164 Steering Rack R&R

[Joel Hailey <alfadoc@domain.elided>]

You all may have seen me write that a 164 is just a great big Beta to
work on...I find that most of my "Beta tricks" work on 164s too,
including this one:

To gain much easier access to the bolts bolding the rack to the
firewall, I drop the subframe down a couple of inches. Support the
subframe with a floor jack (if you're working on the floor, you poor
soul) or with one of those tall supports used in conjunction with a
lift. Remove the two front-most bolts holding the subframe to the body,
then screw them back in three or four turns. Now, remove all the rest of
the bolts holding the subframe to the car and then raise the body of the
car (or lower the floor jack) and remove the support you had provided
for the subframe. If you then pry downward in the back a bit, you can
get the subframe to drop down about three inches. Makes all the
difference in the world! The two front bolts being in place will keep
everything aligned while you perform the repair. Once the repair is
complete, resupport the subframe, then reattach the bolts.

This technique is also useful when replacing a clutch, removing starter,
etc.

Joel Hailey
Centerline Products
Boulder CO
303-447-0239

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