C5 X7 Steering Rack Change - Advice Welcome.

[Richiejh]

I've bought a 2009 X7 with a leaking steering rack (good price!). I intend to do the change myself, any advice or experience would be most welcome.

Does the subframe HAVE to come off completely?

Do the subframe mounting bolts shear off like on my C8?

 

Thanks, Richard.

[paul.h]

There is some info here which may help  http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22147-c5-2008-rack-leak-and-replacement/?do=findComment&comment=81594

 

Some info on which steering fluid you will need http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22834-which-fluid-c5-x7-power-steering/

 

Also grease the input shaft to stop it rusting.

[coastline taxis]

there fairly straight forward to do but not really a 1 man job as theres a load of twisting and pulling.  just slacken rear sub frame bolts and pull down with a crowbar

[Richiejh]

Thanks both of you, I'll be doing this with my dad (he doesn't know yet) so I'll have help, it doesn't look as if the subframe bolts are an issue then. I know on my C8 they shear off when you try to remove the subframe. Hopefully it can be done in a day, I need to get on with it as the MOT runs out on 7th January.

[paul.h]

You will need to have the tracking set up at a garage after fitting the replacement rack. If this is expensive at a decent place then it may not be that much more to pay for it all doing so something to check before starting the job. Also a garage will give a guarantee for the work and parts.

[Richiejh]

Good point Paul, I'm checking at local garages to see how much I can get it done for. I'm going to ask my MOT place to price it and maybe they can put it through at the same time.

[Parkesie]

Its abit of a faff to do on the drive but is doable. I dropped the subframe a few inches using 2 trolley jacks. No bolts snapped which was nice. A stud removal socket to take the studs out of the rack instead of just the nuts will make extracting and fitting the rack alot easier.

[Richiejh]

Well the job is done. I dropped the back of the subframe to get it out, it was a bit of a faff but got there in the end. The worst bit was undoing the drivers side track rod end, that alone took an hour. To drop the subframe and remove the rack was easy compared to that. Thanks for your advice, I've refilled the system with LDS which so far seems OK.  It felt a bit heavier to start but the real test was when the wife drove it, she said it felt fine but I could've cleaned the steering wheel!

Just need it tracked then ready for MOT. 

[Parkesie]

Happy days :)

[Richiejh]

I'm in kwik fit having the wheels realigned, they know how to spend their customers money!

[MikeLane]

....but you can't get quicker than a QwikFit fitter etc.

(I note they don't sing that song any more!!)

[Richiejh]

Probably something to do with trading standards! It's a shame it pulls to the left now though, it looks like I'll be going back.

[paul.h]

You should check that the adjustments are done on both steering track rods so the number of threads going in to the track rod ends are the same on each side. This will also mean the steering wheel will not need changing on the column when the wheels are pointing ahead.

 

I do not know if it applies to the 2008 on C5 but for the earlier C5 it has been mentioned on here that the rear wheels overall width is different to the front ones so it is not possible to simply make the front to back parallel - which means the tracking is not as easy to set up.

 

The Citroen service box gives the front tracking as

Tracking at the axle (adjustable) -0°09' +/-0°09'

 

and the rear tracking as

Tracking at the axle (adjustable) 0°43' +/- 0°09'

[taximan61]

Got mine sorted at Steering Services in Wakefield. Same day service, removal, re-conditioning and re-fitting, about £360. Need to travel to Wakefieldto get it done, mines been great since, no problems and a great service. They do about 3 a week.

[LesleyF]

Got mine sorted at Steering Services in Wakefield. Same day service, removal, re-conditioning and re-fitting, about £360. Need to travel to Wakefieldto get it done, mines been great since, no problems and a great service. They do about 3 a week.

Just booked mine into a local garage (not a Citroen main dealer) - goingin on Wednesday - 2 or 3 day job and will cost approx £1000 !

[paul.h]

Welcome to the forum.

 

I do not know why it is costing so much unless you are getting a new steering rack from Citroen and then at most it would be a few hours to do. If you are having the existing one reconditioned then the above cost of about £360 seems to be the going rate - presumably this could be a few days if your rack is being sent away for repair. I would be cancelling the job and saving the money and get it done somewhere else.

[Richiejh]

It took me and my Dad about 5 hours on a garage floor to do it, the recon rack was about £250 to 300, I can't quite remember which so I don't know where they are getting their prices from. I think if I had that quote and was unable to do it myself I would drive to Wakefield and get them to do it.

[paul.h]

The book times in the Citroen service box manual vary a bit on the exact model but seem to be about 4 hours for normal suspension and about 5 hours for hydractive suspension, including the tracking. Then even with  2 people doing it on a drive/garage floor, I think your 5 hours is good going.

[Richiejh]

We didn't exactly follow the book, we lowered the rear of the subframe only and pulled the rack out of the drivers side. I think we saved a few hours by not taking the whole subframe down as that involved draining the cooling system.

[paul.h]

This must be what a garage would do then so maybe the 4 to 5 hours is a lot less for a garage. That is probably how the Wakefield company can do the job at such a good price. Maybe the garage being used by LesleyF has not done the job before on a C5 so have allowed quite a few hours (days).

[Richiejh]

Sounds possible, one of the garages I asked refused to do it as they had 'heard' it was 'a nightmare job' the other quoted £300 plus parts and fluid.