rack removal advice

[simurs4]

Hey guys removing the rack out of my urs4, having a prick of a time seperating the steering knuckle from the rack, got the bolt out no worries but can't get the damn thing to budge. tried to spread the clamp abit with a screw driver but didn't have much luck with that, anyone got any good tips in getting these *******s off??
cheers.

[s2_bo]

Yeah, i struggled too.
Ended up unboling it a bit higher up i seam to remember which helped to free it out.
I think it was where the compression part was. Two nuts and bolts from memory.
good luck.

[simurs4]

thanks mate ill give it a go!

[hermanio]

The splined shaft on the rack does not always separate from the steering column very easily. I had to take a long breaker bar, thread it through on the engine side and whack on the collar to get it to separate. There was no other way to get enough leverage to pull them apart. The collar is aluminum, so I was very unhappy that I had to do that, but we couldn't figure-out any other way.

http://forums.quattroworld.com/s4s6/msgs/1094.phtml

[simurs4]

thanks guys, managed to get the ******* out before, without breaking anything aswell lol. the hardest part of the whole job was seperating the steering knuckle i reckon, that thing didn't wanna go! once the whole rack was loose it only took afew minutes for me to slide the rack out myself so i was suprised, thought i wouldv needed an extra set of hands to get it out. now just hav to get the changeover rack and chuck in the new one!

[hermanio]

try to get the metal plate that holds the tierods, in the boot before putting the steeringrack back in, i have changed my steeringrack this week and has taken me i think 4 hours to get that stupid metal plate in because of the limited space. the plate must be in the boot, otherwise you cant get the bolts from the tierods in.

[simurs4]

thanks mate yeh im struggling with that annoying tie rod plate atm, i got one side in easy but the other is being a pain in the ***, probably doesn't help having primative tools at home lol. can't seem to hook the boot around the second thingo right. guess ill just keep soldiering on!

[DamianURS4]

had mine done in the summer - complete ballache!

[simurs4]

lol ur not wrong there, i thought i'd give it a go myself, didn't really wanna pay someone else to do it, regretting it now! but atleast i finally got that damn tie rod bracket on, so hopefully it will cooperate and slide in hassle free lol.

[simurs4]

got the rack all in was almost going to bolt it up until i realised i need to slip the steering column onto the rack first, easier said then done, anybody got any tips on getting this crap to spline up? i can get them to line up to where they have to be to spline up but can't get the damn thing to go on properly. tried with 2 people, me in the car someone else on the other end of the rack, moving it forward n backward trying to get it to line up but this is ridiculous, ican't believe how hard this damn thing is to do >. ive done racks on later model audis no worries, but this thing is beyond gay. anybody got any advice??

[hermanio]

maybe it was better to connect the tierods in the end. but you can try the loosen the two bolt that sit a bit higherup the spine and try to get it on then...