-joint. It took me a few tries to get the
steering wheel straight. I heard a popping noise when steering before the
repair.

anon

03-04-2005, 11:40 PM

is it possible to rebuild the MR2 steering rack (SW20 1990 Mk2 (power
steering)) with new seals, recently i have been experiencing strange
behaviour with the steering, it tends to wander, and doesnt always
cetralise, everything else is in A1 condition, ball joints, tyres, wheel
alignment etc, and the car is treated with kid gloves, IE: with great care
so its not the result of a knock etc.
What kind of behaviour would result if one of the power steering seals were
worn, it sometimes feels as though its trying to steer one way or the other
on its own, although this is very slight, but nonetheless cruising at speeds
between 60 - 80mph have now become less controlled.
i can't physically feel any wear in the rack itself, the tie-rods all seems
good as do the steering couplings.
a new steering rack is around £300 uk so i don't want to replace it if i can
avoid it.
secondly, assuming its feasable to rebuild the rack does anyone know where i
can get a seal kit from in the uk, or from the US if shipping is an option.
many thanks for any guidance.
regards.
steve.

Ray O

03-04-2005, 11:40 PM

anon

03-04-2005, 11:40 PM

Ray O

03-04-2005, 11:41 PM

fireball

03-04-2005, 11:45 PM

Ray O

03-04-2005, 11:47 PM

c0smic

03-04-2005, 11:48 PM