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Thread: Replacing steering rack - what is this?

  1. #21
    LS1 DMC Nicholas R's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Redsquall View Post
    Yes, it's the rack is not centered issue. Ok, how precise - like within one turn? I can do that. Then, just recenter the steering wheel after that?
    Thanks!
    I would shoot for dead on; it doesn't take much to throw off your alignment. If you take a turn out of one side, you need to add a turn to the other (no more no less). Mark your tie rods so that you have indicators of how far they've been turned. I think i did it in increments of 1/2 turns. Each time you make the adjustment, snug the jam nuts back up, get inside the car, and see how many turns you get in each direction. At the end, just pop the steering wheel off, center it, and put bolt it back on. Good luck!

  2. #22
    Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nicholas R View Post
    I would shoot for dead on; it doesn't take much to throw off your alignment. If you take a turn out of one side, you need to add a turn to the other (no more no less). Mark your tie rods so that you have indicators of how far they've been turned. I think i did it in increments of 1/2 turns. Each time you make the adjustment, snug the jam nuts back up, get inside the car, and see how many turns you get in each direction. At the end, just pop the steering wheel off, center it, and put bolt it back on. Good luck!
    The only thing that confuses me here is You said "i did it in increments of 1/2 turns" - Are you talking about the steering wheel at that point? Because when you turn a tie rod end around you have to turn it 360 degrees of course. What am I missing here? Thanks!
    81' gas flap. Sept build. 14k miles. Mostly original. Updating things...

  3. #23
    Senior Member Bitsyncmaster's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Redsquall View Post
    The only thing that confuses me here is You said "i did it in increments of 1/2 turns" - Are you talking about the steering wheel at that point? Because when you turn a tie rod end around you have to turn it 360 degrees of course. What am I missing here? Thanks!
    The rod will rotate. You don't need to remove the tie rod end.
    Dave M vin 03572
    http://dm-eng.weebly.com/

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bitsyncmaster View Post
    The rod will rotate. You don't need to remove the tie rod end.
    OK Thanks Guys!
    81' gas flap. Sept build. 14k miles. Mostly original. Updating things...

  5. #25
    Senior Member DMC5180's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bitsyncmaster View Post
    The rod will rotate. You don't need to remove the tie rod end.
    Just be sure to loosen the the small outer boot clamp so the rod turns inside it.


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  6. #26
    Senior Member Bitsyncmaster's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DMC5180 View Post
    Just be sure to loosen the the small outer boot clamp so the rod turns inside it.
    Good point. I assume people would think of that themselves but it's good to suggest it.

    You also need to back off the lock nut locking the tie rod end to the shaft.
    Dave M vin 03572
    http://dm-eng.weebly.com/

  7. #27
    LS1 DMC Nicholas R's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Redsquall View Post
    The only thing that confuses me here is You said "i did it in increments of 1/2 turns" - Are you talking about the steering wheel at that point? Because when you turn a tie rod end around you have to turn it 360 degrees of course. What am I missing here? Thanks!
    As Dave said, you are not turning the rod end, you are turning the rod. You do not need to break the rod end loose from the knuckle for this. All you have to do is loosen the jam nut (and the boot clamp) and rotate the rod in order to increase or decrease the length.

    Don't worry about the steering wheel. The column and wheel have nothing to do with the alignment or the rack. Once the rack is set up properly and aligned, pull the wheel off and center it and you're good to go.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nicholas R View Post
    I would shoot for dead on; it doesn't take much to throw off your alignment. If you take a turn out of one side, you need to add a turn to the other (no more no less). Mark your tie rods so that you have indicators of how far they've been turned. I think i did it in increments of 1/2 turns. Each time you make the adjustment, snug the jam nuts back up, get inside the car, and see how many turns you get in each direction. At the end, just pop the steering wheel off, center it, and put bolt it back on. Good luck!
    i'm finally going to get around to doing this. Right now my steering wheel is about exactly 180° off from one turned of the other period. About how many rotations on the tire rod do you think that would be? Thanks
    81' gas flap. Sept build. 14k miles. Mostly original. Updating things...

  9. #29
    EFI'd dn010's Avatar
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    I think you're looking at trial and error here.

    Quote Originally Posted by Redsquall View Post
    i'm finally going to get around to doing this. Right now my steering wheel is about exactly 180° off from one turned of the other period. About how many rotations on the tire rod do you think that would be? Thanks
    -----Dan B.

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by dn010 View Post
    I think you're looking at trial and error here.
    So I'm doing this right now. I have marked my tie rods and I rotated them completely equally in opposite directions to rotations. What is weird is that my steering wheel has not seem to change at all meaning when I rotated I still have exactly the same number of rotations that I had before. One side is off from the other in the exact same way it was before I rotated the tie rod ends. What am I doing wrong? I would expect at the steering wheel would now be off-center after visually lining up the wheel straight
    81' gas flap. Sept build. 14k miles. Mostly original. Updating things...

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