Thread: Rack and pinion questions.

That's looking up into where the shaft from OP slides up into the fire wall

the shaft in the new pic slides inside the shaft on the rack thats still on the rack. it came apart. line them back up slide it in, (grease it too) if it wont go all the way in theres a small bolt that supposed to hold it together. if it wont slide in take that bolt out. its on the lower shaft on the rack.

If it slides all the way in should I worry about the little bolt or just finish up putting the car together?

I would try to tighten up that bolt if you can.

if it slides in and out nice and smooth its ok. if it binds up on the way in the bolt threads are holding it up, then the bolt has to come out, being you ripped the shaft apart the threads my be sheared off or smashed out of the way or it will catch the shaft on the way in. hard to tell till you try.

idk where your at with the install of everything. but bolt the rack back into the sub frame. then jack your frame back up and bolt the front up leaving the jack in the back 1/2 . then line up the two shaft ends and jack the frame up. would be the easy way to get it back together.

with your steering wheel dead straight, the bolt on the shaft part still on the rack needs to face the driver side wheel well.

having a friend wiggle the steering wheel left and right will help get the shafts back together. do not spin the steering wheel round and round like a kid on a ride. or you'll be doing a 200 dollar clock spring next.

This sounds bad but I think I light have spun it once or twice (don't remember car has been down for awhile) will a clock spring cause the car to be indri able or will the airbags just not work?

if you spun it only one or twice the clock spring is still ok, but if you dont know what way or if at all its best to take it out and recenter it. cause 2 turns off and the first tight turn one way or the other and it will break.

you can drive if its broken, the airbag light will come on and your radio controls on the wheel will fail to light up or work.

I believe it's still centered. Is there a write up on how to recenter it?

not really. its easy tho. take the airbag off. if you dont know how to ask. then take the steering wheel off. you'll need a 2 gear jaw puller, then i dont remember if the muliti switch has to come off or not but its 3 torx scews easy to get off, then the clock spring is in sight, its held on the shaft with a snap ring. remove the ring and it will slide off the shaft.

you need to take the lower plastic and metal shield off under the wheel and unclip the 2 harnesses then unplug the radio plug near the obd2 port under the dash, and the other side of the harness is part of a fat plug. theres a 8 mm bolt iirc in the middle holding it in place, remove that bolt, pull the plug out. now you have to pry the 1/2 of the plug you want out out of the gray rectangle box.

now that we have it in hand.

hold the out side and turn the center slowly to the right all the way. ( it should have a arrow pointing up so you know what way is up) till you feel its at the end. theres a push clip that locks the clock spring, you need to hold it in when turning the middle part.

now that its right all the way, turn it to the left and count each full turn. it should turn 7 times and stop. mine did. so now whats 1/2 of 7? yup, 3.5 turns back to the right, and its now centered.

the fat plug under the dash.

How do I removed the airbag? And also could I just turn the steering wheel to find bother center and hope it doesn't break? Or is it 100% going to break

I came from the 1g dsm scene, so I've never really worked on a car with an airbag.

nope, you need it in hand, you'll never feel it hit the end of the ribbon. if you tuned the wheel at all one way or the other the chance is always there.

un hook the battery first.

the airbag look on the back of the wheel you'll see 4 small holes, you put a flat head screw driver ( biggest one that will fit the hole. its small)

now turn the screw driver you'll feel a spring clip move, as you move the spring clip pull that corner of the bag up, it will pop up, now hold it up while you work the hole under it, now the one side is free, repeat for the other side. then lift it off slowly cause theres a few wires, un plug the radio controls, ( cause the wheels coming off) and the air bag, the plug end pulls out of the air bag. its got a lock clip there. then theres the horn ground, you push it in then turn it. (black plastic looking stick with a wire through its middle) it will be free then just pull it out. and another wire to a stud it just pulls off.