"davemac" <davemac2@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1141681281.750254.94600@i39g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
Opinion only:
In my w/shop manual they say to remove the rack to allow the rack end to be
held firmly in a soft-jawed vice, so the inner "ball-housing" or inner
tie-rod can be unscrewed from the rack after a lock-washer is tapped
straight,...so it looks do-able while in situ as long as you dont apply too
much twisting force to the rack while undoing the inner ball and housing.
The 2 boots are replaceable with the rack in position, so they aren't a
problem. In this situation, I would apply a counter twisting force to the
rack, while you apply torque to undo the inner ball-housing. Cant see why it
wouldnt work except the LHS (as viewed standing in front of the car looking
at the front of an English or Aussy model [ driven on the left of the road)
of the rack-end appears to be close to the cross-member. This may limit how
much purchase you can apply to the rack-end with a pair of vice-grips with
an inlay of sheet aluminium on the jaw-teeth to stop any damage to the rack
or it may not.
I guess the engine may limit access as well,..but IME where you see a
lock-washer (except in high torque areas like final-drive), you often find
once the lock-washer is tapped straight, the thing it was holding will
unscrew relatively easily.
Jason
