Replacing the steering rack on a 99 V70, questions/worklog

99volvonewbie · Post by **99volvonewbie** » 25 Mar 2013, 16:51

I had big plans to get this rack on today. Woke up to snow!! yikes.

Luckily I have a nice unheated garage and a stubbornness that cannot be matched.

Down to business:
This is what is done
1. Setup (tires, jacks, chocks, what not)
2 . Tierods removed from balljoints.
3. Removed all the nuts holding the rack in place, knocked out the bolts also.
4. I got the top power steering hose taken out of the pinion.
5. Dropped the subframe.

Here is where I am stuck: I cannot seem to get the steering shaft out of the ujoint. I have the nut removed, even tried opening it with a prybar, no dice. Is there a ring or something I am missing here? I also cannot get the lower (bigger of the two) hoses out. There is a 16mm and 18mm hose and no matter what I cannot get a wrench (using flare nut wrenches) to get in there, no space at all.

I have tomorrow off before I have to get back to work so I hope one of you guys can give me some tips. For those of you who are researching this repair, I highly recommend this. If I can ever finish this I will do a write-up on it.

99volvonewbie · Post by **99volvonewbie** » 25 Mar 2013, 18:29

I got so flustered with this repair that I failed to mention that it is a 99 V70 GLT that I am working on, my apologies. Hopefully this was the reason for the lack of responses.

Post by **abscate** » 26 Mar 2013, 02:55

I haven't done this job ever on mine but the referenced work sounds like they leave the hoses on the rack and snake them out of the car, dealing with them outside. Obviously once off, you can get a wrench on them. Perhaps a socket with wobble UJ might help too?

99volvonewbie · Post by **99volvonewbie** » 26 Mar 2013, 07:09

abscate,

I surprisingly didn't think of that. I am heading out there in the next few minutes for round/day two. I am going to look and ponder at removing the swaybar to make things easier on that hose. The steering shaft is another story, one which hopefully a nights rest will help.

Where are you referencing that from? I am new to all this and wondering where some good online manuals/diagrams could be found.

99volvonewbie · Post by **99volvonewbie** » 26 Mar 2013, 17:24

So everything is loose, I can wiggle that damn rack all over the place. The return hose is still on and rounded off so I am ordering a new one. I think that once I get that cut off I will be able to twist the whole rack out.

The steering shaft came off easier with a bigger hammer. Now that it is loose I just have to figure out a way to get the rack twisted so that it slides out easily, the shaft seems to get caught on everything.

Note to anyone who is attempting this, and I may need help with some of the part names, but there is a bolt midway on the rack that goes up and to the front of the vehicle at an angle of 45 degrees. Upon removing the bolt there is what looks like a steel cable, maybe 1/8" that sits behind this. Once everything is loose and you jack the transmission up the rack will seem stuck on this, for lack of a better term, large rubber nipple with a steel cable in it. Take the biggest hammer you can fit in there, proceed to beat the living daylights out of it and watch your head.

When I get the new hose in and have better light I will take pictures and do a full write up of this repair, as it is much needed.

99volvonewbie · Post by **99volvonewbie** » 26 Mar 2013, 17:24

So everything is loose, I can wiggle that damn rack all over the place. The return hose is still on and rounded off so I am ordering a new one. I think that once I get that cut off I will be able to twist the whole rack out.

The steering shaft came off easier with a bigger hammer. Now that it is loose I just have to figure out a way to get the rack twisted so that it slides out easily, the shaft seems to get caught on everything.

Note to anyone who is attempting this, and I may need help with some of the part names, but there is a bolt midway on the rack that goes up and to the front of the vehicle at an angle of 45 degrees. Upon removing the bolt there is what looks like a steel cable, maybe 1/8" that sits behind this. Once everything is loose and you jack the transmission up the rack will seem stuck on this, for lack of a better term, large rubber nipple with a steel cable in it. Take the biggest hammer you can fit in there, proceed to beat the living daylights out of it and watch your head.

When I get the new hose in and have better light I will take pictures and do a full write up of this repair, as it is much needed.