ragtopfury
Well-Known Member
So the end of the rack/pinion blew a seal on my Shelby Dakota last night. No big deal, other than it pumped all the fluid out of the system in about 4 turns. A seal kit is cheap enough, and even the cost ofanother whole rack is not that bad.
Easy enough to swap it out - both outer tie rod ends popped right out of the lower ball joints with just moderate persuasion, both fluid lines cracked loose fairly easily and both frame bolts that hold the unit in came out clean and easy.....Just need to pick up a seal kit. Pirce of cake, right?
Nah - it can't be that easy. That stupid little 1/4 inch roll pin that keeps the column shaft on the input spline of the rack/pinion does not want to budge. Even before pulling the front wheels off, I soaked that sucker with PB Blaster. Soaked it again while popping the tie rods loose. Soaked it again while cracking the lines and frame bolts loose.......
Dang thing still won't budge.... Anybody have any hints/tips? I've put the hot wrench on it, only to start melting the grease out of the bottom u-joint on the column's shaft, soaked it again with PB while I fixed the window regultor in the wife's Durango that broke today....
Still won't budge. :banghead:
I've got a long punch/drift that reaches it and a 3 lb hammer.... I'm just about ready to cut the bottom joint in half and just buy a new shaft for when I put the rack back in.
Easy enough to swap it out - both outer tie rod ends popped right out of the lower ball joints with just moderate persuasion, both fluid lines cracked loose fairly easily and both frame bolts that hold the unit in came out clean and easy.....Just need to pick up a seal kit. Pirce of cake, right?
Nah - it can't be that easy. That stupid little 1/4 inch roll pin that keeps the column shaft on the input spline of the rack/pinion does not want to budge. Even before pulling the front wheels off, I soaked that sucker with PB Blaster. Soaked it again while popping the tie rods loose. Soaked it again while cracking the lines and frame bolts loose.......
Dang thing still won't budge.... Anybody have any hints/tips? I've put the hot wrench on it, only to start melting the grease out of the bottom u-joint on the column's shaft, soaked it again with PB while I fixed the window regultor in the wife's Durango that broke today....
Still won't budge. :banghead:
I've got a long punch/drift that reaches it and a 3 lb hammer.... I'm just about ready to cut the bottom joint in half and just buy a new shaft for when I put the rack back in.
