DIY Mondeo 4 steering rack repair

If during driving you constantly feel knocking, it is necessary to diagnose the control system. For self-repair of the Ford Mondeo steering rack, watch the video in which you can learn about the steps to repair the racks on the IV generation Mondeo.

The first sign of poor node condition is a knock on the Mondeo 4 rail., which is felt when driving both on gravel and on an asphalt road with shallow cracks. When the power steering belt flies off, the oil seal is squeezed out of the steering gear.

For diagnostics, it is necessary to completely hang out the front wheels and remove them. Never turn the steering wheel to the sides - the train leading to the airbag will break.

Then you can start removing the steering rack with your own hands with its subsequent repair.

• Remove the steering end and unscrew the bolt securing the shaft.
• Loosen the two bolts on the rail.
• Next, get rid of the subframe and unscrew the bolt 18, which secures the rack.

Additional tubes can be removed in the process. The broken mechanism is pulled out across the passenger side.

When repairing a steering rack on a Ford Mondeo 4, you will need a vise to remove the steering rods. There is a plastic nut here - to unscrew it, you will have to make a special key or purchase it on the market.

After unscrewing the jam nut, remember the position in which it is located. Get rid of the rubber gland at the top. To replace it, buy a repair kit in advance.

The rail can be removed using a special key. It is in stores, but to save money, you can make it yourself from a piece of pipe.

The video shows the repair of the Mondeo 4 rail. For other generations, the procedure differs slightly. The difference can be in the shape of the caps of the clamping nuts and other parts designed to fix the part to the vehicle.

It is known that the FM steering rack costs a lot of money. Is it worth it to buy a new or used one after its failure, or can the old one be repaired? There were many messages on the forum about its successful repair, and I thought it would be nice to collect this information in a bunch. The oil seal numbers are taken from the correspondence between MT and Maxim, but he repaired, as usual, himself.

The diagnosis is simple: leak. If it flows from under the discharge / return fittings due to a stripped thread on the rail body - a clinical case - decide for yourself. But if leaks from other places, you can try to fix it. Why try it? Because if the power steering fluid has not changed for a long time, then water may appear in the system, and the polished surface of the rod (shaft) of the rack rusts. In this case, even new oil seals are unlikely to hold.
So, we change the FM1 steering rack oil seals (IMHO FM2 has no differences)

Unfortunately, Haynes does not provide for the repair of the steering rack, Therefore, there is no data on the tightening torques of rack bolts / nuts.
Steering rods to the rack - no data
Bolts of fastening of a steering rack to a subframe - 137Nm
Discharge / return fittings - 31Nm
Tie rod end nuts - 41Nm
Bolt of clamping elastic coupling to the pinion shaft - 28Nm
Bolt of a clamp of a steering shaft to an elastic coupling - 24Nm
Wheel nuts - 85 Nm
Air bracket bolts to the engine support - not found 🙁
Intake resonator bolt and nuts - 4 Nm

I would like to note the following. The service schedule does not provide for the replacement of the power steering fluid. IMHO this is wrong and the gur fluid needs to be changed at the same frequency as the fluid in the automatic transmission - i.e. after 45,000 km (well, maybe a little less often: once every 60 tyk).I will also make a cautious assumption that talk about “knocking rail” is nothing more than fiction - by and large there is nothing to knock on (I mean the original rail and quality materials). Everything is deep IMHO.

Typical steering rack malfunctions Ford Mondeo-4, S-MAX, ES-MAX, Galaxy-2:

Steering racks are manufactured by Ford. Rack numbers:

Steering rack Mondeo-4 CA2 ('07 -) 1459747, 1462955, 1504781, 1514144, 1572577, 1749757, 1749762, 1749778, 1758591, 1789455, 1789460, 1789462, 1789466, 36000348

Steering rack S-MAX (CA1) ('06 -) 1488744, 1488745, 1488746, 1572552, 1749765, 1789438, 6G913A500CM

Steering rack Galaxy-2 (CA1) (06-) 1488744, 1488745, 1488746, 1572552, 1749765, 1789438, 6G913A500CM

Steering racks Mondeo-4 differ from steering racks S-MAX and Galaxy-2 only in the length of the "feather" (attachment to the input shaft) and the middle position. If you know how, the pen is rearranged (you can't knock!).

There are also differences in the amount of stroke of the shaft-rack, which can be limited by spacers (rings) before installing the rods. They can be installed / removed by unscrewing the rods.

Steering racks Galaxy-2, Mondeo-4 and S-MAX represent a very progressive development of the company Ford. It embodies the latest technology. For example, the original technique for welding steel pipes to a steel casing. The crankcase of the rack is all steel - this guarantees the absence of such malfunctions that have followed Ford racks all the previous time, such as wear of the distributor housing and wear of the cylinder crankcase. In addition, steel crankcases are cheaper than aluminum ones.

The bypass air tube between the anthers is now also tightly welded to the crankcase and cannot just come off like it did before. The quality of the metal is good, the teeth are hard, the processing is clean.

So why do these racks fail so often on post-warranty machines? As if by magic, immediately after the end of the warranty period, the “carriage turns into a pumpkin”.

You can talk about the secrets of the Ford company for hours. The talent lies not only in creating a car, but also in making it disappear overnight. This is the policy of the company and you can't do anything about it. If Ford makes a reliable car, they will stop buying them. Therefore, every self-respecting modern automaker introduces a delayed-action mine into the design of a car, which should work exactly by the hour. We are dealing with such “mines”.

The first weak point is the wear bushing

Everything looks good - the bushing rubs along the shaft-rail through a Teflon insert, which has a fairly large area and is initially installed tightly. The aluminum sleeve itself is of a self-centering design. It is easily inserted into the steel crankcase of the rack, locked with a spring ring, and during operation it tightly grabs it, it does not move, does not knock.

However, the INSERT MATERIAL is LOOSE AND NOT AS WEAR RESISTANT as we would like.

For example, Toyota teflon tabs do not wear out even after 200 thousand km. Allows high temperatures, chemically aggressive liquids (synthetic oils), shock loads.

The first thing that Hydrolab does when repairing steering racks Mondeo-4, Galaxy-2 and S-MAX - tidies up the outer sleeve of the shaft-rack. Read how to do this here.

The second (and most important) weak point is the self-pop-up plug of the biscuit

Forums are full of discussions about a kind of "cork", and in a scientific way - a plug of the steering rack cracker Mondeo, S-Max, Galaxy.

How much negative she took upon herself. Why? Let's figure it out now.

We disassemble the Ford steering rack. And we find out that the plug of the biscuit is plastic! Please note - it is screwed in at the factory with deformation according to a special sealant, ensuring complete tightness.

Next, a retaining ring with antennae falling into the grooves is glued to it with glue - this is how the plug is protected from twisting and unscrewing.

All is well as long as the rail is in normal operation.Those. the power steering pump is working properly, the car is not towed with the engine turned off, there are no hits on the rail (no curbs and holes are found) and, finally, they do not try to replace the steering rods on the car!

The construction of the cracker and its plug (cork) is extremely weak and works to the limit. At any opportunity, the plug pops out, which leads to depressurization of the rail with all the ensuing problems. About the danger of moisture getting into the rail, read the article History about the steering rack boot or how to kill the rail quickly.

However, more often than not, the fact of the crackle plug popping out remains unnoticed by the owner. Therefore, these reiki have collected so many different faults in the heading of the article.

The most common case leading to repair of the steering rack S-MAX, Galaxy-2 and Mondeo-4 is an attempt to replace the steering rods without removing the rack from the car. On such cars as Ford S-MAX, Mondeo, Galaxy it does not work. During the unscrewing of the rod, a significant torque comes to the shaft-rail. The biscuit and its cork simply squeezes out. Read here how to properly unscrew / fasten the rods.

Ford calculated the design so that the crackle plug can be squeezed out even with a sharp collision of the wheel with an obstacle or the application of excessive force to the steering wheel on a muffled car.

The biscuit itself is also made of plastic and wears out quickly.

The wear is visible both from the sides of the cracker, where it rubs against the crankcase, and from the side of the rack-shaft, which it presses.

Attempts to “tighten” the cracker (as they say, tighten the nut) again leads to the fact that the cracker cap breaks off and the rail is depressurized.

Crack and its steering rack plug Galaxy, S-Max and Mondeo are repaired by Hydrolab in the first place. The design is being improved, backlash, knocking and extrusion of the plug are excluded. More details here.

Should you change the steering rack plug yourself?

On the Internet, in clubs, homemade metal cork corks are sold. Most often these are turned parts - a threaded plug and a lock nut.

It's easy to buy - it's not easy to place correctly. First, you need a special sealant (regular silicone does not guarantee tightness).

Secondly, it is not realistic to adjust the cracker correctly on the machine. It will either be overtightened or dangling.

Thirdly, the wear of the biscuit itself will remain and the rack will continue to knock.

And finally, the last - the most important thing! In most cases, the cork cork is squeezed out even earlier. Moisture accumulates in the rail. Installing a new biscuit plug without drying the entire rail leads to the same sad result as driving with the plug unscrewed - the rail will rot.

So is it worth then to spend time, money on an independent replacement of the steering rack plug, or is it better to drive up to the specialists?

At repair of a steering rack Mondeo-4, S-MAX, Galaxy-2 at Gidrolab, all oil seals, bearings, rings, etc., worn parts are replaced with new ones.

Regarding the repair of steering racks, Gidrolab LLC works both with individuals on orders, and with organizations under a service agreement and non-cash payment.

Repair of a steering rack S-MAX, Galaxy and Mondeo in the Gidrolab company is well developed and takes about 4 hours, including removal-installation.

All work is given guarantee 13 months no mileage limitation.

At the same time, the quality and resource of the repaired rail is not inferior and even surpasses the new original one.

The steering rack installed on the Ford Mondeo 4 model is one of the strongest and most reliable components in the overall architecture of the car. Increased strength is imperative as the component is constantly subject to wear as the steering wheel is turned. But the steering rack of a Ford Mondeo 4 can also break, or make uncharacteristic sounds, indicating a malfunction. Despite the complexity of the problem, the craftsmen working in our company have tremendous experience in this area and can easily fix the breakdown.

Repair or replacement of a component is not made without a thorough analysis of all components of the mechanism:

• Carter, inside which the rest of the rail is hidden
• Tie rods and lugs attached to the extendable parts of the component are responsible for turning the wheels

Special gears that transmit the steering force to the wheelset

The springs used to press the gears against the rack ensure that there is no backlash, as well as free rotation of the steering wheel

Limiters that set the maximum value of the steering wheel turns

Bearings to facilitate rack movement

Repair of the Mondeo 4 steering rack begins at the moment when the master diagnoses the nature of the breakdown. Here are the main points to look out for before repairing:

• When making long stops, oil puddles form under the hood of the car.
• Power steering emits an uncharacteristic buzz
• The steering wheel starts to turn too tight, or does not turn at all to the right or left side.
• The rotation of the wheelset is accompanied by a knock in a certain position

It is not difficult to buy a Ford Mondeo 4 steering rack, but the cost of a separate component can hit your pocket hard. To prevent this situation, let's look at the main causes of damage to the steering rack on the Mondeo 4:

• The GU liquid must be clean and transparent. Untimely replacement can lead to rapid wear of the power steering and complete failure of the part
• When driving in cold weather, it is necessary to warm up the fluid in the same way as the engine. This is done by carefully turning the steering wheel before starting the movement. A negligent attitude to the preparatory procedure can disable the rail in a matter of months.

Repair of a Ford Mondeo 4 steering rack always begins with a diagnosis. It is produced as follows:

The car is installed in a special garage with a pit, or rises for free access to the steering column space. In a service station, a complete analysis of the steering mechanism is possible to thoroughly identify the cause of the breakdown.

Initial diagnostics are performed by masters in pairs. While one of the technicians slowly turns the steering wheel in different directions, the other finds out the position of the wheels, in which a knock is heard. In the same way, possible leaks of HG fluid can be detected.

Repair of the Mondeo 4 rack rarely does without regulation, with which you can save the car from knocking while turning the wheels.
Debugging process:

• The steering column is freed up
• There is a steering rack nut, which is often hidden by a plastic plug
• Using a special tool, the nut is carefully tightened with periodic turns of the steering wheel
• The tightening operation is carried out until extraneous sounds completely disappear
• In case of excessive contamination, the part is knocked out with a hammer, excess adhered dirt is removed, the thread is lubricated

The price of a Ford Mondeo 4 steering rack is quite high, so the purchase of a new component can be delayed for a long time. Rebuilding an old part is the most popular repair method. In the conditions of a car service, it is done as follows:

• The steering rack is removed from the car, firmly fixed on special clamps
• The nut of the distributor shank is removed, the adjusting nut of the clamp is removed, the spring is removed, and the clamp itself is removed
• Retaining ring is removed to free the distributor
• The steering rack rod is knocked out of the body
• The oil seal is removed
• All parts are thoroughly cleaned from wear products, oil and excessive contamination
• The steering rack rod is being ground. The distributor necks are also subject to this procedure.
• After preparing the parts for assembly, a new steering rack oil seal is installed

The stock is degreased and dried. New seals are installed on its pistons, and the comb is abundantly lubricated. After that, the stock returns to its place.

The distributor gears are lubricated, and the distributor itself is installed

Installing the upper bearing with shrinkage

A new upper gland is mounted, after which the shank nut and special plug are returned

A stem clamp is placed, after it - a spring, and its adjusting nut

Retaining ring returns

Lubricated and installed rear stem support

The steering rods are returned, as well as the steering rods themselves with anthers

A general check of the rail performance is performed before installation on the vehicle.

It is not difficult to buy a Mondeo 4 steering rack, since all the complexity depends only on money. But the usual precautions will help you maintain the functionality and integrity of the part for years to come.
What should you keep in mind?

• You never need to turn the steering wheel all the way to the stop unnecessarily
• Be sure to warm up the GU liquid before driving in the cold season
• Changes the GU liquid in a timely manner if it acquires a cloudy color
• We listen to our own car, periodically conducting diagnostics in a car service.

Independent attempts to repair the steering rack can lead to the formation of more malfunctions. The best method in this situation is the timely diagnosis of the car, the ability to listen to extraneous noises, as well as careful driving on Russian roads. This is the only way you can ensure yourself complete comfort and safety while driving.

A small report on how I tightened the steering rack.
my car drove 176 pumpkins, there were interference in the suspension six months ago - a lot was replaced (almost everything)), but this did not save you from knocking in the front when driving through irregularities, pits and other road defects. it became clear that this was knocking the rail, and when the steering wheel was moved from side to side, a noticeable characteristic knock was also heard. in general, I decided to repeat the procedure that I had already done on the previous machine - ff2.
at first I tried to crawl up to the coveted place from the side - through the arch of the left front wheel, but it turned out that I had only removed the wheel in vain - there is no way even to see the place where this green nut is located. it became clear that the procedure without a pit (lift) is not feasible.
So here are the tightening tools - a 17 ratchet wrench and a sturdy knife. Ratchet wrench can be bought at auto parts-auchan-lerouamerlen. price from 350 rubles.
You also need lighting - a flashlight or a carrier.

now you can get under the car. you need to look approximately from the place that is under the driver's seat. look forward, between the subframe and the bottom. here is the place you are looking for, already cleared of dirt -

as you can see in the photo - you need to twist the green hexagon, around which the red fixing ring. You do not need to remove anything from the car, unscrew the stretcher or something else - too. you can crawl everywhere, you do not have to be gutta-perky.

there is no need for it, you do not need to attach it back - in the trash.

then take the ratchet wrench and twist it clockwise. here the main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise there will be a very big byaka. it is better to twist it gently, by a quarter of a turn. in this case, you need to go up and check - the knock remained or passed. or the second option is to invite an assistant.
I needed to twist it more than one turn. as soon as there was little resistance on the key, I stopped. the rail no longer knocked.

after sea trials - the knock disappeared altogether, the suspension does not rattle again, elastically works out the pits.

Post has been editedks222: 11 September 2014 - 22:14

The process of replacing a plastic nut with a metal nut without removing the steering rack:

1. We unscrew the cross-brace of the subframe, two bolts on each side.
2. We remove the rubber suspensions of the muffler from the subframe.
3. We unscrew two more bolts on each side of the subframe mount.
4. On the right side, just in case, I removed the fuel supply and return pipes from the seats.
5. We unscrew the bolts securing the rail to the subframe.
6. Then we unscrew the rear bolts of the subframe, but not completely (I unscrewed it by 15-20 mm).
7. I put a small 20 mm block under the rail on the left side. and began replacing the cork.

This action will eliminate the play and knock of the steering rack (in most cases, the culprit is a plastic adjusting ring and a plastic plug (plug), over time they break and no longer hold the specified adjustment, which is why noises, knocks, backlash appear)

View of the plastic cork

Unscrew the cross member of the stretcher

Loosen the subframe bolts, but do not completely loosen them.
2 bolts 13 and one 21

We lower the subframe and unscrew the two bolts by 18 that secure the steering rack.

We unscrew the steering rack, lift it up - access to the plastic stopper opens.

Remove the retaining ring and unscrew the plug

You need to clean everything, lubricate and put everything back together, be sure to adjust the backlash, instead of a retaining ring - aluminum - it will not loosen!

It is important that the steering wheel comes back, if it does not come back or it comes back badly - the plug is overtightened