Steering rack "refreshening"

[hls30.com]

Try that in 95-99% humidity-you will get bubbles in the POR right after application, and if you used a compressor to spray, unless you have an effective air dryer, it will be far worse. The humidity causes a skin to form quickly and seal causing the inside to take a good while to harden-pressure causes the skin to break away if you don't wait long enough-I normally put on 3 light coats.

Eagan, Huh. I have a friend who lives in another suburb of Wisconsin, Minneapolis/St. Paul!

She hates it when I say that!

Yes I know who the real cheese heads are!

Will

[panchovisa]

95-99% humidity, don't paint in the shower!

[hls30.com]

Unfortunately that is not rain, that is the humidity when the sun is high, bright, and hotter than your tires after a great lap!

Will

[panchovisa]

In the suburbs of Wisconsin my trouble is warming up the paint and parts to above freezing before painting. July and August seem to work best.

[drunkenmaster]

Drunkenmaster, the shaft (threaded extension of tie rod end) is tapered. The hole in steering arm is also tapered.

In your photo, remove nut and strike down on steering arm. This will seperate the two parts. I assume you will use new tie rods (if not then leave nut on, but give some room from nut to arm. You won't bugger threads to bad then).

Thanks, the nut was removed but I fitted it again to the end in fear of damaging the threads (spindle pin style). I gave the steering arm a few whacks but nothing too violent as I didnt want to damage it. It is held on fairly firmly. Your steering rack is very nice, I will have to lift my game I think.

I havent seen a "pickle fork" but it sounds like a good idea from what I imagine it to be.

Does anyone have a photo of a replacemnt tie rod end? I want to get a grasp of what exactly is replaced and what I can sacrifice.

[Bambikiller240]

http://www.thepartsbin.com/cartools/speciality_tools-separator_tool_pickle_fork-d.html

Can't find a pic of the Outer Tie-Rod. Basically, it is the part outboard from the jam-nut (loosen the jam-nut near the Steering rack boots and remove the tie-rod from the steering rack

[hls30.com]

I'll shoot a picture of the uninstalled tie rods for you and post it here a little later this evening.

Will

[drunkenmaster]

Thanks guys, always helpful.

[drunkenmaster]

I think I answered my own question, tie rod ends as pictured are available for $40 to $50 AUD. Are their difference between LH and RH?

The actual tie rod itself looks to be sturdy so when reconditioning the front end, the parts I am replacing so far are:

lower ball joints

control arm bushes

outer tie rod ends

radius rod bushed (perhaps castor adjustable)

steering rack mount bushes

steering coupling bush.

possibly rack boots if mine dont come off well.

Am I missing anything?

[Bambikiller240]

The Z Tie-Rod doesn't have external threads like the pic (they are internal). The Left and Right Tie-Rods are different. One has right hand threads and the other left hand threads. I don't remember if the lengths are different, but if they are it's not by much. Due to the threads, you cannot use R on L, or L on R.

Am I missing anything?

Inner Tie-Rods? I didn't replace mine, but that's the only other thing I can think of.

[hls30.com]

My inners were good too.

I think you covered almost everything,

As soon as the MooCow (her words, not mine) quits pumping, I will dart out to the Zroom and take some pictures-I will make sure to capture any differences between the L & R tierods.

Will

[drunkenmaster]

Sounds good, thanks