replacing power steering lines

[rabbit]

I've searched, but I can't seem to find the answer I'm looking for. Like many others, the hard lines on my power steering corroded and started to leak. It's only the return line (cooler to steering gear) but I figure I'll replace the pressure line too.

How in the world do you get a wrench on the fittings at the steering gear?! I can take off the sway bar and maybe the lower rad hose, but it still doesn't look like I'll be able to get in there at it. Am I missing something obvious? My repair DVD is missing at the moment, but I'm hoping for a real world shadetree approach rather than the service manual telling me to take the whole front end off.

 

[N1265]

I have the exact same problem, I plan on removing the sway bar and slaping some epoxy metal on the line.

 

[N1265]

well I took off the sway bar today and started poking around the crud at the fitting on the return line ( cooler to gear box ) and got a bath when I poked a hole threw the rusted steel line, I removed the line at the cooler and simply ripped the line off at the fitting ( wiggled it back and forth ) Then I took a 3/8ths drive socket with a swivel and removed the fitting from the gear box.

Advance has these lines for 11 bucks and when it comes in tomorrow I plan on renting a set of line wrenches to put the new one on...

 

[bfowlernj]

Hi - Could you please tell us what happened? Did you replace the hard lines? I'm going to have the same problem - I just slipped some 3/8 hose over where mine was corroded and used 2 circle clamps on the ends - it seemed to work for now, but I don't think it's gunna last...

 

[N1265]

I replaced the the return line ( cooler to gear box ) with a new one from autozone, all went well but I had to take an old box end wrench and grind a slot in it ( essentially making a " line" wrench ) to get the new one on.

I remove the sway bar and the cooler,but did not have to remove the lower radiator hose. you can get a " line " wrench on the fitting by reaching up from the top.
( while laying on the floor and having the car up on jack stands )

The only reason I removed the cooler was to make it easier to get the rubber part of the hose on after I mounted the other end to the gear box.

all went well but remember, The hose is designed to rotate in the fitting when the fitting is tight.

I only did the one line because my ex has high miles and I did not want to put a bunch of money in it...

The hardest part of the whole project was getting the sway bar bolts broken loose...