steering rack bushes - getting access

[Surf_MoFo]

if i want to do my steering rack bushes do i have to support the front with the wheels hanging in the air, i have followed the guide but i cant get the rack far enough back to get the D bush clamp off as its fowling the anti roll bar, im thinking if my wheels were hanging in the air the anti roll bar would give me more room, is this the way i need to do it ?

[si tate]

Did mine the other day mate, its a pain in the arse but even a novice like me did it.

First of all you need some clamps to pull the rack back once you have undone all the nuts & bolts & again when bolting it back up.

The D bush is the hardest one but looks the easiest.

Take a look at this.

http://www.parksoffroad.com/tacomamo...ckbushings.htm

OH & get the tracking done after you sort it out.

[Surf_MoFo]

Did mine the other day mate, its a pain in the arse but even a novice like me did it.

First of all you need some clamps to pull the rack back once you have undone all the nuts & bolts & again when bolting it back up.

The D bush is the hardest one but looks the easiest.

Take a look at this.

http://www.parksoffroad.com/tacomamo...ckbushings.htm

OH & get the tracking done after you sort it out.

hi si did you support the front of the surf using axle stands ?

cheers for the link, i was looking at that guide the other night

i would not have thought tracking was necessary if you dont move anything on the steering rack, although i reckon you need it to line the steering wheel up.

[si tate]

Yes i did use stands but only so i could get under the truck a bit eaiser, i did'nt jack the suspention at all.

In fact the wheels were still touching the ground.

You can just get to the top nut on the D bush but it is a struggle though.

TBH i don't think you need to have it tracked once its done but it is recommened, steering feels alot better now though, not half as much vibration through the steering wheel & it feels tighter.

One more thing to note, the middle bolt "17mm" that runs virtical through the rack has to be undone from the top cos the nut "that is easier to get to" is welded on from the factory, i found that out the hard way by loosing a chunk of skin off my knuckles.


EDIT:

I could'nt actually get the D clamp out cos of the anti roll bar so i slackened it off as far as possible then soaked the D rubber in WD40 & slid it out sideways.

[Surf_MoFo]

Yes i did use stands but only so i could get under the truck a bit eaiser, i did'nt jack the suspention at all.

In fact the wheels were still touching the ground.

You can just get to the top nut on the D bush but it is a strugle though.

TBH i don't think you need to have it tracked once its done but it is recommened, steering feels alot better now though, not half as much vibration through the steering wheel & it feels tighter.

One more thing to note, the middle bolt "17mm" that runs virtical through the rack has to be undone from the top cos the nut "that is easier to get to" is welded on from the factory, i found that out the hard way by loosing a chunk of skin off my knuckles.

i had mine on ramps at the front, i can get under easy but i think because the suspension is not hanging free i cannot get enough room to remove the D clamp as there is not enough room to pull it back and clear the bottom bolt. when i get the bush kit i will use the axle stands

yes that middle bolt, i have already removed and like you discovered the hard way that it is not a nut on the bottom, although no skint knuckles, just took me 15 mins to realise

[si tate]

Good luck with it mate, it took me about 5 hours in total but that was with about 20 tea breaks + the misses giving emergency medical treatment for my knuckles.

[Surf_MoFo]

Good luck with it mate, it took me about 5 hours in total but that was with about 20 tea breaks + the misses giving emergency medical treatment for my knuckles.

i got my bushes on order, i should do it much quicker as my misses aint that efficient with the tea breaks

can i ask how you jacked it up and got the supports under, the standard does not go that high and the chasis is quite high for my trolley jack to reach.

[si tate]

i got my bushes on order, i should do it much quicker as my misses aint that efficient with the tea breaks

can i ask how you jacked it up and got the supports under, the standard does not go that high and the chasis is quite high for my trolley jack to reach.

My stands are telescopic & go quite high, as for the jack i sat it on a breeze block to gain the extra height.

[Surf_MoFo]

PITA

i was getting on well last night till fitting the bushes and thats when it got hard, the middle bush was in one piece, i got my kit from milners, the middle bush is in 2 bits in the other kits ie roughtrax so i cut the bush in 2 so i could fit each half in from each side, i could not have easily got the flange thru the hole in the steering rack. i got the d bush fitted, not easyily though but i got there, anyway i cant get it back in so i now realise why i need a clamp, i only have g clamps and they are not big enough, does this mean i will need to buy a rack clamp just for this or is there another way to ssqueeze the rack back into position,

if there was enough room under the car theis would be quite easy but as im lying on my back with little room it makes it very difficult.

so i abandoned it till i find a way of puching the rack back into position

[si tate]

I got my kit from roughtrax, did'nt even check if milners did them, anyway
you will need bigger clamps to pull it back in mate, i was lucky cos in my line of work i need to use clamps every day so ive got every size possible.

If your gunna buy one, B&Q do them but they are about £20 each & if your only gunna use it once its a bit of a waste of money but there is no other way round it im affraid.

EDIT.
Your probably gunna need 2 clamps, one either side. DOH!.
More money to have to spend.

[Surf_MoFo]

I got my kit from roughtrax, did'nt even check if milners did them, anyway
you will need bigger clamps to pull it back in mate, i was lucky cos in my line of work i need to use clamps every day so ive got every size possible.

If your gunna buy one, B&Q do them but they are about £20 each & if your only gunna use it once its a bit of a waste of money but there is no other way round it im affraid.

EDIT.
Your probably gunna need 2 clamps, one either side. DOH!.
More money to have to spend.

cheers si, i work in an engineering fabrication factory so i can get a couple of rack clamps to borrow, im just not in work till monday night, ill maybe go in today and see if i can get 2 clamps, my work is 25 miles away but it beats buying 2 from b&q