How to: Convert your power steering rack to manual

[polarexpress17]

Hey guys. I just got done doing this and i figured before i did it that i'd take pics of the process and do a write-up, because i know there are alot of people who would like to lose the power steering

I did all this with basic hand tools (aside from the 1¼ wrench, but when you maintain a tractor trailer that becomes a basic tool.) This can be done several different ways, i'm not going to get into it too extensively. IMO the easiest way is to pull the engine. You won't need to remove the outer tie rods from the ball joints or anything. Here's how i did mine:

Tools list:

1. vice grips and a flathead screwdriver
2. 1¼ open end wrench
3. 13mm open end or line wrench
4. 3/8 dr. ratchet
5. 8" 3/8 dr. extension
6. 3/8 dr.12mm socket
7. 3/8 dr.14mm socket
8. 3/8 dr.15mm socket
9. Chisel/Flathead screwdriver
10. small center punch
11. Hammer
12. Large deepwell socket or seal driver

I do not have pictures for the steering rack removal.

Lets begin:

Removing the steering rack

1. You'll need a pair of vice grips and a flathead screwdriver, as well as a 1¼ open end wrench
   
   
2. Remove the bellow's boot (inner tie rod boot). To do this you'll need to loosen the clamp on the tie rod itself with a pair of vice grips, slide it down off the boot. For the inner one simply put a flathead screwdriver between it and the boot and pry it off. it snaps apart easily.
   
   
3. For the driver's side, turn your steering wheel to the right about half way, slide the boot off the steering rack. and down the inner tie rod (you will need to rotate the boot to do this.)
   
   
4. Once its slid down the boot you will see where the inner tie rod connects to the steering rack. slide your 1¼ wrench on the square and break it loose. Turn it loose until it angles itself and the threads come out of the steering rack.
   
   
5. Now for the passenger side, turn your steering wheel to the left, half way from center just like you did, and repeat the tie rod removal. now turn your steering wheel back to the center.
   
   
6. Looking at the steering rack, there are 2 14mm bolts, and 2 14mm nuts. Remove the bottom (bolts) first. To do this you will need to loosen the square plate that is blocking the drivers side one. take your 12mm socket and loosen the bolt in the center. Rotate the plate out of the way (or remove it)
   
   
7. Take your 14mm socket and an extension and break the bolts loose, and sit them nearby. Now you'll remove the clamps holding the lines to the subframe. There is one in the middle, and one on the passenger side. take your 10mm socket and extension and remove the bolts. Now we remove the 2 nuts. Remove them and sit them nearby.
   
   
8. Pull your steering rack off the 2 studs coming out of the subframe, it won't fall completely do the ground just yet.
   
   
9. Pull up the boot that covers the steering column, and remove the TOP section of the U joint from the steering column. Remove the 12mm bolt and it will slide off. Now your steering rack is removed from your car
   
   
10. http://i43.tinypic.com/x21h0y.jpg

Now onto the juicy part, de-powering the steering rack!

1. Set the rack on your workbench/etc.
   http://i42.tinypic.com/2nti8h0.jpg
   
   
2. remove all 4 lines from it. the larger ones are 17mm, and the smaller ones are 13mm. My 17mm ones would not come out so i just cut the lines where they went in and tossed them aside.
   http://i40.tinypic.com/21alk44.jpg
   http://i41.tinypic.com/148ot53.jpg
   
   
3. Put the rack in a vice or something to hold it in place
   http://i40.tinypic.com/95yepu.jpg
   
   
4. Remove the adjusting cover. Start by undoing the large locknut, then the cover, spring and support yoke. For me i broke the locknut loose with a monkey wrench and the cover came with it.
   http://tinypic.com/m/9t0m69/4
   http://tinypic.com/m/9t0pwg/4
   http://tinypic.com/m/9t0pwi/4
   
   
5. On the top of the input shaft there will be a snap ring, remove this and set it nearby
   http://tinypic.com/m/9t0pyr/4
   
   
6. Now You'll want to remove the cover on the bottom of the pinion shaft. This is plastic for some reason so what i did was put a chisel in one of the notches and tapped it around with a hammer until it spun loose
   http://tinypic.com/m/9t0pw8/4
   
   
7. It reveals this: A 15mm nut. Remove it and set it nearby
   http://tinypic.com/m/9t0pw9/4
   
   
8. tap the bottom of the pinion shaft (where you just removed the nut) with a small punch, it will move the steering shaft to the side (this is fine) and will pop out. set it off to the side out of harm's way
   http://tinypic.com/m/9t0pys/4
   
   
9. Now onto removing the shaft itself (and what makes it power steering.) On the opposite end of the steering shaft there will be a "nut" type thing with 2 notches on it.
   http://tinypic.com/m/9t0pwj/4
   
   
10. Tap this around with a flat head screwdriver or chisel until you see the stop ring pop out through the oval hole, Now tap the nut back the opposite direction and it will pull the stop ring out
    http://i43.tinypic.com/kegn49.jpg
    
    
11. pull the stop ring out of the hole in the nut and set it nearby.
    
    
12. Tap the opposite side of the steering shaft with a hammer and it will pop out the side that had the stop ring nut on it.
    http://tinypic.com/m/9t0pyt/4
    
    
13. pull it out and set it somewhere on your bench, preferably a clean place or on paper towels like i did
    http://tinypic.com/m/9t0pyu/4
    
    
14. See that large cylinder on the steering shaft? that is what gives it power steering
    
    
15. Carefully cut the seal from the shaft. I used a grinder to cut most of the way through the seal and then whacked it with a chisel. No damage to the shaft.
    BE CAREFUL with the stop ring that is on there because it is needed!
    http://tinypic.com/m/9t0sol/4
    http://tinypic.com/m/9t0pyv/4
    
    
16. time for some lube! I just used a tube of grease that i use to grease parts on tractor trailers
    http://tinypic.com/m/9t0q69/4
    
    
17. dip the steering shaft in the tube and smear the grease around on it. don't put it on too thick otherwise it will make a mess when you reinstall the shaft.

Re-assembly

This is almost exactly reverse of Un-assembly. There are two exceptions:

1. The seal on top of the pinion shaft needs to be seated. I used a large deepwell socket and a hammer.
   http://tinypic.com/m/9t0q6c/4
   
   
2. Reinstall your fittings and either fill them with JB weld, or weld them shut (it doesnt hold pressure, just keeps dirt/etc out)
   http://tinypic.com/m/9t0q6f/4

Voila! One Manual steering rack

http://tinypic.com/m/9t0q6h/4

ADDED: 2ndgengt did a recent how-to on installing a ribbed pulley for the belt tensioner, This is an excellent write up IMO.

You can see it here: http://forums.probetalk.com/showpost...51&postcount=1

[artsvetkov]

So why did you remove the cylinder, does it oppose the motion when there is no power-steering fluid?

[polarexpress17]

what happens is that cylinder tries to compress the liquid that is in the steering rack with looped lines/etc and we all know you can't compress a liquid. you are then doing the work of the power steering pump. removing the cylinder (its actually a seal) removes all the resistance coming from inside the steering rack. you are no longer trying to compress liquid

[JazRedGT]

Thats an awesome write up. Someone make this a sticky!!

[short4stuff]

Right on. Now how to the steering as far as lock to lock ? I know manual racks are different usually. (less turns)

Also are you just going to run a shorter belt over the tensenor?

[J-Spec GT]

So the difference between this and just gutting the pump is less resistance when turning?
Im on like 4yrs no P/s gutted and its a lot simplier. A real quick job.
I commend the work and effort u did though, nice write up.

[ls-6]

Right on. Now how to the steering as far as lock to lock ? I know manual racks are different usually. (less turns)

Also are you just going to run a shorter belt over the tensenor?

This wont make any difference in the turns lock to lock or the turning circle.

Manual racks/boxes are actualy typicaly more turns lock to lock because you need the extra ratio to reduce effort for the masses.

For those in the sporting community it's a double edged sword, power steering removes feedback and adds weight and potential leaks/ maintenance issues but converting to manual with a manual rack costs the quick ratios we want for responsive street and track driving.

So the difference between this and just gutting the pump is less resistance when turning?
Im on like 4yrs no P/s gutted and its a lot simplier. A real quick job.
I commend the work and effort u did though, nice write up.

Yes, a lot less. A friend has a Porsche with just the pump pulled and lines looped and it's almost un-steerable at a stop. It's not so bad at a few MPH and not usualy a problem at speed but if he were to autoX the thing it would get old real fast. If you were looking forward to a whole day of racing or tackling mountain roads and had to sit out because of fatigue you wouldnt be happy. Or worse yet the fatigue could easily lead to a big mistake.


What you are doing right now is fighting the rack every time you turn the wheel, forcing fluid past the internal seals. It's causing excessive wear on your column and taking away any benifits you should see in terms of feedback.

I highly suggest doing this mod.

[LowPro313]

Right on. Now how to the steering as far as lock to lock ? I know manual racks are different usually. (less turns)

Also are you just going to run a shorter belt over the tensenor?

I would say if your going to pull the power steering you would already have the A/C pulled too. Considering those are on the same belt then you can just run your engine with one belt. I pulled the A/C on mine and gained a good amount of room around my engine. Pulling the power steering also would give a hell of alot more room. Plus having a nice air intake and relocate the battery and working on your engine will be a breeze. Nothing in your way to squeeze your hands through and looks nice and clean. You are making me want to pull my P/S too. Might have to do this when weather gets nice.

[polarexpress17]

Thanks guys.

LowPro, the PS and A/C are on seperate belts, but yes just run the ribbed side of the pulley over the tensioner, it won't hurt anything.

ls-6 covered everything pretty much, same amount of turns lock to lock.

[polarexpress17]

i added some info to the first post

[KLZE Porsche]

i added some info to the first post

I checked the KL rack and I came up with a little less than 3 turns lock-to-lock. It may be 2.75 turns because I could not put a full 3 turns on it. Polar, this is a great thread. I pulled my rack in my green car last weekend and was going to do exactly what you have done but I could not get the inner tie rod pieces unscrewed. I was afraid to torque on them too much because I wasn't sure if they were just crimped onto the ends of the gear rack or if the 4 sides were for wrenching off.

I also have another option I have been working on. I ordered a Mustang II rack from egay for under $100. The ends on it do unscrew as well. It is 4 turns lock-to-lock. I was going to see if the inner tie rod ends are the same thread as the KL and just swap the ends. It would be so nice if they were the same because the mustang ones are a little short just like was discovered with the 323 rack.

The splined end of the KL input shaft is a fitted end on the pinion shaft and could be removed. It looks like it fits on a smaller turned portion of the pinion shaft and is pinned. So if I turn the pinion shaft end of the mustang rack to the same diameter and pin the KL splined piece onto it then I think installing it would be fairly simple for me.

The rack has a different type mounting system with two large rubber grommets and eyelets on the aluminum ends but I think I can cut the eyelets off and modify the aluminum ends to mount up the same as a KL does. If the KL inner tie rod screw threads at the gear rack ends are not the same thread count then I can just cut both sets of tie rods in the middle somewhere and splice mustang inners to KL outers and Have a stout completely manual rack with 4 turns vs 2.75 turns. If the Mustang II is a no go then I will be going this KL route that you have posted up for us polar.

Thanks!

[DroptAtBirth]

great write up tim, i vote sticky, and i might just have to do this

[Rotor_Man]

whats the effort required to turn the wheel now, would it be good for say a summer/track day car or are we getting a little on the dedicated tracker side of things?

[polarexpress17]

i dont know what the effort is like, i havent put it back in the car yet.

it should be just like steering a car that has no power steering from the factory. maybe a little tougher because of the lower ratio

NOWHERE near as tough as looping the lines

[SuperSquid]

another option instead of changing belt routing....remove the lines from the ps pump and the guts....it's then just an idler pulley.