Do you have to drop the cradle to get the rack out or can I get it out with out dropping it?

 

Doing a little research myself... what I found so far is - according to this thread post#64... no.


https://acurazine.com/forums/perform...-717373/page2/

 

... reading through more of that thread it appears it would be much easier to drop at least the back half of the cradle down a little. I'm assuming this necessitates supporting engine from top...

 

... read post#92... it appears pulling the spline off the rack makes it easier to pull out... without dropping the cradle. Still all the talk about difficulty in getting to the bolts and disconnecting the lines. Take away for me is to be prepared to drop the cradle down a little...

 

I don't have a way to support the engine from above. I would hate to get it all loose and not be able to finish it. I can take the steering unjointed iff from inside the car easily. My rack makes a loud "crack crack!" Sound when turning at low speeds like a parking lot. Makes me nervous.

 

Are you sure it's the rack and not suspension related? I would double check by raising the car and support the lower control arms with the jack stands. Now remove the front tires and have an assistant turn the steering wheel lock to lock while you observe and listen for where the sound is coming from. It could be the suspension.

 

01acls
thats what i thought at first. Ive checked everything. with the tires off the ground it makes no noise at all. i can actually see the rack moving back and forth when it does this sitting still. i think maybe a couple of the input shaft teeth are chipped. well find out tonight. and i believe that removing the input shaft/spline will allow the unit to slide out the side as others mentioned in the TL-S rack mod thread. i removed the new spline and it just slips in and out basically.
on a funny note i took it to a Monroe shop and they told me i needed new strut bearings/mounts. i didnt bother to tell him the struts dont rotate on this car....

 

I think they're talking about the top hat on the strut.

If you are missing teeths you would feel it at the steering wheel or it would bind or even jam up.

You sure it's not cv joints?

 

yes he meant the strut hat, but on these cars they dont rotate when the wheel is turned. im not really convinced about the input teeth either but it definitely comes from the rack unit. i can put a long extension on it and turn the wheel, feel the rack pop. i did front end work for 7 years and i doubt its a CV. only happens when sitting still or moving very slowly.

 

Cv joints go by mileage not years.

In that case I would check it with load on the suspension. .. jack stands under the control arms.

Then suspension unloaded with rack by itself... ball joints disconnected.

 

With it disconnected now you can also check the strut side.

 

lol, i mean i was a steering suspension tech for 7 years. this noise is coming from dead center of the car i had my son turn the wheel back and forth while i physically put my hand on all the susp, steer componenets.

 

Lol, since you were a steering tech for seven years then you already knew the answer to your own question on the first post. Now you're just wishful thinking.

 

your right, i read the procedure for doing this "the right way" but was trying to find someone that had actually done one on this car. i was a tech 15 years ago and dont have all the equipment i used to. i successfully changed a rack on a 2006 caddy CTS with out dropping the cradle but it sucked bad.
but it looks like we will not know for sure what my noise is since i just went out to start on it and it seems the mounting bolts are cross-threaded, i am not going to put that much force on these little bolts and break them off!! i know all of these cars have had the rack replaced at some point due to poor factory quality so it doesnt surprise me the bolts may have been red necked.

 

Recently pulled the rack on my manual TL, did not support the engine from the top, let the motor mounts handle that. Loosened the front cradle bolts all the way then back in 3 threads, fully removed center and rear cradle bolts, you have to remove the plastic cup/ seal from inside the car at the pass through hole, remove the rear gas shock absorber lower bolt in the motor mount set up at the rear, and will come out. It will not be happy but it will come out.
Procedure calls for removing the cradle, but I left it just dangle.
Word of wisdom, don't put an atsco reman rack in. I'm on my second and its leaking, needing another again.