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Steering Rack replacement 850 1996

I am going to tackle replacing the steering rack on my 96 850. I will be replacing with a new (rebuilt) unit. In the Hays manual it mentions replacing the sub frame bolts during the process. Is this necessary? I was looking at the write up on Swedespeed and they do not mention as part of their reinstall.

Also the hays manual has nothing in it that I have seen about the SRS contact point that I have seen mentioned in other posts. Where is this and how do I avoid causing an issue when installing the new rack?

Any other advice from those who have done this?








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    Steering Rack replacement 850 1996

    The instructions I was following did not mention taking out the sway bar first. I did that and it did free up a bit more room to move things around. I would suggest removing the sway bar.

    I supported my car using jack stands under the front jacking points on the rocker panels under each front door. That kept the jackstands far enough back to give me lots of free movement.

    I placed a 2x4 across the back edge of the oil pan (chipped out a relief where the drain plug was) and lifted the engine to remove the rear engine mount and the whole engine mount bracket, to free up some more room. The 2x4 was placed so that the 4" dimension was up and down and I supported that 2x4 (and, thereby, the engine) on a second set of jack stands. I had first disconnected the upper stabilizer bar/mount to give the engine some unrestrained movement in the upward direction. If you take my suggestion about supporting the engine, take your time and be careful. You don't want to be under there if your support arrangement fails.

    I had to loosen the front subframe bolts quite a bit and completely remove the rear subframe attachment. I had to drop the rear of the subframe quite a bit in order to get the room I needed. I think the fact that I was supporting the engine separately allowed me a lot more movement of the subframe.

    So that you can move them around, make sure you remove the mounting hardware that traps the two power steering lines at the back and the front of the subframe.

    STRONG SUGGESTON: when you put your new rack in-place, one of the first connections you should make should be the two power steering lines. DO NOT bolt the rack down first and then try and connect the two lines to the rack. First connect the lines. I did it the other way and those lines are inflexible and the danger of cross-threading is too great.

    The flarenuts connecting the high-pressure lines to the pinion housing are in a tight, restricted area. I used Snap-On flarenut wrenches which juuuuust fit. In other words, with one swing of the wrench I was only able to go through 59.99-degrees of travel, and since each clear swing of the wrench is 60-degrees, it was tight.

    Also, you will need a way to spread the lower yoke on the steering universal joint that mounts to pinion shaft. Mine was frozen-on an required the use of a cold chisel, about four feet of 1/2" extensions, and a six-pound brass sledge. I had to thread the whole arrangement through the various stuff above the transmission and out the front of the car and then I slammed on the whole assembly from in front of the car until the yoke free'd up from the pinion shaft.

    If your car is from a salty area, be prepared to spend hours removing fasteners, or decide from the start to break and replace them all. I would start spraying everything in sight with penetrating oil right now. Better yet, find a British car club in your area and follow behind a few MGs and Triumphs for a while.

    Just to warn you, it is a big, difficult job for a shade tree mechanic. But, like anything else, it's a challenge.








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    Steering Rack replacement 850 1996

    Do you have access to a lift?

    If you don't, I would highly recommend letting a shop do the work.

    Also, let me suggest purchasing a rack from Volvo. The other racks on the market are really hit and miss.

    I hope that everyone is having a most splendid Wednesday! :)







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