Installing steering rack boots / bellows - Help please!

[mksk415]

If anyone has experience with installing steering rack boots or "bellows" and has insight into how to slide the inner end over the part of the rack it goes over, I'd appreciate it. After a long time, I finally got the passenger side done so I know it is indeed the right part and it can be done. Hoewever, I spent a good two hours wrestling with the drivers side and have just about reached the conclusion that it's an impossible task. The passenger side is slightly easier to get to, but was very, very difficult. I'm just about to give up, put the tie rods back despite the driver's side not being in place and take it somewhere to be done by someone else and paying $$$$ as I know I'll be charged an arm and a leg. I don't want to admit I've been beat and I'd rather not have to do that, but I'm getting no where but more and more frustrated. If there's a trick to it or some easier way to slide it over the steering rack end, I'd sure appreciate somone sharing that.

I put grease on the inner lip of the boot and on the steering rack where it has to slide over. Then manual offers no help other than to say slide on the new boot (or words to that effect). I can get about 3/4" of it over the lip, but I can't do anything to get any more of it up and over the lip (when I get a little more, what was on just slides off). There's no way to reach around the whole thing.

I'm thinking about possibly removing the boot, which will probably damage or tear the small end (if it does, I'll have to buy another one) and then try cleaning all the grease off and try to install it without any grease at all. I have a feeling that's not going to be any easier, but I don't know what to do next.

Does anyone know how to slide the boot on?

Thanks!

 

[Auto RS T]

Try slightly stretching the boot out with with a cone shaped pipe or the like.

When you go to put the boot on don't overlap a large amount of the boot at first. Just slip a little on and go around it from there.

 

[mksk415]

Thanks. I cut a funnel to slide the boot onto and then onto the steering rack. It didn't work. Not a bit. I heated the end of the boot with a hairdryer hoping it would make it more pliable and stretch easier. I burned my hand, but it didn't help at all.

The only thing I can think of now after struggling with it for at least four or five hours without any progress is to split the end of the boot with a knife enough to slide it over the steering rack and then clamp it down with a long tie-wrap. That kind of defeats the purpose of having a a rubber boot there to keep dust and dirt out and I think it'd probably continue to split making for a big tear in the side of the boot. I don't know what else to do.

Based on the fact that there was just one response, I get the feeling very few people have ever had to replace the rack boots on their DSM. It would seem for 1gs at least (because of the age of the rubber) that they'd be a common thing to have to replace. I just wondered for those who did it, how they did it. As far as my experience with it, at least for the one on the driver's side, it's far too difficult for me.

Isn't there anyone who's ever done it and knows how to do it?

 

[Auto RS T]

You could always take the rack out and have more access to it on a bench with a vise.

 

[mksk415]

I guess, but that would be a heck of a lot more more work than I'm willing to do now. With my luck, that would lead to another bigger problem. I'm admitting defeat. When I take it in for an alignment, I'll ask the place I take it to if they can do it. If they can, I'm going to ask how that's for sure. If they can't, I'm going to split the boot and tie-wrap it. I REALLY hate to do it that way though.

 

[mksk415]

Ah! There is a tool to do it! I took my car to a Merchants for the alignment and they put rack boots on regularly. They use a hook tool.

Here's a picture of a set of hook tools. They use the one on the bottom that has the right angle hook. The way he said to do it was to slip one edge on and go around with the hook tool forcing the boot onto the rack. If anyone needs to do this, get the right tool and avoid the frustration!