1G Reinstalled steering rack, can't get connection bolt all the way into joint assembly

[XC92]

I'm having the same issue that this person had a while back:

https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/steering-rack-install-issue.421736/

Initially this is as far as it went:

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But with some finagling and torquing down the subframe to spec I was able to get it down to this:

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Still not far down enough, though. The steering rack is torqued down to the subframe to spec and can't be raised any more, nor can the subframe. I recently replaced the subframe bushings with Energy Suspension ones, and used both washers. The original bushings only used the lower washer, so this lowered the subframe by around 1/16", but that can't accound for this gap.

I've tried pulling as hard as I can on the joint assembly after completely removing the pinch bolt, but it just won't go any further. I wonder if there's something with the splines on either the bolt or assembly that's preventing it from going down further. Thing is, I can't raise the assembly either to try the next over set of splines to see if that works.

I could try dropping the rack a bit, but to get to the bolts I need to remove the stabilizer bar and I REALLY don't want to have to reinstall it again with the super-hard and thick ES bushings.

Any ideas? Is this safe to drive, or does lack of contact with the lower set of splines make it more likely that the bolt will snap at some point and I'll lose all steering, with predictable and tragic consequences?

 

[AWD-Tony]

Didn’t read the entire post. Take a flat head spread the splines slightly. Using lube helps too

 

[XC92]

Didn’t read the entire post. Take a flat head spread the splines slightly. Using lube helps too

Spread the splines? Don't you mean the pinch collar the splines slide into?

And do both sets of splines on either side of the "hourglass" have to slide into it for safe driving?

 

[AWD-Tony]

Spread the splines? Don't you mean the pinch collar the splines slide into?

And do both sets of splines on either side of the "hourglass" have to slide into it for safe driving?

Spread the collar. It should slide all the way down

 

[pauleyman]

Spread the splines? Don't you mean the pinch collar the splines slide into?

And do both sets of splines on either side of the "hourglass" have to slide into it for safe driving?

Yes and yes

 

[Mello]

And do both sets of splines on either side of the "hourglass" have to slide into it for safe driving?

Yes. Hourglass relief is clearance the bolt fits through making to impossible to pull back out.

 

[AWD-Tony]

If it’s fighting you, lower the subframe

 

[Mech Addict]

Definitely do not drive it like this!!

The bolt nestles into that groove between the two rows of splines. And even if the bolt is lose, the joint won’t come apart as long as it’s in that groove, kind of like a lock ring, but straight. You also might try loosening the steering column inside the car to get the coupling to move down a little.

 

[Lucky13]

I changed my rack recently and ran into the same issue. Ended up loosening the steering column from underneath the dash to allow the shaft that runs through the firewall enough play to align easier.

 

[XC92]

Thanks all. I had to call it a day today but I'll get to it tomorrow.

What I think happened is that when I reinsalled the subframe with the new ES bushings I used the smaller top washer that comes with the kit, which doesn't exist in the stock configuration, so it's already going to be slightly lower than stock, if only 1/16". And I didn't tighten the 4 subframe nuts or install the rear mount bolt right away because I needed some clearance to reinstall the small steering fluid line bracket to the top of the subframe after I reinstalled the steering rack.

So when the bolt went into the pinch clamp it was bound to be too low. Not thinking this through, I probably tightened the pinch clamp bolt BEFORE I tightened the subframe nuts and reinstalled the rear mount bolt, which would have raised the subframe and thus rack bolt to where it should have been. This in turn probably deformed the pinch clamp to be narrower than what it's meant to be, which is why I'm now unable to push the assembly all the way onto the bolt.

TLDR version: As others have said, I need to widen the clamp opening and it should slide on. If that doesn't solve it, I've got issues, probably have to take a bunch of things apart I'd rather not and maybe replace the clamp assuming it's still available.

 

[XC92]

Definitely do not drive it like this!!

The bolt nestles into that groove between the two rows of splines. And even if the bolt is lose, the joint won’t come apart as long as it’s in that groove, kind of like a lock ring, but straight. You also might try loosening the steering column inside the car to get the coupling to move down a little.

More like the mechanism in a thumb drive where you can withdraw the USB part into the main body, where it locks in place and you have to press down to slide it out again, only radially. I'm sure this sort of locking method has a name--and not just pinch bolt.

 

[92AWDHX40]

It takes some work in using a manual rack it was some work, just take it easy you'll get it . Trial and error.

 

[XC92]

It takes some work in using a manual rack it was some work, just take it easy you'll get it . Trial and error.

Well, as opposed to most things getting this wrong could be catastrophic, so more trial and less error! This is why I'm kind of obsessing over this one issue.

 

[pauleyman]

Well, as opposed to most things getting this wrong could be catastrophic, so more trial and less error! This is why I'm kind of obsessing over this one issue.

The column moves more than you think. The bracket is intolerant of misalignment in my experience. I doubt you contributed to it nor bent it in any fashion. Bottom line its a stubborn thing to assemble.

 

[XC92]

The column moves more than you think. The bracket is intolerant of misalignment in my experience. I doubt you contributed to it nor bent it in any fashion. Bottom line its a stubborn thing to assemble.

Well, good news and bad. The good news is that I was finally able to push/pull the pinch collar completely over the rack bolt, insert the pinch bolt and tighten it down, so little chance of the steering column coming loose with potentially horrific results.

The bad news is that to be able to do this, I had to remove the corresponding pinch bolt under the steering wheel. Turns out that the problem wasn't one of the pinch clamp being too tight or rough or mis-aligned spline, but simply reach. How this came about, who knows.

I do know that using the included ~1/16" top washers that came with the ES subframe bushing kit lowered the subframe and thus rack by at least that much, and perhaps even more if the bottom washer and bushings are also somewhat thicker than the stock ones.

And when the rack was out of the car, the part of it with the bolt it may have been accidentally "compressed" in a bit with rough handling. I tried to be careful, but who knows.

In any case, whatever the cause, the top pinch bolt/clamp under the steering wheel are now too far apart to close safely and properly, and I have to figure out how to fix this. Is there any play in other parts of the steering column that would allow this ~1/4" gap to be safely closed?

Or do I have to take the rack out (which means taking a bunch of other things out) and fix it at the source? I REALLY hope this isn't the only way to fix this.

If it is then I'm going to have to first punt on this, put everything back on the car so I can move it from where it is to somewhere else it can be stored given that the neighbor needs it out of their driveway this week, and then take it all apart to see what can be done.

...It looks like I MIGHT be able to fix this under the steering wheel. It seems that there are 2 steering column tubes, an upper and lower, with the lower sliding into the upper and locked in place by a clamp. The FSM states on page 19-20, section 12, that this has to be adjusted so that there's a very narrow gap range from the bottom of the splined bolt to the center of the pinch bolt, 24.8-25.2mm. I'm going to go back and take a look and see if this is possible.

...Ok I think these tubes merely "carry" the steering shaft and associated parts like the locking mechanism, bearings, etc., but the length of the shaft itself it fixed. But can if be lowered somewhat, say 1/4-1/3"? Otherwise I don't see how I fix this. I could remove those 4 top washers from the subframe, which would require taking a whole bunch of parts off and be a PITA, but that still only gets me part of the way there.

I wonder also if something is preventing the subframe and/or rack from going as high as it's supposed to go, aside from those washers (again, those new bushings?). The problem is obviously under the car, not under the steering wheel.

Stumped!

 

[XC92]

To summarize, fixed the steering rack connecting bolt issue:

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But only by loosening the steering shaft one and creating a new problem:

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The subframe is properly torqued down and as close to the frame is it's going to get (unless I remove the top washers but even then the rear mount will limit how much further it can go up). The steering rack is also torqued down and as close to the subframe as it's going to get (unless I remove the rubber bushings which is a bad idea).

The part of the rack that the connector bolt goes into looks fine, not bent or pushed down. I haven't done anything to the steering column and shaft end of things. The only thing I can think of is that the connector bolt itself was somehow pushed into the rack and is 1/4" - 1/3" lower than it should be. Is there anything else I'm missing? How could this happen?

 

[AWD-Tony]

I’m confused. The collar isn’t suppose to sit flush. It’s best to K.I.S.S. Sometimes

 

[XC92]

I’m confused. The collar isn’t suppose to sit flush. It’s best to K.I.S.S. Sometimes

Flush with what? Now I'm confused. Isn't the bottom supposed to look like the top, i.e. both use the same locking mechanism to make sure the steering wheel, shaft and column remain attached to the steering rack and thus wheels (assuming everything else is in order)?

Is the problem that the top one is TOO low and needs to be raised enough to allow the bottom one's splines to mesh? Here's how it looked before I removed the rack and subframe:

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[Lucky13]

You must not have the engine in the car...because you take the clearest pictures of the tightest places. As for your issue.... if you have confirmed that the U brackets and bushings holding the rack in are seated correctly I'm not sure what your issue could be. I had to loosen the steering column to get the alignment right...but had no issues bolting the steering column back up afterwards.

 

[XC92]

You must not have the engine in the car...because you take the clearest pictures of the tightest places. As for your issue.... if you have confirmed that the U brackets and bushings holding the rack in are seated correctly I'm not sure what your issue could be. I had to loosen the steering column to get the alignment right...but had no issues bolting the steering column back up afterwards.

Just a steady and narrow hand I guess, using my cell phone's camera with flash.

But this genuinely has me stumped. I've spent 3 days on it already. If the subframe and rack are where they were originally and nothing else has changed, either the rack connector bolt was pushed into the rack or the pinch collar is seated too low on the bolt.

 

[AWD-Tony]

So you’re still having issues getting the collar onto the splines? Have you tried lower the subframe?
It looks fine in this pic

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[XC92]

Yes, it finally installed properly on the rack connector bolt, but now it's too far off the steering shaft connector bolt, as seen above. And wouldn't dropping the subframe have made this worse, by moving the bolt further away from the pinch collar?

 

[Mech Addict]

I didn't run into this problem with either R&R the rack or the column, but I also didn't replace the subframe bushings with aftermarket. I've attached a photo of the column removed, so you can see the mounting plates have elongated holes for adjustment. I'd next try loosening those, but not removing, and see if you can slide it down toward the upper coupling/ pinch bolt to get it to seat completely. I've not had my rack apart internally (swapped in a rebuilt one I purchased), but I suspect you did not inadvertently push the end of the splined pinion into the rack body.

 

[XC92]

I didn't run into this problem with either R&R the rack or the column, but I also didn't replace the subframe bushings with aftermarket. I've attached a photo of the column removed, so you can see the mounting plates have elongated holes for adjustment. I'd next try loosening those, but not removing, and see if you can slide it down toward the upper coupling/ pinch bolt to get it to seat completely. I've not had my rack apart internally (swapped in a rebuilt one I purchased), but I suspect you did not inadvertently push the end of the splined pinion into the rack body.

Which are the mounting plates? There's a lot going on there. I thought that the shaft ran from the steering wheel to the splined bolt and couldn't be lengthened or shortened. It can be?

Also, what does "R&R" mean?

 

[XC92]

Wait, I figured out which the mounting plates are from your description (elongated holes, it was late and I was tired). So you're saying that loosening these 4/8 bolts lets you move the steering wheel and shaft that ends with the splined bolt closer to the pinch clamp at the top end of the u-joint, with the only consequences being that the steering wheel will be slightly further away when I'm driving?

This is assuming of course that the column isn't t already as low as it can go.