Desperate for rack and pinion help....

[Bd9zads]

Hello, long time reader, 1st time poster...

I have no clue what I did. Just finished replacing the rack and pinion in a '97 Explorer XL (vin X). Not to bad, went to bleed the system but as soon as I turn the steering wheel the power steering takes over with incredible force and turns the wheels full lock wich ever way I nudge it???? What the **** did I do wrong?

I'm pretty sure all the lines are hooked up right, anyone have an exploded view or picture of it, my Chilton's manual doesn't show this, I am completely baffled...


Thanks for any insight.

 

[cgriffin_5139]

sounds like a bad rack

 

[steve6534]

I actually replaced my rack about a year ago and had the same exact problem ! I first thought that maybe the lines were reversed or that I had a bad rack. It ended up being a large amount of air trapped in the system that was causing it. If I recall correctly I had pulled the fuel pump relay to prevent the engine from starting and turned over the engine while moving the steering wheel lock to lock to bleed the system.

HTH,

Steve

 

[IZwack]

To prevent the engine from starting, you can also disconnect the Fuel pump trip switch (located under the dash and in front of where the passenger's feet would be). This switch "opens" and cuts off the fuel pump during collisions -- which is the same as disconnecting the switch.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Double check your lines, that sounds like the symptoms of reversed lines, and you now may have a bad rack if the lines were wrong.

 

[mittelmeier]

It definitely sounds like there is a lot of air in the system. I'd start by bleeding as described above.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

OK here are some pictures for you of my rack. I just changed it the other day, so this is fresh on my mind.

Of the two lines you connect, the one with the thicker nut is the one that goes to the cooler, and the thinner one is the one that comes from the pump.

 

[Bd9zads]

Moutaineergree is the winner. Thanks to eveyone for the help. I figured it out about 10 minutes after I posted but there it is for the next guy.

I feel a bit on the dumb side for this but I actually was rebuilding the entire front end and forgot which went where by the time I put the new rack in. I noticed after looking at it that the line out of the cooler to the rack looked ****ed and that's what tipped me off.

Thanks for the pics, if I could have found these anywhere else on line it would have saved me....

peace