Ford AL8Z-3504-BRM
Steering Gear

The first step to perform rack and pinion servicing or repairs should start by removing front wheels with their tires, next turning off the ignition key followed by removing it completely. The Clock Spring is at risk for damage if the steering wheel spins during intermediate shaft detachment. Rotate the shaft only if necessary because Clock Spring removal and centering become mandatory when the shaft has moved. You should start by removing the steering column coupling-to-rack and pinion bolt followed by coupler disconnection from the rack and pinion before installing a new bolt and tightening it to 55 Nm (41 lb-ft). After entering the engine compartment, loosen the two bolts that hold the rack and pinion. Additionally, remove all pin-type retainers that may be present and the rack and pinion shield. New nuts should replace the discarded inner tie-rod end nuts, which require tightening to 80 Nm (59 lb-ft). A Ball Joint Separator will separate tie-rod ends from wheel knuckles through a non-hammer method to prevent wheel knuckle damage. When servicing All-Wheel Drive vehicles except Hybrid models (even though the subject refers to the Hybrid model group), you must remove and reinstall the rear transaxle insulator through bolt starting at 90 Nm (66 lb-ft). The repair process requires Front Wheel Drive (FWD) vehicles with a 2.5L automatic transaxle to remove the transmission damper along with its 3 bolts as well as tighten new bolts to 40 Nm (30 lb-ft). Discard the old rack and pinion bolts while you should install new ones at 125 Nm (92 lb-ft). When working on AWD vehicles besides Hybrids, you should grip the driveshaft by hand before applying a gentle downward force to free up space for rack and pinion removal. This allows you to rotate the rack and pinion clockwise by 90 degrees for left-hand side extraction. To finish this process, first follow the installation process backward, then check and adjust the front end alignment as required.

Reverse the removal procedure and check the front end alignment, adjusting as necessary.