How To Maintain The Steering Rack? 2022 Latest Graphic Explanation

The steering rack is an important part of the car driving system, which has a significant impact on driving safety and is valued by many car owners. But with the use of time, the steering rack will also appear a series of problems, such as abnormal noise, weight, wear back to slow, so we can only choose to replace the steering, the resulting high maintenance costs are really a headache. Today the small elephant will teach you how to do it yourself to maintain the steering rack.

1 Common fixed phenomenon of the steering rack

1. Strange sound: cause: steering rack wear clearance or ball head wear clearance
2. Heavy: cause: lack of lubrication of steering rack
3. Slow steering return: cause: lack of lubrication of the steering rack or over-tightening of the adjusting bolt

2 Maintenance steering gear steps

1. Lubrication of steering rod ball joint

As the use time increases, the grease of the steering rod ball joint will gradually become dry, thus reducing the lubrication ability, which also requires us to clean and lubricate the steering rod ball joint. It is recommended to maintain it once every 5 years or 50,000km.

For the steering rod ball joint, it is possible to clean and lubricate the inner ball joint. However, because of the disposable dust cover on the outer ball joint, we cannot remove, clean, and lubricate it. Therefore, we should avoid spraying cleaners on the outer ball joint.

2. Lubrication of rack and pinion

The rack and pinion steering rackrealize left and right steering through the gear transmission between worm and rack, so once the rack lacks lubrication, there will be problems such as increased wear and heavy steering. Therefore, after removing the left and right dust cover, we will rotate the worm gear left and right, and then apply grease evenly on the rack.

3 Internal lubrication of the steering gear

At the rear of the steering rack, we will see the adjusting bolt shown in the picture above. We will use a special tool to remove the retaining nut and bolt and remove the internal tensioning plunger.

8 Fastening method of fixing bolts

First, we will use a special tool to rotate the fixing bolt to the tightest state, and then loosen it by 1/4 turn. At this time, turn the worm gear to see if the steering is too heavy. If it is suitable, after we fix the bolt position, we can use the movable wrench to tighten the fixing nut of the outer ring.

4. Control the return speed of the steering machine

5. Reduce the gap between the rack and the outer wall

6. Reduce the abnormal noise caused by the collision between the rack and the outer wall by the spring

7. Control of steering force

After removing the tensioning plunger, we can see the rack inside the steering gear. Apply the right amount of grease to the inside of the car, not too much, too much will also affect the steering return effect. In fact, this part of the lubrication is mainly to avoid the dry friction between the rack and the plunger.

There is a seal on the plunger. In addition to sealing, it also functions as a vibration damper to avoid abnormal sounds between the plunger and the outer wall due to clearance during collisions. Once the seal breaks and deteriorates, it needs to be replaced.

8 Fastening method of fixing bolts

First, we will use a special tool to rotate the fixing bolt to the tightest state, and then loosen it by 1/4 turn. At this time, turn the worm gear to see if the steering is too heavy. If it is suitable, after we fix the bolt position, we can use the movable wrench to tighten the fixing nut of the outer ring.

9 Selection of dust cover clamps

Most steering machines use disposable clamps, so we must prepare a spare clamp before disassembly. Disposable is the best choice. But screw clips have better versatility.

10 Inspection of rubber bushings

After all maintenance work is completed, we will check the various rubber bushings of the steering gear for cracking and aging. If necessary replace them in time

Summing up.

I believe you have learned the routine maintenance of the steering gear by the above steps. Some people will say that the steering involves safety and cannot be repaired, which is not true. Most steering racks can be repaired to avoid replacement as long as we have the ability to do it ourselves. If you don’t have the do-it-yourself skills, you can also ask a repair store for help to repair the steering wheel. Have you learned?

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