Hello all

My local Landy specialist has quoted just shy of £2.5k for replacing the steering rack on my L322. They have diagnosed what I perceived to be a creaking noise as an issue with the rack causing the noise. I cannot afford to throw that sort of money around at the moment so am thinking of tackling the job myself.

I have a few questions:

1. I have read on here that the rack can be replaced on the drive by dropping the subframe slightly. I have subsequently seen a video on YouTube of a guy in the USA removing the rack out through the wheel arch by removing the hub etc. Has anyone done this?

2. Where is the best place to get a new rack from or can my old one be sent away for overhaul? Is there anything to overhaul inside?

3. I'm thinking I may go for replacing all the bushes in the front end at the same time. Control arms, ball joints etc as this will ensure the front end is nice and fresh for the next 160k miles.

You thoughts on the above are always appreciated.

Cheers
Ben Current vehicles:
1944 Fordson Standard
1982 Land Rover Series 3 88" petrol
1984 Ford 4610
2009 3.6 TDV8 Vogue
2017 CLS Shooting Brake

They make a creaking noise when the chrome wears off on the rack end (not track rod end)

It's an easy diagnosis and fix, just pop the track rod end off and move the rack end around, if it creaks then you know..  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Last edited by Haylands on 29th Jul 2022 10:53pm. Edited 1 time in total

Worn rack end

Click image to enlarge

I've had good quality refurb steering racks from Western Power Steering in Bristol, they're not difficult to change if you support the engine and lower the subframe, just make sure you do the reservoir (which may well be the root cause as the filter in there does cause some 'groaning' as it gets old & restricted) and get as much of the old oil out as you can.
Obviously if you're doing that much work you'll need to do a four wheel alignment, mark the subframe and body with a 'scrapmans pen' before releasing and ideally replace the bolts. don't forget to torque the arms up when loaded - i.e. vehicle weight on the wheels.

Pete, that is superb. Thank you. I'm not with the vehicle at the moment so all this is being done through email and phone calls. Just trying to get a plan in place for making the most of the time I'll have to sort this.

Really grateful for the help.

Cheers
Ben Current vehicles:
1944 Fordson Standard
1982 Land Rover Series 3 88" petrol
1984 Ford 4610
2009 3.6 TDV8 Vogue
2017 CLS Shooting Brake

Phoenix wrote:

I've had good quality refurb steering racks from Western Power Steering in Bristol, they're not difficult to change if you support the engine and lower the subframe, just make sure you do the reservoir (which may well be the root cause as the filter in there does cause some 'groaning' as it gets old & restricted) and get as much of the old oil out as you can.
Obviously if you're doing that much work you'll need to do a four wheel alignment, mark the subframe and body with a 'scrapmans pen' before releasing and ideally replace the bolts. don't forget to torque the arms up when loaded - i.e. vehicle weight on the wheels.

Just to update the thread.

I jacked the car up and removed the front wheels. I went to remove the track rod ends from the hubs but they were seized solid. Once removed, I couldn't hear any nasty noises from the rack or creaks from the inner ball joints on the rack ends.

As I had destroyed the ball joints on the track rod ends in the process of removing them, I replaced both left and right inner and outer sections as well as the gaiters.

After a long test drive and some articulation off road, the creak re-appeared. I got under the car with the suspension in normal height and with an assistant in the car started to trace the noise. It seems like the offside lower arm bush or ball joint that were replaced in march have finally failed. The noise and vibration through the lower arm when loading up the steering left or right was horrible. I slackened off the lower arm ball joint at the hub and immediately the noise stopped.

The garage who diagnosed the rack also replaced the lower arms so they have agreed to have it back under parts warranty and hopefully this will sort it all out.

If the noise returns or they are convinced its a rack, I'll get on with replacing it. But not before checking the strut top mounts too.

Thanks for the advice and I'll update when the car comes back, hopefully quiet with new lower arm bushes and ball joints.

Cheers
Ben Current vehicles:
1944 Fordson Standard
1982 Land Rover Series 3 88" petrol
1984 Ford 4610
2009 3.6 TDV8 Vogue
2017 CLS Shooting Brake

Good news! hopefully you won't have any subsequent parts failures. Do you know the parts supplier / manufacturer? If it's one of the more spurious ones, it may be worth paying the difference in parts cost to upgrade to Lemforder, there shouldn't be any labour charge.

This was a Lemforder part that had been installed I'm lead to believe. Just for final conclusion, the bottom ball joint in the hub was found to be the culprit. As the arms and joints were bought as a kit, both nearside and offside arms and ball joints are all being replaced. Happy days. Current vehicles:
1944 Fordson Standard
1982 Land Rover Series 3 88" petrol
1984 Ford 4610
2009 3.6 TDV8 Vogue
2017 CLS Shooting Brake

Thanks for the update, sometimes ball joints can be damaged on fitment by letting the rest of the arm hang off it, this leads to over-articulation which can crack the liner - which sounds like what has happened here.
It's considered best practice to fit the bushed end first to prevent this, or if not possible, then support the arm whilst the ball joint end is being fitted.

Thanks again Phoenix. If any dramas re-occur, I will do the installation myself next time. The owner of the garage rang me to have a proper discussion which I was grateful for. Will see what happens in a couple of months. Thanks for your advice, very much appreciated. Current vehicles:
1944 Fordson Standard
1982 Land Rover Series 3 88" petrol
1984 Ford 4610
2009 3.6 TDV8 Vogue
2017 CLS Shooting Brake

It won't affect the ball joints but the bush fasteners should be torqued up with the vehicle weight on the wheels - this is to prevent excessive pre-load and subsequent tearing of the bush, normally achieved by putting the vehicle on a four post ramp with the suspension settled at normal height. Some workshops think it's OK to put an axle stand or 'pit prop' under the hub and lower the vehicle onto it until it just lifts off the ramp pad, this doesn't work due to the tension in the anti-roll bar holding the hub in a position more like extended height.

As a final update to this thread, the ball joint was replaced under warranty. Total failure of the joint itself with no other visible issues.

A small amount of play was noted in the rack by myself and the garage but not enough to worry about at this time.

A successful road test by the Mrs (she's very intone with the old L322) has confirmed no more dramas so on to the next jobs - rear prop centre bearing replacement, although I may just do the whole shaft, then rear subframe bushes. Plans are to do both jobs at home. Current vehicles:
1944 Fordson Standard
1982 Land Rover Series 3 88" petrol
1984 Ford 4610
2009 3.6 TDV8 Vogue
2017 CLS Shooting Brake