[alfa] 164 Steering Rack Mount

[Thomas Washburn <thomasw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I set out to replace the steering-rack bushings in my '91 164 
this morning.  I removed the four bolts that secure the rack to 
the subframe.  Then I removed both halves of the left side mount 
and retrieved the old bushing.  But when I went to remove the 
right side mount, it wouldn't come apart.

Even with both bolts completely removed and the rack detached 
from the subframe, the stamped-steel upper half of the mount 
remained stuck to the cast-aluminum lower half.  And clamped 
between the mount and the rack was the old bushing I was 
attempting to replace.

After several unsuccessful attempts to pry the mount apart, I
decided to remove the entire rack for a closer look.  Removing a 
164 rack is hard enough WITHOUT a bulky right-side mount still 
attached, but eventually I prevailed.

This is what I found: the upper and lower halves of the mount 
were held together by thin tubular liners pressed into the 
through-holes for the attachment bolts.  The ends of the liners 
were flared, keeping the entire mount together and capturing the 
rubber bushing semi-permanently.  Only with the rack out of the
car, and with a lot of elbow grease, could I seperate the mount
halves in order to replace the bushing.

My question: WTF is this nonsense?  Has anyone out there seen 
this before?
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