For the new viewers, you don't need the crowfoot wrench but you can use it if you want to. Lower the subframe 6-8 inches. Remove swaybar then undo the 2 steering rack nuts/ bolts. Pull the sway bar towards driver side wheel knuckle and get a 18 on this 2 steering rack hose nuts. This job not easy but not that complicated for experienced backyard mech. I did it without a lift and only took 3 hours.
Hey man I just came across this comment while I've been looking into fixing my girlfriends 2003 chevy impala rack and pinion. Is it possible to get some contact info from you? You seem knowledgeable and I'm not lol. If you can give me any knowledge I'd be very grateful
Good job on the video. I always appreciate it when someone takes the time to mention the bolt / nut sizes for the wrenches required. Allows you to plan ahead a bit more. Going to be replacing my daughter's rack and pinion soon. Thanks, again!
To avoid the "whining" when you turn the car on, BEFORE starting the engine, fill the power steer reservoir with fluid, keep turning the wheel both directions to each stop watching the fluid level and adding when it gets low, until it fills the new power steer rack and lines and the fluid level in the reservoir doesn't go down. All of this is done WITHOUT starting the engine. When the level of the power steering fluid in the reservoir stays to the proper level, you have "bled" the lines and new rack. Now when you start the car, it won't "whine."
man well done video. im a mechanic at a shop and this job calls for 7 hours. looking at it i knew there was an easier way to take it out. and after watching ur video i got the rack out and in within 3 hours. props to you for doing this in your driveway as well with no power tools. mad respect
Videos done this well should be spread all over youtube. You are very concise and showed every detail with every step of the way. Very impressive. I hope you continue to produce how to do videos. Please keep up the good work so you may educate the amateurs like us!
With the vehicle still being on jack stands you can fill the power steering pump with fluid ,turn the wheel left and right without the engine running that will keep air in the system at a minimum, when the vehicle is started there will not be any power steering noise, something I learned along the way.😊
The best way to feed the fluid through the system is to leave the car jacked up, (must have both front tires off the ground) and manually push and pull the tires all the way to the right and left. Yes, grab the tire with your bare hands and turn the wheel back and forth. This is the fastest and cleanest way to do it without getting air in the lines. Other than this, it was a great video, and I thank you for sharing.
You can also count how many threads there are before you unscrew the tie rod so you can get your alignment close to perfect so you dont wear out the tires. I've done it many times on cars and they run straight.
Great video the only thin I would do different is the for the tie rod and I would put some tape on both side of the nut to stop the nut from moving and causing the measurement to change.
The best way to bleed your power steering is to Jack steering tires up off ground fill power steering system with right amount and type of fluid and with MOTOR off turn ignition key to run/accessories do not start car.. all your doing is unlocking the wheel to turn and turn your wheel lock to lock for 5 min or so. Check fluid levels and adjust to specs And bam when you do start it for first time after this type of work.. Their will be no bubbles no and maybe a slight wine but will quickly fade out to how it should sound Awesome
Use a vacuum pump on the power steering pump reservoir to help pull all the air out as you turn the wheels left and right. Here's the best video I can find - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ts6vX8csaTA.html Bleed with the vacuum pump by turning the wheels left to right with the engine off, check the fluid, and do it again with the engine running to get the rest of the air out.
Wrong. The easiest way is to seal it with vaccum pressure. Its actually reccomended by the manufacturer as you cannot get the air out by turning lock to lock.
The entire sway bar is not necessary to take all the way out just disconnect the entire right side of the sway bar giving u enough wiggle room to get the rack n pinion bolt out😅
I would highly recommend bleeding the system before starting the car. Foaming the fluid like that is very high risk for damaging the pump and new rack very quickly. You shouldn’t ever hear that horrible noise if you bleed the system prior to starting it, and it shouldn’t ever foam up. You can’t quickly defoam fluid once it happens. The only right safe way to get rid of the foam is to flush the system. It would just suck for someone to watch this and destroy their pump from not properly bleeding the system.
I don't think the difficulty of the step at 12:00 - 12:10 can be overemphasized. This is an extremely difficult step, lining the stub shaft up with the intermediate shaft. You have very little room to work, you can hardly see back there to see what is going on, and the angle you're on makes it very hard to pry down on the intermediate shaft portion of this. People should be aware of how difficult this part of the job is.
What I had to do was stick a screwdriver in the metal slot on the end of the intermediate shaft and work it back and forth, every so slowly, a fraction of a millimeter at a time, working it onto the stub shaft. Without a helper, this was the only way. It took a long time but it worked.
I did this job today and couldnt get the high preassue side off. i even cut the pipe and put a socket on the fitting but just cant get enough torque on it so we pulled the entire rack out! What a stupid desighn
Please remember that the major factor in all of this is to remove the sway bar and links first, then drop the sub frame. You must drop the sub frame in order to remove and install the rack and pinion. I learned this the hard way on my 09 buick lucernce 3.9. It is the same set up. I went to youtube after hours of fighting with it. I dropped the sway bar and sub frame and wala. It came right out.
@@traviscarson9131 thanks for the quick reply. I ended up using a prybar and prying against the ball joint and the brake caliper. This allowed me to tighten it up. On a side note.. my high pressure line broke. 😢🔫
A great video, always appreciated when somone takes the time to share. One suggestion to those of you looking to complete this task, its best to turn the wheel all the way to the left and all the way to the right while the wheels are still elevated and the motor not running. This will ensure the new part is properly primed and not damaged aswell as saves the pump itself from damage. After doing this a few times you should have a pretty good idea how your fluid level is when you set the car down and before starting it. 👍🏻
From a former engine builder and rat rod builder, NICE video. No one could ask for one better that this. I have a 2012 Impala cop car and the local Midas shop told me it was going to take them 7 hours to r&r the rack! I just wish that the assholes who design the crap being made in recent years would have tp actual;ly WORK on this garbage before they are allowed to work as designers. Maybe then they'd think before they do stupid shit like making us have to lower the engine and remover the sway bar before we can remove a rack & pinion unit. Like that will ever happen!!!
If you have never replaced a rack before, how can you possibly say your a former engine builder and a rat rod builder. But I guess you've never done a frame-off restoration before. It just seems odd for someone to say they built rat rods and never replace the rack before. I'm not hating on you bro it just seems kind of funny
its Nov now, but in the summer my '01 Malipoo had some minor clunking sounds going up and down a multi level parking structure 2x+ per day, on the hard turns. Now the cold is setting in & turning the wheel in either direction sounds like a giant rubber band straining against metal. so I took it in to my favorite Mechanic. its the Rack and pinion. ugh!! I guessed it was that and it is... my husband thought it was the power steering fluid. I feel for the home mechanics because it looks like a hot mess to fix... and that is not considering the cold
Thanks for the video, saved me even more cuts,bruises and aches. Wish I would’ve watched all the way through before I started. Got to the second line on the rack and couldn’t get it off with the crows foot, had to drop the subframe and was able to use a regular 18mm wrench to get it off. I was going to cut the line and replace it but the guy at advance auto said to drop the frame a bit and you’ll have room, sure as shit I finish watching the video and wish I would’ve started by dropping the subframe
i just cut mine... i live in the rust belt the ps lines were as thin as paper...great video... i also have a fear of jack stands letting go as one of mine did years ago and it installed a little paranoia in me
I had to replace my rack and pinion on my 2010 impala and can't seem to get the power steering lines to screw back into the rack. Is there some kind of trick im missing. Are the lines reverse threaded. Meaning I'd tighten to the left instead of the right
I liked this video. I have had shaking in the 2012 Chevrolet Impala. Only one mechanic told me it was the rack and pinion, after sending a lot of money. He showed me the leaking, and the loose
Very good video! Job well done! I have a 2015 Impala Limited same car! I believe the rack is still good but I may have an issue with the inner tie-rods and or possibly the struts put new ones in and they seem to creek and crack lubricated the bushings and the springs and rubber mounts still making a noise stay away from Monroe products no good! But still going to check those inner tie-rods!
I'm having issues getting the steering coupler over the rack and pinion shaft. The coupler doesn't seem to want to go down onto the shaft. Any suggestions ?
@@TheDaninator Thanks buddy. I think I'm going to try to find a way to file the shaft down or spread the coupling apart. The U coulpling is centered perfectly over the shaft, but it just won't go on.
@@mikeguzman3290 sorry I’m just seeing this . I’m actually getting ready to replace the rack and pinion again man! I ended up letting the car sit for about a month, and my two neighbors (who are mechanics) came over and got it done. They struggled for about 3 hours until they finally got it .
@@OneSquidOneBike yeah I sat there trying to get it on for an hour. I gave up for 15 minutes then tried again and it went on immediately smh lol. Stubborn things
"and remember, if you want to strike it rich - just count your blessings", .... amen to that brother, amen to that !!! As far as that Rack & Pinion job goes though, I'd have left that one for Mr. Goodwrench to count his blessings over - got to give you credit for filming while learning, and success is always a celebration, big thumbs up and thank you so very much from forced out retired in NE FLA (and lovin every minute of it).
Great video my friend. I used your same technique, I even asked my father-in-law for help lol. You are right lowering the mount body gives to much more space to work on. Craw food works, unfortunately my bolt was so tight we ended up using small gas wrench and we end up moving the rack and pinion to the side with one line connected to get a better grip. Thanks a lot my friend and God bless you!
Thank you for taking the time, to do this video, I have a friend, that has a 2011, impala, that needs a rack&_pinion, I have replaced many, I was a Chrysler, mechanic, for 20+years, and I was hoping, there would be a video, on it, great job, awesome, video!
One idea is to get a few different color paint magic markers. Draw a line on the nut onto the bar. The other color mark aline on the other side of the ridge of the nut onto the bar . Mark around the inside of the nut all the way around the bar inside. When you take em apart you can match exactly where it came off. To preserve to he alignment.
Your video helped me out a lot I'm in the same predicament I just made a video on my channel to find out if I can find anyone who know how to fix this issue and now I know thank you very much
Thank you so much on such great job, It’s much appreciated it, it sure will help me a whole lot on a same job I got coming up soon,and thank you much for your knowledge and explanation sir.
don't run the pump dry. keep car up turn wheel lock to lock with pump cap open till no more fulid drop . fill up then run car or risk premature failure otherwise great job.
Great video 👍 line wrenches are made for hoses and lines they have more surface area of contact around the nut than a standard wrench ! I think it would be better to use a crows foot style line wrench so you don't risk round off the fitting nuts , but I have not changed a rack on a Impala so I don't know if there is enough room for a line wrench .
The auto parts store up in Winnipeg Manitoba said that it s usually the high pressure hose going to the gears before you should do the rack and pinion . That’s usually the problem you’re going to have before the rack and pinion gears go. Does this make since do to the pressure hose which costs about the the same as the rack and pinion steering does? The hose in Winnipeg costs $374 cad and the rack and pinion cost about $425 cad! I got the 2012 Chevrolet impala LS fleet no police.opinions anyone? Thank you.
I have change this rack and pinion 4 times. I just can't figure out why keeps popping. I take it to auto shop for alignment right after. Within 5-6 months she pops. I change even nuckle steering wheel. Feels awkward as far the rack & pinion hasn't broken again. What other possibilities can it be.
My 2011 is leaking really bad, to the point where I need to top off the fluid daily now. This looks simple enough to do, now I just need to save some coin to find a place to do the repair, buy the few tools I need (Like those mini-wrenches!) and I should be good. Doesn't look like I'd be diving too hard into the hardware. Awesome video, thanks.
I didn’t watch the video, but y’all should use a flare crows foot wrench to brake the flare nuts. I used a 6” 1/4 ratchet with a 1/4 to 3/8 adapter. After I broke the flare nuts loose I used my fingers to take them off the rest of the way. I also lowered the sub frame and removed the anti sway bar. It took me a couple hours to get it off and put the new one in. I can see how those two flare nuts can make ur pussy’s hurt.
Daninator . . Thanks for doing this vid, it was a big help to understand the labor and tools involved! I own a 2008 Chevy Malibu LTZ (which belongs to my young daughter) and it just started leaking extremely bad after 160,000 miles on the vehicle and I originally thought that it was the power steering pump was going out . . but as it turned out my local mechanic shop as like the stearlership your girl friend took her car in for an estimate was over a thousand to replace . . so typical that parts are always a few hundred dollars . . Yeah, the labor is what gets most of the projects . . Have not decided what to do as of yet . . Anyway, Thanks for sharing your experience.
I bet you had a blast doing this....it looks by the looks of the video it was more than a day todo this job. I dropped the down stream pipe then lowered the front cradle bolts 4.5 turns and put a hydraulic floor jack on the rear part of the cradle and completely removed the rear cradle bolts and disconnected the steering arm from the strut assembly from both sides. This rack came out with no fuss and the installation was easy with no more 3hrs total R&R (power tools were used). More steps but worth it. I can deal with longer steps and have more ease then todo all this aggravated. Thx for sharing.
So is this the FIX for the power steering issue I’m hearing about with the impala LTZ 2014 and other years as well???????? I’m in the market for buying one but I’m seeing that they had a HUGE recall 1.3Million vehicles for the power steering issue .
My 08 impala is making that same shitty noise like yours was at the end, but my fluid is normal. So common sense would say my pump is likely bad? I was thinking it may be the rack but after this video I don’t think so
my rack and pinion is fine it just out of place because the clamps that hold it broke i don’t know if i have to get the whole thing or is there anyway i can get the clamps? because i cant find it anywhere and im not tryna spend 300 on a new rack
I agree with Gerret and I'll add that when you first start turning your wheels you don't want the tires on the ground with full weight on tires. Let the car down to where the tires just make contact with the ground. As to the swaybar you don't want to tighten the bolts completely until you you put jack stands under the control arms and let the full weight of car down then torque spec the swaybar bolts.
My steering fitting on the steering column is goin all the way down on to the steering box when I’m trying to connect them....... did it give you any trouble? If so what can I do?
The steering wheel shaft can move back and forth. I'm not sure what it is your describing, but the shaft can move to help you line up the bolt hole in the steering column to the bolt hole in the steering rack.
Nice work, good communication skills. Thanks for the video. You did a good job explaining how the recess pin recesses in to the recessed near the firewall.
After changing rack the airbag light came on. When changing the rack are you supposed to secure the steering wheel as not to mess up the clock spring? Asking for a friend
Great video!!! I would only add that if you jack up the subframe and take the two bolts out and lower the subframe it gains you so much room for working with the lines.
Great video....I would tackle this before but my back injury would keep me from it now....Always worked on my vehicles but only small jobs now. Im hoping my leak is only the return line but drained pretty quick so figure its the pressure hose or the rack. Again, good job.
So, the bolt hole in the unibody that the k member is to bolt into is bent out of alignment... Yikes man, I don't know how you'd repair that easily. A body shop may be able to somehow bend the metal back into place (MAYBE), but I can't say for sure. You're definitely in a tough spot. Wish I could offer you some better insight.
