Priora do-it-yourself power steering rack repair

In detail: Prior do-it-yourself repair of a steering rack with a hydraulic booster from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Lada Priora is a Russian-made car that is highly popular among our compatriots due to its low price and attractive appearance. However, even in spite of this, Lada Priora has one vulnerability associated with the poor quality of the road surface - the steering rack or, in the language of experts, the "power steering / EUR gearbox". Fortunately, you can pull it up with your own hands.

The first sign indicating the need to adjust the rack is the appearance of a knock when driving on small irregularities. The knocking will be felt especially clearly when driving on country roads. In this case, the driver will feel shocks and vibrations on the steering wheel, which will also be transmitted to the entire body of the car.

In addition, if the steering nut is loosened while driving on the highway, the car will "float" a little, and the driver will need additional steering, which will also immediately become noticeable.

Also, experts say that a tightening is necessary if the driver begins to notice the appearance of a clearly audible crunch in the area of ​​the steering column, as well as an increase in the amplitude of the steering wheel revolution.

You should think about replacing the rail when tightening it does not in any way affect the behavior of the car on the road, and also does not help get rid of an unpleasant knock. A failed steering rack will cause a significant backlash in the steering wheel. Moreover, it can start to seize (this happens extremely rarely, but such cases are known). If the rail starts to jam, then it is better to refuse to operate the car, since this can lead to the most sad consequences.

Video (click to play).

You cannot do without a replacement even if, after tightening it, it was possible to get rid of knocks and vibrations, but they reappeared later.

To carry out the tightening, you will need the following tools:

  • Slotted screwdriver (in simple terms, "flat" screwdriver);
  • Wrench 13;
  • Special key 17, designed to adjust the steering rack.

For a more comfortable and quick work, it is recommended to drive the car into a special inspection pit or overpass, as well as use an assistant, whose role even a child can cope with.

To get to the reiki, it is worth performing a number of simple steps:

  • Disconnect the battery terminals and dismantle it;
  • Using a 13 wrench, unscrew the bolt securing the battery stand, and then remove it;
  • Directly under the steering rack using a slotted screwdriver, remove the small plug of the adjustment system.

After that, there will be access to the nut, which is responsible for adjusting the thermal gap in the rail.

Next, you need to slip your hand under the steering rack and try to put the key for the rack on the nut. It is necessary to tighten the nut clockwise, but since the rail itself is located as if in an inverted state, it may seem from the side that it is necessary to tighten the nut counterclockwise. Experts recommend tightening the nut at a time no more than 25-30 degrees, after which you need to try to rotate the steering wheel, which should rotate without jerking or biting.

It is also necessary to listen to the sounds coming from the steering wheel - if knocks disappeared during the steering wheel rotation, and there are no other noises, then the rail is tightened correctly, and you can put the battery and the rubber plug in place.

According to the statements of experienced auto mechanics, the process of tightening the steering rack on cars with EUR and power steering is practically the same, so this manual can be called universal.

It is worth noting that the complete replacement process is also identical in the case of power steering and power steering, with the exception of one point - in cars with power steering, before replacing the rack, it is necessary to drain the fluid from the steering wheel amplifier tank, and in cars with power steering, remove the terminals from the battery.

Full replacement and repair is a series of actions, for the implementation of which you need to have not only special knowledge, but also a considerable amount of free time, so if the car owner has neither the first nor the second, it is preferable to go to the nearest service station.

At the same time, in order not to become their regular guest, you should know some secrets for operating the steering rack, which can significantly extend its service life.

  • It is strongly not recommended to "jump" the car on the curbs, as well as drive around at high speed on the rails, since each such trip causes cracks on the rail itself, as well as deformation of the shaft that is part of the steering mechanism.
  • It is not recommended to frequently unscrew the steering wheel all the way. Of course, in this case it will be very difficult to demonstrate your maneuvering capabilities, but this will significantly increase the life of one of the most important parts of the machine.
  • Carefully monitor the condition of the protective anthers, which must be sure to maintain their tightness. Replacing the anthers is several times cheaper than replacing the entire rail.
  • It is also worth monitoring the level and condition of the hydraulic fluid, since its decrease or color change is associated with the presence of problems in the hydraulic system of the car, which can result in a rail breakage.

From time to time, you need to undergo a full-fledged maintenance, which will allow you to eliminate in advance malfunctions that can cause irreversible consequences, injuring yourself, your loved ones and other road users. And also in case of identifying problems in the operation of the car, it is better not to risk it and go to the nearest car service as soon as possible.

A small half turn of the steering wheel and "Priora" smoothly fits into the next turn. The entire control system works like a clock. And the base of the front wheel steering system and the steering rack are also great. But sometimes she can present surprises, as well as any detail, on any machine. What it is for, how it is arranged, and how the Priora steering rack changes, this story will tell.

In cars with front-wheel drive, there is no way to install the classic, long-proven front-wheel steering system. This will not be done by the transverse installation of the motor and the power drives to the wheels. Therefore, the cumbersome system of levers was replaced by a steering rack. Its main task is to transfer power from the steering wheel to the swing arms.

To save space, this element of the Priora control system is located on the wall of the engine compartment. On the bulkhead between the engine and the Priora's cabin. The rack is connected to the steering column located in the passenger compartment.

This important "Priora" control unit is assembled from the following components.

  • The rail is movable.
  • Frame.
  • Splined shaft with bearing.
  • Metal body (casing).
  • Seals and oil seals.
  • Fasteners and accessories (bolts, nuts).
  • Springs.
  • Rubber cover of the mechanism.

The basis of this mechanism is a metal pin (rail), so to speak. There are teeth on one part of it. They mate with a steering shaft located at right angles to the bearing pin. This is, in fact, the worm gear known to everyone. The shaft rotates and moves, engaging with the teeth, the rack inside the casing. The protective casing has a special slot for connecting the ends of the steering rods. In the center of the pin (rail) there are special holes for lugs, which are connected to the rotating wheels through special levers.

Most often, the rubbing parts of this unit fail. It is quite simple to determine a breakdown or simply deterioration of the steering mechanism. This will be marked by the following signs:

  1. The steering wheel is difficult to turn.
  2. When entering a turn, a tapping and grinding sound is heard from the mechanism.
  3. In motion, when using the steering wheel, sensitive shocks are transmitted from the steering wheel to the hands.

In general, the Priora's controllability deteriorates significantly.

Upon inspection, the foreman will determine the need to replace the "Priora" steering rack by visual inspection. Usually, he grabs the rod with his hand, and the partner turns the steering wheel. The master makes a verdict on excessive backlash and extraneous sounds.

This not particularly difficult but extremely important job is best done on a maintenance hoist. In extreme cases, in a wide inspection pit. But then the car must be positioned so that both wheels are removed.

So, the car is installed according to the conditions mentioned. The wheels are dismantled. You can start. First of all, put the steering wheel of the Priora car in the position - straight ahead. That is, the wheels are looking straight ahead. After that, it is advisable to fix the steering wheel.
Loosen the electric power steering mount. Remove the cardan connecting the EUR with the splined tip of the steering shaft. And go under the car. There are two options. You can unscrew the tips from the wheel. But most craftsmen prefer to unscrew the bolts securing the steering rods to the rail. The fact is that it is much easier to extract it this way.

This is done as follows, two bots are unscrewed by 17 holding the pressure plate. First, 1 is turned inside out, and the second is loosened. The thrust is moved to the side. Then the second one is removed, together with the plate and the other thrust is moved aside.

Now the mountings are removed directly to the steering rack. These are semicircular brackets with rubber seals. They are worn on threaded rods in the Priora body and tightened with 13 nuts. It is most convenient to unscrew them with a head. After removing the nuts, the staples are removed. The removed device moves slightly towards itself. This is necessary for the worm gear to come out of the hole in the passenger compartment. Now you can remove the steering rack. For this, a technological window is provided in the Priora's left wing. You can carefully feed the edge of the knot into it and pull it out. Either for further disassembly and repair, or simply for replacement with a new copy.
As usual, the entire installation of the part is carried out strictly in reverse order. But before you start, you need to meet a few very important conditions!

Well, the second point. The fact is that at the factory, none of the components of this mechanism, except for the shaft bearing, are lubricated. It is imperative to remove the anthers and liberally lubricate the inner parts of the mechanism with solid oil or lithol through the side plugs.
After these requirements are met, you can start the traditional assembly in the reverse order. When everything is assembled, turn on the ignition to activate the amplifier and check the control status.

Well, the repair of this device is a separate interesting topic.

A useful video on replacing this important Priora control unit: