Replacement of the Bellows, Rack and Pinion Steering Gear

p3 mm 46.07.000

  1. Park the vehicle on a level surface, shut down the engine, and set the parking brake. Chock the tires.
  2. Raise the front wheels off the ground and support the vehicle with jack stands.
  3. Remove both wheels from the steer axle.

    4. Note: A Tiger Tool Slack Adjuster Puller, part number 10406, may be used to assist with removal of the outer tie rods.

  4. Disconnect the outer tie rods from the steering arms, as follows.
    1. Remove the cotter pins and castellated nuts.
    2. On the driver's side, loosen the jam nut. See Fig.. Note the number of exposed threads and the position of the outer tie rod to ease installation.

      1. Steering Tie Rod Arm

      2. Power Steering Fluid Lines

      3. Large Bellows Clamp

      4. Bellows

      5. Small Bellows Clamp

      6. Driver-Side Outer Tie Rod

      7. Tie Rod Jam Nut

      8. Inner Tie Rod Flat

      9. Inner Tie Rod Ball Joint

      10. Input Shaft Seal Cover

      11. I-shaft Upper Yoke

      12. I-shaft Lower Yoke Boot Clamp

      13. I-shaft Lower Yoke Boot

      14. I-shaft Lower End Yoke

      15. Transfer Line Tube Fittings

      16. Power Steering Fluid Line Fittings

      17. I-shaft Slip Joint

      18. Transfer Lines

      19. Rack and Pinion Gear

      20. Pinch Bolt

      21. Tie Rod Clamp

      22. Tie Rod Clamp Nut

      23. Passenger-Side Outer Tie Rod

      Fig. 1, Rack and Pinion Steering System

    3. Disconnect the outer tie rods from the steering arms.
  5. Use brake cleaner to remove dirt and debris from both bellows and surrounding areas.
  6. Remove the small and large Oetiker clamps from both bellows. Discard the clamps.
  7. Disconnect the outer tie rods from the inner tie rods. If necessary, use a backup wrench on the inner tie rod flat to turn the inner tie rod. See Fig..
  8. Remove the bellows from both sides of the gear.

    9. Note: A thin film of leftover Terostat MS 939 on the rack housing is acceptable when installing the new bellows.

  9. If the housing has Terostat MS 939 on it from a previous replacement of the bellows, remove as much of the leftover Terostat from the housing sealing surface as possible. Wipe down the housing with brake cleaner to remove all remaining dirt and debris.

    10. Important: Only apply grease to the rack shaft on the driver side. Do not apply grease to the teeth of the rack shaft. Do not apply grease to the shaft on the passenger side.

  10. Turn the wheels all the way to the right to fully expose the driver-side rack. Without applying grease to the teeth of the rack shaft, evenly apply a light film of Renolit CX-FO 20 grease to the metal surfaces covered by the driver-side bellows.

    11. Important: Terostat MS 939 sealant must be applied at a temperature between 41 and 104°F (5 and 40°C) to effectively seal steering gear components. Because Terostat sealant sets within ten minutes of application, the bellows must be installed within ten minutes of sealant application to ensure a good seal.

    Notice: Two syringes of the Terostat MS 939 are included in the Bellows Service Kit. Ensure only Terostat, which is white in color, is applied to the rack housing.

    Do not allow Terostat MS 939 sealant to come into contact with the inner tie rods. Mistakenly applying sealant to the inner tie rods may cause damage to the bellows and the gear. See Fig..

  11. Evenly apply Terostat MS 939 sealant to the outer diameter of the rack housing where the large ends of the bellows seat on the gear housing. See Fig..

    • Do not apply Terostat near the small end of the bellows.

    • Only apply Terostat to the gear where the large end of the bellows seats.

    Fig. 2, Apply Terostat To Large End of Bellows

    Note: Evenly apply a bead of Terostat MS 939 sealant where the large ends of the bellows seat on the gear housing.

    Fig. 3, Terostat MS 939 Sealant Application

    12. Notice: Improper installation may cause moisture and contaminants to enter the gear, which may result in severe damage.

  12. Install the new bellows on the gear. Ensure the bellows are seated properly on the gear housing and inner tie rods.
  13. Rotate the bellows back and forth approximately 15 degrees to evenly disperse the sealant between the bellows and the gear housing.
  14. Install new Oetiker clamps on each of the bellows as follows.

    Notice: Fully opening an Oetiker clamp may cause permanent damage and render it ineffective.
      1. Rotate the ears of the large Oetiker clamp forward on the bellows to avoid pinching the clamp in the next step.
      2. Ensure the large Oetiker clamp is properly seated in the clamp groove on the bellows. Align the large Oetiker clamp ear with the small clamp ear. Both clamp ears should be aligned with the rack housing casting rib. See Fig..

        1. Inner Tie Rod

        2. Small Oetiker Clamp

        3. Bellows

        4. Large Oetiker Clamp

        5. Housing Casting Rib

        Fig. 4, Oetiker Clamp Alignment

        Notice: Do not over-tighten the Oetiker clamps. Over-tightening may lead to stretching of the clamp, which could allow moisture intrusion and corrosion. If an Oetiker clamp stretches, remove and discard the clamp and install a new clamp.

        All three barbs on the clamp must be engaged. If all three barbs are not engaged after crimping, remove and discard the clamp and install a new clamp. Oetiker clamps must be adequately crimped and the bellows must be tightly secured to the gear housing to prevent moisture intrusion and corrosion.
        1. Using an Oetiker clamp tool like the one shown in Fig., crimp the small and large Oetiker bellows clamp ears until the ear width is 0.08 to 0.16 in (2 to 4 mm). See Fig. and Fig..

          Fig. 5, Oetiker Clamp Tool, P/N 14100037 or 14100082

          1. Outer Tie Rod

          2. Small Oetiker Clamp

          3. Bellows

          4. Large Oetiker Clamp

          5. Oetiker Clamp Tool

          Fig. 6, Oetiker Clamp Installation

          • Crimp the clamp ears until the ear width is 0.08 to 0.16 inch (2 to 4 mm).

          1. Bellows

          2. Large Oetiker Clamp

          Fig. 7, Oetiker Clamp Ear Width

      3. Remove excess grease from the bellows and the gear housing.
      4. Install the jam nut on the driver-side inner tie rod, and the tie rod clamp on the passenger-side inner tie rod.
      5. Thread the inner tie rods into the outer tie rods.
      6. Attach the outer tie rods of the rack and pinion gear to the tie rod steering arms. Tighten the castellated nuts 240 lbf·ft (325 N·m). Continue to tighten until the next castellated nut slot aligns with the hole in the ball stud and insert the new cotter pin.
      7. Tighten the jam nut on the driver side, and the tie rod clamp nut on the passenger side.
      8. Align the steering gear.

        Note: Use a calibrated, computerized, multi-wheel alignment tool, operated by a certified service technician to complete the following steps. If this type of tool is not accessible, the alignment procedure must be done by a facility that has the appropriate tool.

        When the alignment process requires that the steering wheel be pointed straight ahead, align the steering rack on-center pointers instead. See Fig..
          1. Loosen the driver-side tie rod jam nut. If necessary, hold the inner tie rod in place with a backup wrench on the inner tie rod flat. See Fig..

            • Align the pointers.

            1. Input Shaft Seal Cover

            2. Input Shaft Housing

            Fig. 8, Rack and Pinion Pointer Alignment

          2. Align the steering rack on-center pointers.
          3. Place a wrench on the driver-side inner tie rod flat and align the left tire by rotating the inner tie rod.
          4. Tighten the tie rod jam nut 285 to 305 lbf·ft (386 to 414 N·m).
          5. Loosen the passenger-side tie rod clamp nut.
          6. With the gear on center, place a wrench on the passenger-side inner tie rod flat and align the right tire by rotating the inner tie rod.
          7. Tighten the tie rod clamp nut 30 to 36 lbf·ft (41 to 49 N·m).

            Important: Total toe-in should be between 0 and 1/8 inch (3.2 mm), and the target is 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
            1. Check the clearance of the front wheels. With the tires on turnplates, and the wheels turned all the way to the right and left, there must be at least 1/2-inch (13 mm) clearance between the wheels and stationary components, and at least 3/4-inch (19 mm) clearance between the wheels/tires and moving components. If this is not the case, back out the stop bolts and adjust the jam nuts to limit the turning angles and to prevent possible contact with components.
            2. Tighten the stop-bolt jam nuts 80 to 120 lbf·ft (108 to 163 N·m).

              Notice: Maximum wheel cut is not to exceed 46 degrees. Excessive wheel cut may damage the inner tie rod.
              1. Verify that wheel cut does not exceed 46 degrees. Adjust wheel cut if needed.
            3. Install both wheels on the steer axle.
            4. Remove the jack stands and lower the vehicle.
            Note:
            Parent topic: Steering
            Document Number: 0000116638
            Manual Publication Date: 2024-05-15
            Topic Publication Date: 2024-11-22