The steering rack was in good condition. It was just really dirty!
So it was the usual process of stripping it all down and preparing for paint, then putting it back together with some new parts.
It is important to make sure that there is no horizontal play or excessive floppiness in the tie rods. If there is the shims that sit behind the ball housing have probably worn and will need replacing. They are not easy to find.
The teeth on the rack bar also need a good inspection as if they are warn then you need a whole new rack as they are also not easy to find.
Also the main pinion needs to be checked for wear. Again not easy to find if it is excessively warn.
These definitely needed replacing!
But the whole main part was generally in very good condition and came up well using the wire wheel brush.
The main issue was the parts that were missing. Like washers, gaiters, grease nipples and clips. But once ordered they all fitted perfectly.
Below are the new shims that help the column fit into the brackets securely.
Here is the steering column all in place! All that is left to do is inject the oil that lubricates the rack. Later models use grease.