Recentering steering rack

[ATLspeed]

I've been searching around about re-centering the rack. I installed new steering rack bushings and solid column bushing while my motor was out. I did mark the u-joints with white out but they were erased during cleaning. So my steering wheel is off by 30 degrees.

Can I simply make sure the rack ends (tie rods go into) are of equal length as in the FSM, alignment, remove steering wheel and reinstall straight? Or do I have to disconnect the steering column from the rack to re-center?

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo100/MANGOLIAN_IAN2/s13rack-PR25SC-1.jpg

[derass]

Yes, you can do it by just removing the steering wheel. Notice how on the left side of that diagram you are measuring into a small recess as opposed to the right. I use Vernier calipers for this task.

[ATLspeed]

Thanks for noting that because I wouldn't have picked it up on the 1st look.

[silvia_fiend]

Sorry to bump this thread but I'm having some issues doing this at the moment, after reading another thread on here I separated the rack from the column at the two u-joints right down at the rack, hopefully that won't be too much hassle come reassembly, but the main issue I'm having is the measurements; if I set either side at 68.5 the other one comes up as around or just over 70? How can the be? I was just using a ruler so not 100% accurate and there might have been some parallax but one measurement definitely seemed more than the other.

[derass]

Are you measuring into the recess? Do you have the tie rod locks installed? You can extend the rack all the way out to the right (turn steering wheel left), measure the distance from the rack housing to the backside of the inner tie rod, divide that by 2 and you have your center position measurement.

[ATLspeed]

Get the tie rods as even as you can and if your steering wheel is crooked (from not marking the u-joint and rack) then you can remove/reinstall the steering wheel straight.

I ended having to disconnect my rack from the column and recentered my rack and steering wheel so that my steering wheel locks while still centered. I didn't like having my steering wheel crooked which locked lol.

[silvia_fiend]

The ruler actually went into the recess quite nicely turned sideways so it was pretty accurate, I like your idea though derass, I'll actually try that in both directions just to compare, I just find it really weird that the measurement from the fsm is different to my car, I wouldn't have thought that would be a distance that could change over time