Steering Rack Sliding Force Adjustment Procedure

1. Remove the nuts/bolts that secure the steering rack to the vehicle. Leave all other fittings/connections attached to the steering rack.

Figure 3:

2. Position the steering rack to gain access to the sliding force adjusting screw and lock nut (see Figure 3).

3. Loosen the sliding force adjusting screw lock nut using Kent-Moore tool # J43477 (see Figure 3).

4. Loosen the sliding force adjusting screw using Kent-Moore tool # J43687 (see Figure 3).

5. Apply thread locking compound (Three-Bond 111B or equivalent) to the sliding force adjusting screw threads.

6. Tighten the sliding force adjusting screw to 4.9 N.m (50 kg-cm, 43 in-lbs.) as follows:

Figure 4:

A. Connect Kent-Moore tool # J43687 to the adjusting screw (see Figure 4).

B. Attach Kent-Moore Pull Gauge # J35999 to tool # J43687 (see Figure 4).

C. Pull on the pull gauge until it reaches 5.5 lbs (see Figure 4).

7. Scribe a mark (Mark # 1) on the adjusting screw and steering rack housing (see Figure 3).

8. Scribe a second mark (Mark # 2) on the steering rack housing 600 counterclockwise from Mark # 1 (see Figure 3).

9. Loosen the adjusting screw until Mark # 1 on the adjusting screw aligns with Mark # 2 on the steering rack housing.

10. Use an appropriate torque wrench to tighten the sliding force adjusting screw lock nut to 39 - 59 N.m (4.0 - 6.0 kg-m, 29 - 43 ft-lb).

NOTE:
When tightening the lock nut, hold the adjusting screw to ensure it does not move (turn).

11. Position the steering rack in its original mounting location and reinstall the steering rack mounting nuts/bolts. Tighten the mounting nuts/bolts to 73 - 97 N.m (7.4 - 9.9 kg-m, 54 - 72 ft-lb).

12. With the steering wheel centered, repeat steps 4B and 4C to verify the steering rack sliding force for both right and left tie rods is within specification (18 - 22 kg). Readjust the sliding force if necessary.

13. Reinstall the tie rods to the knuckle arms and tighten the tie rod securing nuts to 29 - 39 N.m (3.0 - 4.0 kg-m, 22 - 29 ft-lb). Once tightened, install new cotter pins through the tie rods/securing nuts.

14. Reinstall the wheels and tighten the wheel securing nuts to 98 - 118 N.m (10 - 12 kg-m, 72 - 87 ft-lb).

15. Road test the vehicle to confirm the incident is resolved. Also, while driving the vehicle, verify the steering wheel returns to the neutral (center) position after the steering wheel is released from a slightly turned (approximately 20°) position. If the steering rack sliding force adjusting screw was over tightened, the ability of the steering wheel to return to the center position will be reduced.