Steering Gear: Service and Repair
Removal
1. Separate universal joint (steering shaft) from steering gear.
- To do so, remove floorboard of pedal cluster.
- Undo clamping screw and push joint upwards.
NOTE:
- Fix or remove steering wheel in straight ahead position of road wheels.
- If this requirement is not observed, the airbag contact unit must be brought into the center position after the steering gear has been fitted.
2. Remove underside panel.
3. Press tie-rod ball joint off the steering arm.
- Use a suitable puller, e.g. Nexus 168-1 (No. 1), together with a 12 mm cap nut (No. 2/Special Tool VW 267 a).
NOTE:
- Start by turning tie-rod towards the front (arrow).
- Then angle off ball joint (ball pin) according to the Figure and extend it in this position.
4. Repeat operation on other side.
5. Undo right and left-hand tie rods from steering box (arrow) and remove tie rods.
NOTE:
- Make sure the steering rack is not damaged (score marks)
- This is also important when removing and installing the steering gear.
- Use protective caps or a rubber or plastic hose for protection.
6. Disconnect feed and return pipes from steering gear.
- Block pipes or drain fluid into container.
- Cover pipes if required to avoid dirt ingress.
7. Unclip power steering pipes from bracket in right-hand steering gear mount area.
- Undo steering gear mounting bolts (arrows).
8. Extend steering gear as follows:
- Rack on right-hand side is fully retracted into steering gear housing (arrow).
- Lower steering gear on right-hand side.
11. Retract steering rack on left-hand side fully into steering gear housing (arrow), pulling or pushing (as required) on face of steering rack (take care not to damage the steering rack).
- Extend steering gear in rotary piston area and take out towards bottom.
Installation
Install in reverse order.
Be sure to observe the following points:
- Replace steering gear mounting bolts and dowel screw of the steering shaft with new parts after each removal operation.
- The threads of the bores and the washers must be clean and grease free.
- Remove microencapsulation residuals from the threaded bores required to fix the steering gear (use suitable solvent for cleaning, then blow out bores with compressed air).
- Important:
Since 1995, grade 12.9 screws have been used (previously grade 10.9 screws were used).
The grade 12.9 screws must be used retroactively.
For replacement, use only grade 12.9 screws.
- Part numbers of grade 12.9 screws
Pan-head screw 8 x 60 = 999 218 102 09 (4 on vehicles without cross strut, 2 on vehicles with cross strut)
Pan-head screw 8 x 80 = 999 218 103 09 (2 on vehicles with cross strut)
NOTE: Observe the procedure for tightening the fastening screws for the steering gear strictly .
- Make sure that the steering rack is not damaged (score marks).
- With the rack fully extended, coat steering rack with VW steering gear grease AOF 063 000 04.
- When replacing the steering gear, assemble the rubber mounts and mounting clamps with Omnis 32 (DEA).
- Push universal joint (steering shaft) into correct position (with steering wheel and steering box and airbag contact unit (spiral spring) in center position).
- Steering gear mounting bolts should only be screwed on lightly (facilitates assembly).
- Observe notes for centering steering column slider and airbag contact unit below.
- Tighten fastening screws of steering gear as follows:
First screw down the screws evenly until the fastening brackets almost touch the cross member.
During final tightening, start with the screws for the short leg of the cross member and pull them tight, so these surfaces will be the first to fit tightly.
Tighten to: 45 Nm.
- After having tightened the steering gear mounting bolts, assemble the tie-rods with the steering gear.
- After having reconnected the pressure lines, fill steering hydraulics and bleed the steering gear. Refer to Power Steering Bleeding.
- Tighten all nuts and bolts to the specified torque.
- Check toe-in and adjust if required.
Notes For Slider And Airbag Contact Unit
1. If the slider No. 1, has been pulled off the steering shaft No. 4, the roll pin No. 2 must face the tooth cutout (No. 3) when the components are reassembled.
Legend
1 = Center position mark (arrows)
2 = Drivers engaging into the steering wheel
3 = Lock (rotation lock) becoming effective after removal of the steering wheel.
2. If the steering wheel was not located in the specified position before the steering gear was removed, the correct position of the contact unit (wind-up spring) may no longer be present.
- If this is the case, remove the steering wheel and set the contact unit to the center position.
- If this requirement is not longer observed, the wind-up spring may be damaged.
- Center position:
Start by placing the contact unit in the end stop position.
Starting from the end stop position, turn back contact unit by two turns and continue turning to the center position mark.
The exact center position is indicated by two arrows (No. 1).
Before fitting the steering wheel, set the road wheel in the straight-ahead position (with steering shaft fitted to steering gear).