Drive shaft and steering rack replacement
 

Hey guys has anyone got an idiots guide to removal and replace of drive shaft. I am replacing shaft and hub as 1

Also guide on steering rack

Cheers

What year and model of car mate?

David APi

Hi

It's a 1996 p reg wrx sti wagon

Easy enough:

Undo the lower ball joint split pinned nut at the bottom of the front hub - separate it so that the hub is not connected to the wishbone any more.

That will allow the hub to swing out and give room for the driveshaft to be pulled out inwards. Undo the BIG nut on the outer end of the drive shaft. VERY tight usually.

The drive shaft is connected to the front diff by a steel roll pin through the inner end of the shaft. Knock that out, it is about 6 or 8 mm diameter. Once that is away the drive shaft will separate from the front diff and it can be gently knocked inwards through the front hub.

To take the hub off the car disconnect it from the front struts via [ the VERY TIGHT ] bolts at the bottom of the strut, upper end of the hub. Also disconnect the rack from the steering arm. Once the caliper is removed the hub is now free and will come off.

The rack is held by two horseshoe clamps to the engine bearer, undo those under the engine and the opposite side connection to the steering arm.

All that remains then are the power steering pipe connections and here you need to be very careful to not damage the flare nuts on the pipes that join the hoses to the rack body.

When it all goes back - a reverse of the above, it will need front tracking doing and it would save time at the garage to loosen the nuts that adjust the rack tie rods [ that connect to the front hub steering arms ] and oil the threads so it is easier to adjust the tracking. The steering rack power system will self bleed once you have oil in the reservoir and work the steering rack left and right to get the air out of the system. It will make all sorts of groaning and funny noises as that happens.

Good luck, take it slowly and take care.

David APi

Am i right in saying the Sport impreza on the same year also has a roll pin through the shaft?
I didnt see anything like that earlier but the shaft deffinatly wont budge.