Steering Gear: Service and Repair
Removing and installing power-steering gear
Removal
1. Remove underside panel.
2. Loosen universal joint (steering shaft) at steering gear. For this purpose, take out the clamping screw and slide the joint upwards,
Note First fix the steering wheel with the wheels in straight-ahead position or removes the steering wheel with the wheels in straight-ahead position. If this is not done, the airbag contact unit will have to be put in center position after installation of the steering gear.
3. Press out track-rod ball joint from steering arm. Use special tool 9560 (ball-joint extractor).
When loosening the locknut, hold it with special tool 9546 (Torx screwdriver).
4. Repeat procedure on the other side.
5. Loosen feed and return pipe at steering gear. For this purpose, loosen the hexagon socket head bolt (arrow) and remove the retainer plate. Seal pipes or use collection containers. If necessary, cover pipes to prevent contamination.
6. Loosen the two steering-gear fastening screws (on the underside of the cross member).
7. Extend steering gear to the left (to the right for right-hand drive vehicles).
8. If necessary, loosen and remove right and left track rod at steering gear (arrow).
Note Ensure that no damage (scoring) is caused to the steering rack.
To loosen and tighten the track rods, secure the steering gear on a suitable plate.
Installation
Install in the reverse order. Ensure you comply with the following points while doing so:
- Replace steering-gear fastening screws and the fit bolt of the steering shaft whenever removed. Screw threads must be clean and free of grease.
- Ensure that no damage (scoring) is caused to the steering rack.
- With steering rack in fully extended state, grease with VW steering-gear grease AOF 063 000 04.
Also grease outside of steering pinion shaft at the teeth for the universal joint of the steering shaft.
- Mount the track rods on the steering gear.
Then secure the appropriate bellows with new circlips.
- With steering gear, steering wheel and airbag contact unit (spiral spring) in center position, push on universal joint (steering shaft) in the correct position.
For ease of assembly, put steering-gear fastening screws just in place.
- Comply with notes for Sliding Piece And Airbag Contact Unit.
Observe note on steering-gear center position in the section describing front track adjustment.
- After fitting the pressure pipes, fill steering hydraulics with Pentosin CHF 11S and bleed steering system.
Important notes
When topping up or filling in Pentosin, make sure that it does not come into contact with the coolant hoses!
Observe the specifications in order to avoid overfilling and thus overflowing.
If coolant hoses come into contact with Pentosin, thoroughly clean them with water IMMEDIATELY!
Replace visibly swollen coolant hoses!
- Tighten all screwed connections with the prescribed tightening torque values.
- Check and/or adjust track.
Notes for sliding piece and airbag contact unit
1. If sliding piece No. 1 was pulled off steering shaft No. 4, notch No. 2 must point to the tooth gap (No. 3) on assembly.
2. If the steering wheel was not fixed before the steering gear was removed, the position of the contact unit (spiral spring) may no longer be correct.
In this event, remove steering wheel and move contact unit to center position.
If this is not done, the spiral spring may be damaged.
Center position: First move contact unit against the end stop. Turn contact unit two revolutions back from the end stop and then continue turning as far as the center position mark. The exact center position is indicated by the two arrows (No. 1).
Turn front wheels to straight-ahead position before fitting the steering wheel (steering shaft mounted on steering gear).