Disassembly and Assembly

Disassembly

1. Clamp steering gear assembly in a vise.
2. Remove tie rod ends.
3. Remove left and right boot retainers, wires, clips and boots, Fig. 1.
4. Using a chisel, turn up the staked section where the ball housing joins the tie rod assembly and the rack, then loosen the ball housing and remove tie rod assembly.
5. Using tool J-35309 or equivalent, remove adjusting plug locknut, then the plug.
6. Remove plunger spring and plunger, then using a screwdriver, remove pinion oil seal.
7. Remove pinion retaining ring then the pinion assembly.
8. Remove rack shaft taking care not to damage steering housing inner face.

Assembly

Before assembly, wash all parts in suitable solvent cleaner, lubricate oil seals, O-rings and seal rings with ATF, and apply Besco grease L-2 or equivalent to the teeth and sliding parts of the rack shaft.
1. Position the teeth surfaces of the rack shaft facing the pinion side, then install rack shaft and pinion assembly.
2. Fill housing interior with grease, then install retaining ring, oil seal, plunger and spring.
3. Install and torque adjusting plug to 3.6 ft. lbs., then loosen plug and torque once again to 3.6 ft. lbs.
4. Loosen adjusting nut by a maximum of 25°, then secure with adjusting plug locknut.
5. Torque adjusting plug locknut to 49 ft. lbs.
6. Install new lock washer, then bend lock washer to ball housing side.
7. Install tie rod assembly and torque to 65 ft. lbs.
8. Install new boots, retaining wire and clips. Temporarily tighten outside retaining clip.
9. Install tie rod ends, then make final toe in adjustment and permanently tighten outside retaining clip.