Speedy
06-15-2009, 01:48 PM
I replaced my steering rack, inner tie rods, and outter tie rods this weekend. No pictures as of now but I will supply a guideline.
Car: 1994 civic cx
Motor: d series
Rack: manual
Tools Needed: 3/8" ratchet, 10/12/14/17/19 deep sockets and wrenches, 2 LARGE adjustble wrenches grease gun, small punch.
I aquired the rack for free from a good friend, inner tie rods came from Honda and the outter tie rods are made by MOOG and can be purchased at Advance Auto Parts. I also purchased new inner boots along with clamps from Honda.
I am not responsible if you screw your shit up. This is just a basic outline. Also, make sure that your car is secured on jackstands with a chauk behind the rear wheels.
Step 1: Removal of outter tie rods.
-There is a cotter pin through a castle nut where the outter tie rod attaches to the hub. Use a 17mm socket to loosen the nut. The metal needs to be "shocked" to make the ball joint come loose. If you are replacing the outter tie then by all means beat the hell out of it.
-The outter tie rod is thread onto the inner tie rod and held in place with a locking nut. Put a 19mm open ended wrench on the outter tie rod and a 19mm open ended wrench on the locking nut. The nut should break loose. If it doesn't come loose and you aren't reusing the inner or outter tie rods, use a torch and heat it up.
-Once the nut is loose you can spin the outter tie rod off of the inner tie rod
Step 2: Removal of crap that is in the way.
-The shift linkage, catylitic converter and exhaust manifold need to be removed for the rack to drop out.
-Remove the 9 12mm nuts holding the manifold to the head. Remove the 3 bolts holding the catlylitic converter to the midpipe. Drop the header to the floor, place sideways and slide out through the wheel well.
-Onto the shift linkage. There is a rubber boot and a 'U' clip over the pin that holds the linkage to the transmission A punch is needed to knock the pin out. Once that piece is removed you can move onto the stabilizer linkage. It is held in with a single 12mm bolt. Remove and drop the linkage.
Step 3: Disconnecting the rack from the column.
-There is a double 'U' joint clamp that connects the steering column to the steering rack. There is a single 10mm bolt at either end of the clamp.
-To gain access to the column you will need to remove the lower dashboard cover, the plastic cover or the column and pull the carpet back. The clamp is located below the top of the pedals. Remove the lower 10mm nut on the bottom of the clamp.
Step 4: Removal of the rack
-The rack is held in with 4 bolts. Two 17mm nuts on the driver side and two 14mm nuts on the passenger side. An extension is not needed for the lower driver side but everything else will need a 3"~ish extension.
-Slide the rack towards the passenger side, lower the driver side of the rack and slide out towards the driver side. Your rack is now out of the car
Step 5: Preperation of the new rack
-Most racks come with inner tie rods attached. Mine did not as it was aquired second hand.
-The inner tie rods thread into the rack with a locking 'bowl' washer. I used to large adjustable wrenches for this as I did not have a sized wrench big enough. Also, now is a good oppotunity to grease the rack a little. I rub some extra grease onto the rack just to be safe.
-I also purchased new boots from Honda with new clamps. The boots slide over the inner tie rods but need some finagling to get into place. The large clamps are simple. They wrap into place, there is a hump to lock the clamp at a certain length and little ridges are pushed down to hold everything in place. The small clamps are a little complicated so I resorted to small zip ties. I am ghetto.
Step 6: Putting the new rack in
-From the center of the car on the ground, slide the passenger side of the rack into place. Push the rack towards the passenger side until there is enough room to get the driver side up. Slide into place and place a bolt loosely in each side. Make sure the rack is centered.
-Go inside the car and slide the clamp over the rack spindle. Line up the bolt hole with the groove on the spindle and put the bolt back in loosely.
-Go back under the car. Put the other 17mm bolt in the driver side and the 14mm bolt in the passenger side. Tighten the bolts.
-Go back inside car, tighten bolt in clamp holding the column to the rack.
Step 7: Putting the new outter tie rods on
-Thread the locking nut onto the inner tie rod. Thread the outter tie rod onto the inner tie. Put the ball joint into the hub. If the hub is straight, leave it alone. If not, spin the inner tie rod with a wrench until the hub is straight. This will not be exact without an alignment rack and the proper equipment; this is only to eyeball the alignment so you can get it to a shop to get aligned.
-The tie rods I purchased have a hole in the top of the ball joint that receive a thread fitting for a grease gun. Grease doesn't last forever. The boots are also removeable. If the ball joints you received are like mine you will need to fill them with grease yourself. Fill the ball joints with grease they A. look like the boots are going to pop B. Grease leaks out a little
-Slide cotter pin through hole between ridges in the castle nut and split the ends.
Step 8: Putting everything else back together
-Bolt the stabilizer bar of the linkage back onto the transmission. This is a single 12mm bolt
-Put the rubber linkage boot onto the shaft coming out of the transmission. Slide the linkage over the shaft, line up holes, hammer bitch pin back into place. Put 'U' clip over pin, slide boot over.
-Bolt header back onto the header, bolt catylitic converter back into place.
Now go get your car aligned!
Car: 1994 civic cx
Motor: d series
Rack: manual
Tools Needed: 3/8" ratchet, 10/12/14/17/19 deep sockets and wrenches, 2 LARGE adjustble wrenches grease gun, small punch.
I aquired the rack for free from a good friend, inner tie rods came from Honda and the outter tie rods are made by MOOG and can be purchased at Advance Auto Parts. I also purchased new inner boots along with clamps from Honda.
I am not responsible if you screw your shit up. This is just a basic outline. Also, make sure that your car is secured on jackstands with a chauk behind the rear wheels.
Step 1: Removal of outter tie rods.
-There is a cotter pin through a castle nut where the outter tie rod attaches to the hub. Use a 17mm socket to loosen the nut. The metal needs to be "shocked" to make the ball joint come loose. If you are replacing the outter tie then by all means beat the hell out of it.
-The outter tie rod is thread onto the inner tie rod and held in place with a locking nut. Put a 19mm open ended wrench on the outter tie rod and a 19mm open ended wrench on the locking nut. The nut should break loose. If it doesn't come loose and you aren't reusing the inner or outter tie rods, use a torch and heat it up.
-Once the nut is loose you can spin the outter tie rod off of the inner tie rod
Step 2: Removal of crap that is in the way.
-The shift linkage, catylitic converter and exhaust manifold need to be removed for the rack to drop out.
-Remove the 9 12mm nuts holding the manifold to the head. Remove the 3 bolts holding the catlylitic converter to the midpipe. Drop the header to the floor, place sideways and slide out through the wheel well.
-Onto the shift linkage. There is a rubber boot and a 'U' clip over the pin that holds the linkage to the transmission A punch is needed to knock the pin out. Once that piece is removed you can move onto the stabilizer linkage. It is held in with a single 12mm bolt. Remove and drop the linkage.
Step 3: Disconnecting the rack from the column.
-There is a double 'U' joint clamp that connects the steering column to the steering rack. There is a single 10mm bolt at either end of the clamp.
-To gain access to the column you will need to remove the lower dashboard cover, the plastic cover or the column and pull the carpet back. The clamp is located below the top of the pedals. Remove the lower 10mm nut on the bottom of the clamp.
Step 4: Removal of the rack
-The rack is held in with 4 bolts. Two 17mm nuts on the driver side and two 14mm nuts on the passenger side. An extension is not needed for the lower driver side but everything else will need a 3"~ish extension.
-Slide the rack towards the passenger side, lower the driver side of the rack and slide out towards the driver side. Your rack is now out of the car
Step 5: Preperation of the new rack
-Most racks come with inner tie rods attached. Mine did not as it was aquired second hand.
-The inner tie rods thread into the rack with a locking 'bowl' washer. I used to large adjustable wrenches for this as I did not have a sized wrench big enough. Also, now is a good oppotunity to grease the rack a little. I rub some extra grease onto the rack just to be safe.
-I also purchased new boots from Honda with new clamps. The boots slide over the inner tie rods but need some finagling to get into place. The large clamps are simple. They wrap into place, there is a hump to lock the clamp at a certain length and little ridges are pushed down to hold everything in place. The small clamps are a little complicated so I resorted to small zip ties. I am ghetto.
Step 6: Putting the new rack in
-From the center of the car on the ground, slide the passenger side of the rack into place. Push the rack towards the passenger side until there is enough room to get the driver side up. Slide into place and place a bolt loosely in each side. Make sure the rack is centered.
-Go inside the car and slide the clamp over the rack spindle. Line up the bolt hole with the groove on the spindle and put the bolt back in loosely.
-Go back under the car. Put the other 17mm bolt in the driver side and the 14mm bolt in the passenger side. Tighten the bolts.
-Go back inside car, tighten bolt in clamp holding the column to the rack.
Step 7: Putting the new outter tie rods on
-Thread the locking nut onto the inner tie rod. Thread the outter tie rod onto the inner tie. Put the ball joint into the hub. If the hub is straight, leave it alone. If not, spin the inner tie rod with a wrench until the hub is straight. This will not be exact without an alignment rack and the proper equipment; this is only to eyeball the alignment so you can get it to a shop to get aligned.
-The tie rods I purchased have a hole in the top of the ball joint that receive a thread fitting for a grease gun. Grease doesn't last forever. The boots are also removeable. If the ball joints you received are like mine you will need to fill them with grease yourself. Fill the ball joints with grease they A. look like the boots are going to pop B. Grease leaks out a little
-Slide cotter pin through hole between ridges in the castle nut and split the ends.
Step 8: Putting everything else back together
-Bolt the stabilizer bar of the linkage back onto the transmission. This is a single 12mm bolt
-Put the rubber linkage boot onto the shaft coming out of the transmission. Slide the linkage over the shaft, line up holes, hammer bitch pin back into place. Put 'U' clip over pin, slide boot over.
-Bolt header back onto the header, bolt catylitic converter back into place.
Now go get your car aligned!