General guide on how to replace your car steering box
Estimated time: 2-3 hours Difficulty: medium/hard
Step 1
Begin by placing your steering wheel straight so that you know where everything is placed when you fit the new part and make it easier to realign everything.
Step 2
Jack up the vehicle using a wheel jack and remove the wheel nuts with a socket set, wheel brace or similar tool. When these are out you can take the wheel off.
Step 3
Now unscrew or remove the bolts holding your mud flaps in place and remove these parts from the vehicle.
Step 4
Remove a bolt from the input shaft and then the bolt holding the pitman arm to the tie rod end. Take a pry bar and pry the shaft from the input shaft until they are disconnected, remembering not to spin the input shaft as this will mess up the alignment on the steering.
Place a container underneath to catch any hydraulic fluid which will come out when the connections are taken from the steering box.
Step 5
Now disconnect the lines from the
steering box. Take out the pressurised line, which is likely to have a clip holding it in place. Unscrew the clip or disconnect it depending on how it is attached. Remove the hose and repeat for the other hose connected to the box.
Step 6
To disconnect the pitman arm from the box you will need a pitman arm remover. Remove the nut holding the box to the arm and then place the remover over the bolt and tighten the remover. You will need a socket set to turn the remover and free the pitman arm from the box.
There will be three bolts holding the box to the frame. Remove these three bolts and completely remove the old box.
Step 7
Bolt the new box in place, securing it tightly to the frame. Connect both the lines to the box. Connecting the hose first and then putting the clip in place and tightening it. Repeat for the second line.
Step 8
Connect the pitman arm to the box and tighten the nut. Tighten the nut from the pitman arm to the tie rod end, ensuring they are on tight.
Make sure the input shaft is connected properly and bolt them together. You will want to bleed the system to remove any air from the system. After this is done you can replace the hydraulic fluid.
Last step in fitting steering box
Now re-fit your mud flaps, lower the jack and turn on the ignition. Let the vehicle run idle to get the fluid through the system. This completes the installation.
