He made it look easy! I pulled mine off and removed the studs, just so I had enough space to remove the bolts for the lower control arm (tie rod boots are in the way, I had no other reason to even touch it) and when I pulled the rack out (about 4", still had the hydro hoses attached) the steering input shaft pulled out of the steering wheel (which I still don't know how to fix) and then I stripped the stud bolts when putting them back into the aluminum chassis mount, by hand! Didn't get two full turns and stopped because it felt cross threaded, but it was already too late. I should have just unscrewed the tie rods. Several hours later, I tried cleaning the aluminum threads with a tap, but I used an SAE tap (looked close and I don't have a metric set) and of course, it is indeed metric. So cars still out of commission, and it's raining now. $500 worth of front end suspension parts. Anybody want to buy the car and finish the job 😂
Good walkthrough, when I replaced mine, I removed the lower steering shaft from the top bolt that connects to the upper shaft. since it was easier to get to. and once I got the steering rack off, I swapped out the lower steering shaft onto the new rack and reinstalled it in reverse order. once everything is buttoned up and you pour in the tranny fluid and turn on the car. turn the wheel, lock to lock, until the whing stops and that would accelerate the process of airing out the hydraulic system. and from there, just a quick ride to the alignment shop. 👍
This is how instructional videos should be. I will be tackling my rack and pinion today. This is just what I needed. Excellent commentary is to the point and spot on. Video is also excellent and catches exactly what needs to be shown. You like to call the bolts screws but I figured that out and if that's all I can complain about... you did a great job.
Great video, easy to follow along and well filmed. You also didn't talk for days about random unrelated crap. Straight and to the point. Love it. Honestly have never really known anything about steering racks but now after watching your video I think I could handle this. My Crown Vic has a leak, the power steering fluid reservoir has been puking up a little bit of fluid, and its been trickling down which is what led me to noticing something was leaking. I assume this is happening because there is a leak in the line somewhere and its pulling air in? when I turn the wheel while its not in motion I can hear it sucking/whirring.
Was just watching this video again and noticed I had commented already, to follow up on my previous comment I ended up just replacing the seal on my reservoir cap and it stopped leaking out of the reservoir lol. Hadn't really had any problems since but I have noticed my car wandering a little bit at highway speeds lately, feels fine at any other speed, was wondering what the torque specs were on the bolts and nuts holding the rack onto the cross member but you didn't state them in the video. Its been in for alignments already. Also wouldn't you want to leave the cap when putting your new fluid in? get all the air out. Plan for now is to retorque the rack and change the fluids, see if that makes any difference first before going the expensive route.
what about the Evo solenoid? when you show the new rack in the beginning it's still there, once installed it's gone. what did you do with it? is it possible to install a new rack without it?
I noticed you took the solenoid/sensor off the new rack and didn’t put it back in… did you mean to do that/delete it??? Doing this job now and the old one won’t come out… thx
In fact, the search results suggest that the solenoid is not even present on the rack and pinion assembly, and instead, the engineers seem to think that the little ignition switch and neutral safety switch (transmission range sensor) can handle the job. Therefore, the location of the solenoid on the rack and pinion Crown Vic is NOT PRESENT.
I'm getting my rack and pinion replaced and my mechanic told me to get the lines that are connected to it replaced to I'm trying to order them now are they the power steering lines or what type of lions is he talking about. He told me it's the two lines coming off of the rack and pinion
Thank you for posting this, I’m about to replace mine tomorrow on 04 town car. There’s a solenoid on the rack and pinion and the new one did not come with one is that replaceable or it will still work without it?
Amazing work. My power steering fluid had been leaking really fast and me thinking it was the pressure line going out replaced it on to be let down. Noticed the spray had been coming from the hose connected to the rack and pinion. Am I better trying to find a cheap way to fix that? Or am I just better off doing the job here?
If its just a small hole on hose you can use J B weld high heat high psi.clean and sandpaper area then apply J B weld mixture,let it dry over night.start car and chech for leaks.this worked for me on another car on a coolant line.
Sorry for delay.to answer your question you can replace the hose.if you cant replace hose you can sometimes seal it with high heat JB weld.prep surface good and let it dry over night on hole or leak.should be good to go.👍
Question. One day i got my rack replaced and i was asked was it stabbed right when getting a alignment. How do i know when changing this myself if im stabbing the steering correctly
hey man, very helpful video. i have an 03 lico0ln town car im doin this same repair on. eveyrhting is exactly the same except i have a pressure sensor on mine. But iw as wondering if i still need to use the transmission fluid when i fill this thing back up? i had just been putting in regular power steering before the boot started to leak after sitting for a while. would really appreciate any feedback.
I think it would take the trans fluid because it seems to be the same type of car that they are very similar.I would recommend more research on the correct fluid for your specific vehicle. Dont guess or take my word.dig deep into your specific year make model.get to know the car like a pro.this helps prevent problems in the future.thanks for the support hope i helped 👊👍✌️
Sorry for delay. yes i would use whats only recommended for the vehicle nothing else.dont try to save or cut corners you end up spending more time and money to fix problems.thanks for watching and the support.lez go 👍✌️
It turned out to be a 22mm lmao. But thanks for your video. I was able to swap mine with small problems. Those power steering lines was the troubling part
If you can disconnect it you can change the line.in some cases its all one unit. Depends whats leaking.you can do small repair patches with JB weld if done correctly that can stop a small leak.
thanks for the reply. I got a 2005 grand marquis. At 6:29 you got your left thumb on top the line. It goes in to the rack and pinion. The clip you disconnected was attached to the same line. Not the power steering pressure line. My leak is right at where you put your thumb
No this is strictly for front end power steering. I did my rear end differential drain and fill.also changed the rear bearings.i didn't make a video of that at the time but if you have questions about it I might be able to help
The alignment only needs to be done if it pulls when driving or braking or the steering wheel is crooked.alignments at most places are around 100 bucks plus tax. I recommend a professional alignment 😉
@@mr.carmikal7194 I have leak under the front end of my crown Vic 03 p71. took it to big name shop, & the guy told me rack and pinion needs replaced, & the leak is around that area, but you know how the big name shop do. They're trying to say the power steering high pressure hose, oil pan gasket, transmission flush, pinion seal- Rear differential, alignment, & I just want the leak fixed. When replacing rack and pinion, what needs to done, & what don't, out of all those things is my question
Just picked up a 98 vic. Wondering what causes the steering to be loose and sloppy. The steering wheel and column is bouncy as well. Previous owner said she had to keep adding power steering fluid every few days…which I think is a different issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
It could also be your front struts going out it could also be front ball joints and sway bars. front ends are sometimes tricky to diagnose because of all the moving parts
I have no idea why this job warrants a 1000 dollar price tag. Such a straight forward job. Great video as well and great work.
Thanks for the positive support 😉 👍
He made it look easy! I pulled mine off and removed the studs, just so I had enough space to remove the bolts for the lower control arm (tie rod boots are in the way, I had no other reason to even touch it) and when I pulled the rack out (about 4", still had the hydro hoses attached) the steering input shaft pulled out of the steering wheel (which I still don't know how to fix) and then I stripped the stud bolts when putting them back into the aluminum chassis mount, by hand! Didn't get two full turns and stopped because it felt cross threaded, but it was already too late. I should have just unscrewed the tie rods. Several hours later, I tried cleaning the aluminum threads with a tap, but I used an SAE tap (looked close and I don't have a metric set) and of course, it is indeed metric. So cars still out of commission, and it's raining now.
$500 worth of front end suspension parts. Anybody want to buy the car and finish the job 😂
@@bobclark6350 where you at? Im in central Florida!
New Orleans Louisiana
Good walkthrough, when I replaced mine, I removed the lower steering shaft from the top bolt that connects to the upper shaft. since it was easier to get to. and once I got the steering rack off, I swapped out the lower steering shaft onto the new rack and reinstalled it in reverse order.
once everything is buttoned up and you pour in the tranny fluid and turn on the car. turn the wheel, lock to lock, until the whing stops and that would accelerate the process of airing out the hydraulic system. and from there, just a quick ride to the alignment shop. 👍
tranny fluid?
This is how instructional videos should be. I will be tackling my rack and pinion today. This is just what I needed. Excellent commentary is to the point and spot on. Video is also excellent and catches exactly what needs to be shown. You like to call the bolts screws but I figured that out and if that's all I can complain about... you did a great job.
Great video, easy to follow along and well filmed. You also didn't talk for days about random unrelated crap. Straight and to the point. Love it. Honestly have never really known anything about steering racks but now after watching your video I think I could handle this. My Crown Vic has a leak, the power steering fluid reservoir has been puking up a little bit of fluid, and its been trickling down which is what led me to noticing something was leaking. I assume this is happening because there is a leak in the line somewhere and its pulling air in? when I turn the wheel while its not in motion I can hear it sucking/whirring.
Was just watching this video again and noticed I had commented already, to follow up on my previous comment I ended up just replacing the seal on my reservoir cap and it stopped leaking out of the reservoir lol. Hadn't really had any problems since but I have noticed my car wandering a little bit at highway speeds lately, feels fine at any other speed, was wondering what the torque specs were on the bolts and nuts holding the rack onto the cross member but you didn't state them in the video. Its been in for alignments already. Also wouldn't you want to leave the cap when putting your new fluid in? get all the air out. Plan for now is to retorque the rack and change the fluids, see if that makes any difference first before going the expensive route.
what about the Evo solenoid? when you show the new rack in the beginning it's still there, once installed it's gone.
what did you do with it? is it possible to install a new rack without it?
Great and informative video .
Thank you!
Thank you for this! Gotta do this job soon too.
I noticed you took the solenoid/sensor off the new rack and didn’t put it back in… did you mean to do that/delete it??? Doing this job now and the old one won’t come out… thx
@mr.carmikal7194
In fact, the search results suggest that the solenoid is not even present on the rack and pinion assembly, and instead, the engineers seem to think that the little ignition switch and neutral safety switch (transmission range sensor) can handle the job.
Therefore, the location of the solenoid on the rack and pinion Crown Vic is NOT PRESENT.
Nice straightforward vid! Are you fixing this thing where it broke down, in the ditch!? Lol
I'm getting my rack and pinion replaced and my mechanic told me to get the lines that are connected to it replaced to I'm trying to order them now are they the power steering lines or what type of lions is he talking about. He told me it's the two lines coming off of the rack and pinion
The lines from the power steering pump if there not leaking or damaged it should be fine
Thank you for posting this, I’m about to replace mine tomorrow on 04 town car. There’s a solenoid on the rack and pinion and the new one did not come with one is that replaceable or it will still work without it?
Do the O-rings come with the new R&P assembly, or do I have to get the right-sized rings separately?
Yes
hey man great video - I notice some of the comments are wondering if you took a solenoid off before installing? please let us know
No solenoid for mine
Thank you very helpful
Amazing work. My power steering fluid had been leaking really fast and me thinking it was the pressure line going out replaced it on to be let down. Noticed the spray had been coming from the hose connected to the rack and pinion. Am I better trying to find a cheap way to fix that? Or am I just better off doing the job here?
If its just a small hole on hose you can use J B weld high heat high psi.clean and sandpaper area then apply J B weld mixture,let it dry over night.start car and chech for leaks.this worked for me on another car on a coolant line.
Sorry for delay.to answer your question you can replace the hose.if you cant replace hose you can sometimes seal it with high heat JB weld.prep surface good and let it dry over night on hole or leak.should be good to go.👍
Question. One day i got my rack replaced and i was asked was it stabbed right when getting a alignment. How do i know when changing this myself if im stabbing the steering correctly
It shouldn't matter that's what the alignment is for
Did yours not have a solenoid to swap over?
hey man, very helpful video. i have an 03 lico0ln town car im doin this same repair on. eveyrhting is exactly the same except i have a pressure sensor on mine. But iw as wondering if i still need to use the transmission fluid when i fill this thing back up? i had just been putting in regular power steering before the boot started to leak after sitting for a while. would really appreciate any feedback.
I think it would take the trans fluid because it seems to be the same type of car that they are very similar.I would recommend more research on the correct fluid for your specific vehicle. Dont guess or take my word.dig deep into your specific year make model.get to know the car like a pro.this helps prevent problems in the future.thanks for the support hope i helped 👊👍✌️
Sorry for delay. yes i would use whats only recommended for the vehicle nothing else.dont try to save or cut corners you end up spending more time and money to fix problems.thanks for watching and the support.lez go 👍✌️
Good Video
👍👍
What size wrench was used on the tie rod connector bolt that you broke loose?
I will check but I think it's 13/16 or 7/8.if you don't have that you can use a vise grip pliers
It turned out to be a 22mm lmao. But thanks for your video. I was able to swap mine with small problems. Those power steering lines was the troubling part
@EdBoy415 great job I'm glad I was able to help.thanks for the support I appreciate it.have a great blessed day
Awesome
My fluid line got a hole in it. Is it possible to just change the line?
If you can disconnect it you can change the line.in some cases its all one unit. Depends whats leaking.you can do small repair patches with JB weld if done correctly that can stop a small leak.
thanks for the reply. I got a 2005 grand marquis. At 6:29 you got your left thumb on top the line. It goes in to the rack and pinion. The clip you disconnected was attached to the same line. Not the power steering pressure line. My leak is right at where you put your thumb
Does rear differential & a alignment service need to be done, when you're doing this ?
No this is strictly for front end power steering. I did my rear end differential drain and fill.also changed the rear bearings.i didn't make a video of that at the time but if you have questions about it I might be able to help
The alignment only needs to be done if it pulls when driving or braking or the steering wheel is crooked.alignments at most places are around 100 bucks plus tax. I recommend a professional alignment 😉
If you have any other questions just ask.i will reply a soon as possible. thanks for the support and good luck 👍 😊
@@mr.carmikal7194 I have leak under the front end of my crown Vic 03 p71. took it to big name shop, & the guy told me rack and pinion needs replaced, & the leak is around that area, but you know how the big name shop do. They're trying to say the power steering high pressure hose, oil pan gasket, transmission flush, pinion seal- Rear differential, alignment, & I just want the leak fixed. When replacing rack and pinion, what needs to done, & what don't, out of all those things is my question
Just the rack and pinion or the hoses.were ever it's actually leaking.
Just picked up a 98 vic. Wondering what causes the steering to be loose and sloppy. The steering wheel and column is bouncy as well. Previous owner said she had to keep adding power steering fluid every few days…which I think is a different issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Someone told me to change out the steering gear box and the power steering pump. My car doesn’t have the rack n pinion.
It could also be your front struts going out it could also be front ball joints and sway bars. front ends are sometimes tricky to diagnose because of all the moving parts
@@mr.carmikal7194 Awesome. Much appreciated!
👍
Steering column links are a common issue also . Front end alignment even bad tires cause problems. Check all components very carefully
Why did you change it did you have stiff steering
Old one leaking
@@mr.carmikal7194 oh okay
My steering wheel shakes bad and go to the right is that the Rack and Pinion assembly
You may have to check everything from the steering column links to the ball joints and even tires and font end alignment
Why did you change it
It was leaking from the casing on the rack
@@mr.carmikal7194 oh okay did you have stiff steering
No it was a slow leak
@@mr.carmikal7194 oh okay i have kind of stiff steering
Stiff steering could be just a power steering pump or your steering column linkage under the hood