RanCRX

Howdy,

What I was using as reference https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=572765

Well I was gonna try to install the inner tie rod ends myself and rack end bushing, but I came to a point where I had to take the whole steering rack out. When I did so, I had to loosen the 10mm bolt at the steer knuckle inside the car, that holds the steering rack shaft.

The only problem I'm having at this time, is that the end of the steering rack shaft (The Steering Rack Shaft does not move nor screws in, splined as in only goes up and down if lined up right) that leads up into that small hole in the chassis that leads to the steering wheels side knuckly, is splined.

So yeah that was just a great idea to take that out with basic tools. Now the fun part begins. I tryed many methods, such as

1) lining up the steering knuckle with the shaft, and from underneath tighten the driver side rack bolts evenly

2) Got my brother to push up from bottom (Steering Rack) while I push down from in the vehicle (Steering knuckle)

3) Got kind of a long thick flat head screw driver to widen the steering knuckle hole. Haven't tryed to see if the rod fits yet cause its night, and it didn't feel like it widened the gap at all plus the steering knuckle twists and turns all over the place its really hard to do anything with it

So any ideas? I can try the screw driver idea again but I should use a bigger one. Anything else that can easily widen the gap?

Any help is gladly appreciated.

alscrx

SO are you trying to reattach the joint from the steering to the pinion arm under the dash????

rsca_crx

i think that you are using some incorrect terms and that is why i'm having a hard time understanding what you are trying to do. i'll shoot from the hip and see if i can't help you out a little.

i'm pretty sure all you can't do is get the splines on the pinion to line up with the u-joint that connects it to the steering column under the dash. (note that the steering knuckles are something completly different, and not found inside the car- they are what your wheel hubs are pressed into)

it usually isn't that hard with two people to have one person line it up by moving the steering wheel while the other person lifts the subframe and rack up, but if that is giving you a hard time (or if you work alone like me) just loosen the u-joint (bolts on the side) on the steering column so that you can slide it up and give yourself enough room to get the subframe and rack bolted to the car.

hope that helps, and if not keep asking questions and everyone will help you get it figured out

edit: be sure you tighten the u-joint correctly with everything positioned where it should be. i've seen one strip out while driving due to incorrect installation. no steering is a bad thing.

RanCRX

Yeah probably so on the names.

The Joint is between the carpet and the dash, behind the brake pedal.

Theres two 10mm bolts. One on top, and one for bottom.

I took the bottom one out, so that the shaft/rod thats connected to the steering rack is loose, and falls through the hole in the floor so you can take the rack out from the bottom.

I'll show you pics tomorrow. I thought the splines weren't lined up,so I'll try turning the steering wheel tomorrow.

But shouldn't I put it back the same position the steering wheel was? When I unbolted the bottom joint, I had the steering wheel locked. Wouldn't it throw off the alignment if I move around the steering wheel and line it up to a different position?

Was the way you said to do by yourself to take out the top 10mm bolt so that you can put the bottom one first then the top?

Bah, I'll post pics tomorrow

rsca_crx

no pics needed- i know what it looks like in there.

first, unlock the wheel and have someone in the car wiggle it while someone outside the car pushes the subframe and rack up. i think you'll find that it will go in nicely with little effort.

now hook up the tie rods and see where it is at. the wheels (hubs if the wheels aren't on)) should be straight when the steering wheel is (duh). if they aren't, get back under the dash and take out the bolts in the steering column u-joint (top and bottom) so you can slide it up and adjust there for whatever splines you are off.


easy

alscrx

This is better with 2 people, but i did mine alone also. On the joint i loosened both gold bolts while the car was in the air on jack stands. I left the mounting bolts to the rack loose so the pinion was low enough to start alighning the joint onto it. I went back and forth from inside to under the car, slowly tightening the mounting bolts which slowly brings the pinion up into the joint. checking the joint with every half turn or so of those 4 mounting bolts. finally the pinion was perfect height in which i slide the joint up the column and down onto the pinion with ease. Don't rush this part or else it gets annoying

Hondaisok

I did mine alone about a month ago. It was easy, I actually removed the bolt from both of the Ujoints on the steering column. This made it so that all I had to do was install the rack, then install the Ujoints. It took me a few times of removing the steering wheel and reinstalling it (about 2 minutes to do) then driving the car before I got the steering wheel aligned correctly.

rsca_crx

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Hondaisok &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I did mine alone about a month ago. It was easy, I actually removed the bolt from both of the Ujoints on the steering column. This made it so that all I had to do was install the rack, then install the Ujoints. It took me a few times of removing the steering wheel and reinstalling it (about 2 minutes to do) then driving the car before I got the steering wheel aligned correctly.</TD></TR></TABLE>

that's how I do it

RanCRX

Well I got it in, thanks a hell lot ya'll.

All it took was moving the steering wheel a little bit like you all said.

The only bigger problenm I encountered was when I was putting back the bolt, it didn't wanna go in.

I look at the bolt and its stripped. I recently purchased this vehicle so, probably someone stripped it putting it back in.

Bought a newset of screws that are the same size and threading. And put it in and took it back out, the threading on the new bolt was stripped to hell, so I got the other one, fastened it all the way and going to get a nut for it on the other end haha.

I wonder how much those joints cost. Or maybe somehow rethread the inside

rsca_crx

have a look at the hole- i'll bet that the bolt is hitting the pinion as it goes through instead of being correctly in the divot, causing it to grind off the threads. loosen the upper ujoint bolt and get both bolts in snugly by hand, making sure that they are in the right place, before you torque them with a ratchet.

i'd recommend that you get new bolts from honda since that is a pretty important thing to have on correctly. i'd also at this point inspect the entire u-joint off of the car to make sure that you didn't mess anything up. i've seen an incorrectly installed u-joint strip out, and entering a corner and then losing steering won't be fun.

RanCRX

Well, it should only go one way in right? before when I wasn't moving the steering wheel, it wouldn't pop in.

So I gave it a little milimeter push on the steering wheel, and lined it where it needed to be, slipped right in.

"Edit: I saw a slight buildup of metal shavings on the U-joint where it flexes. Kind of like wheel bearings when they're not properly greased."

Only other thing I noticed as I was tightening the joint, the joint will move up slightly, although the pinion is still well inside, if you reverse the ratchet to loosen, it will pull the joint back down. Which I think is kinda good, cause it won't be stratched all the way down.

The top of the pinion pinion is leveled with the top part of the "butt" I guess ytou can say, where the screw goes in.

I already test drived it around, feels pretty smooth and normal like before.

(Failed to take out the steering rack due to welded brackets underneath inner tie rod ends/lower control arms, was going to replace inner tie rod ends and rack end bushing.)

I don't have a lift, so with that bracket in the way, and that minimal space with jack stands(I have a small floor jack), couldn't reallybend the o rings straight on the inner tie rod end.

"Edit: Also btw, I think it was a possibility that the pinion was close. Problem is, is that I already got the new screw already in, twice. So its pretty much already messed up in the inside."


Modified by RanCRX at 9:22 PM 10/9/2007