Does anyone think it's important to centre a Power Steering rack by turning the pinion to the middle point?

I've got this TP Magna with a reconditioned Power Steering Rack that was put in a lot out of centre. The mechanic said he wasn't sure if it was a problem, so I don't know.

It doesn't seem to affect the turning circle - I guess that is determined by the tie rod ends. But would it affect anything?

I know you have to turn the Power Steering Rack all the way to the right to be able to extract the rack from the car when removing it, but should you recentre the pinion with some multigrips (i.e. calculate the number of turns and thus the centre point of the cycle)?

Curisoso

wut are yu talkin about? In the section that was pinned by chain rattle in my favour "Intake and Induction" there shows many sections for this model , near the last insert i have made is about the steering and power assist system. Yu cannot for the most part mount the power assist rack out of center . The hold down and the bracket stay are in one section. Sure the rubber absorber can wear a little causing a little play , minimal during turning radius forth and aft.

or if yu are speaking of the steering shaft frum the steering column to the power assist rack , yu cannot misalign that either, it has one set location , unless yu use a pry bar and spread the locker open and then force it on the power assist rack assembly. But not likely im sure.

Thus if the sub frame is misaligned or moved due to accident etc or any other suspension component which is why the tie rods pick up for any additional toe adjustments needed to center the steering

Firstly, I'll assume we are talking about a 1990 TP Magna with a power steering rack.

When I got a wheel alignment at Goodyear, the mechanic said that when I put the reconditioned rack in, I hadn't centred it. So I had turned it all to one way to be able to squeeze it into place, but didn't turn it back to centre before connecting the steering column to it.

Does this make sense to you? I'm not saying I know anything about this error, I'm just going on what he told me. He said it would be ok for six months but then I should think about removing the rack, centreing the cycle with multigrips on the pinion and reinstalling it.

Curioso

Older models had guide slots also , the person that put it in musthave forced it a little to go on , altho it would , and not centered either. Yu did not say 1990 , a year model always helps

I did say TP though. So I assume with what you know now that you would recommend I recentre it?

All and all yu do need to state a year and not just the model decode TP TF etc because there are worldly visitors here were there isnt a Magna and wont kno the denotes of a TP model , Juss as i answered , before sumnone that owns or a TP or knows teh answer where yu live others with a Diamante frum other parts the world or Sigma which was that model of yur specific also til 1993 can answer. We have Diamante's with 4's etc and V6 same as yur model here also but its not a Magna. I saw 1997 magna near yur name so thought yu were talkin about that , so anyway juss be clear when yu ask a question.

Ok, so it's a 1990 TP. Should I take the rack out to recentre it? Or can it be recentred while still in the car with the tie rod ends detached?

you will have to undo the power sterring support brackets
the the poweersteeing pipes and the yoke bolt

you will have to undo the tie rod ends to recentre the rack

then adjust the tie rod ends till you get another wheel alignment

a DIY toe in adjustment

use this method after you have done any replacement to your front suspension
a cv boot , drive shaft, tie rod end , front shocks,hub bearings
This home adjustment will make do until you get into a wheel alignment professional

put the car on as flat and level concrete as possible
make sure the steering wheel is straight ahead
at all times the steering wheel must not move from the straight ahead position
then by any means you want
a straight edge, broom handle,marks of chalk on the concrete

you measure
the middle distance between the front face of the front tyres
across the car tyre to tyre
then measure the middle distance of the back face of the front tyre
(ie the back and front of the front tyres middle of the tyres tread)

you then readjust the tie rods on both sides of the car by undoing the locking nut and using a vice grip or stilson twist the tie rod only in or out till
the front measurement must be shorter than the rear of the front tyre
ususally no more than 10 mm difference
then retighten the locking nuts of the tie rod ends

Thanks chain.

But let me ask, given that on reinstallation of the rack I have to turn it all the way to the left to squeeze it in, do I then have to turn the pinion back to the centre point of the travel while the rack is mounted on its brackets in the car? Otherwise, if I didn't turn it all the way to the left, I don't think it would actually be able to squeeze in through the various control arms etc. As you know, the Right Hand Side Lower Control Arm impedes insertion of the rack if it is centered (i.e. equal width of shaft on either end of the rack).

Also, what do I risk or lose if I don't do it? I don't need a wheel alignment now so I'm not sure whether or not to wait another 4-6 months when I do need one, and do the rack centreing then, or do it now to avoid possible complications from not doing it or to set the rack up so that it is being correctly used or improve the function of it. I just don't know if this is causing any issues now or could in the future.

Curioso

once you have eneough room to drop the steering rack rod away from the yoke you

will find there is eneough room to reach down from inside the engine bay to turn the steering rack
to its central position when both tie rods are undone

once you find the central position you then refit the rack back into the steering yoke and bolt it back in


you can leave the whole job until you want to do another wheel alignment

if you center the rack now the steeering wheel may have to be undone off its spline to sit straight again

there is no problem with the steering as it is now
you can still drive lock to lock without damaging the rack

Thank you. That is excellent. That is very useful advice. I am going to leave it until then. I get free inspection, rotation and balancing on all four wheels every 10,000km and have one due in 900km time, but I do not need to get a wheel alignment to keep my tyre protection (free puncture repair and tyre replacement where the sidewall is irrepairable).

I tell you one thing that isn't fun - when you get a flat while driving and don't notice it quick enough. Your tyre's sidewall gets damaged beyond repair and you've just destroyed what could be an otherwise 100% ok tyre. That's money down the drain. So I got that life of the tyre policy for $6 a tyre.

I guess by removing the brackets that hold the rack in place, it would slump down far enough to recentre the pinion's travel with some multigrips. There's no point in doing it out of the car because you have to turn it all the way to the left to allow its extraction anyway, so it would have to be in that position on reinstallation. Therefore, it has to be done while in the car regardless of anything else. You just can't get the bugger in without it being to the left due to the proximity of that obstructing right hand lower control arm, even when you remove the bracket attached to it.

Curioso

To the MODs- please close off this topic
Thank you,

Curioso