Steering rack bellows.

[bigbadbob76]

my van failed it's MOT today on the steering rack bellows being "insecure".
Everthing else was "tickety boo" his words not mine.
A quick look underneath shows one bellows is off the rack completely and slid along the tie rod and the other is not attached to the rack either.
Any advise on replacing them?
Looks like the track rod ends have to come off and as they're pretty corroded I might as well replace them too.
Or can you unsrew the rod from the end without removing the end?
BBB.

[cassandra]

Hi, seems odd that the rack 'bellows' have come adrift, are they split or torn? They may have been replaced in the past and not secured properly. Have a good look at them before you decide to replace them as you may only need to re-secure them. A couple of metal clips may be all you need (I have seen cable ties used but this is not recommended). If you do need to replace them then it is possible to unscrew the the track rods from the track rod ends without removing the ends from the steering uprights but remember to count the turns as you unscrew so you can get the tracking back to somewhere near although you should still have the van tracked if you have disturbed the track rods and ends.

Hope this helps.

[bigbadbob76]

Thanks Cassandra.
Yes, the bellows are torn, I think it probably happened when I was replacing the upper ball joints, i was pushing and pulling on the wheels a lot then rather than steering with the wheel.
Good to know that you can unscrew the rod, cheers for that.

[NicBeeee]

You can remove the rods from the steering rack, you need a large spanner to do this, I can't remember the size, you can also purchase the rods with track rods on if yours are seized. It is also easier to fit the boots with the rods off.

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[bigbadbob76]

Cheers NicBeeee, I see the flats for the spanner, looks like about a 14mm but I aint tried yet.

[bigbadbob76]

I got under there this morning and replaced the bellows, easy enough job once i figured out the right position to lie in to be able to work the rubber over the rim.
The adjustment nut was firmly stuck to the rod with nature's locktite so it was easy enough to get it back where it should be when i put it back together, I'll get the alignment checked when I replace the track rod ends.
Old ones were totally perished and holy.

[NicBeeee]

Ahh miss communication, you must mean the flats on the rod that you hold to remove the track rod ends, I meant the flats on the socket of the ball and socket at the rack end under the boot, they are something like 28mm.

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[DoubleOSeven]

Get the new boot into some warm water to loosen it up a bit first.

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[bigbadbob76]

Ahh miss communication, you must mean the flats on the rod that you hold to remove the track rod ends, I meant the flats on the socket of the ball and socket at the rack end under the boot, they are something like 28mm.

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Understood.
I just unscrewed the rod from the track rod end (with the wheel off) old bellows off, new bellows on, then screwed the rod back into the end up to the nut.
I'll be replacing the track rod ends in the near future anyway but just wanted the bellows done ASAP to get the MOT re-test.