The steering mechanism is located behind the front wheel suspension and is connected by articulated steering drive shafts to the steering wheel. This design allows you to compactly place the steering in the car body. The steering damper absorbs all shocks caused by uneven road surfaces, preventing them from affecting the steering wheel. Do not disassemble or repair the steering gear. The power steering is installed at the request of the buyer and is described in section 16.
Removal and installation
Raise the front of the vehicle and place it on stands, or raise it with a hoist or place the vehicle on a pit.
Loosen the hexagon socket screw connecting the steering gear shafts.
Unscrew the nuts securing the ball joints of the steering rods and the transverse steering rod, using a puller, remove the ball joints. When installing a replacement steering gear, perform all dismantling and installation work, depending on the configuration of the replacement gear.
Unscrew the fastening of the shock absorber, steering to the bracket on the base of the car body.
Unscrew the three bolts securing the steering gear to the longitudinal amplifier of the body.
Disconnect the steering gear from the steering drive shafts and lower it down.
Before installing, unscrew the plug in the steering gear housing, check the oil level and top up if necessary.
When installing, do the following:
Put the steering gear in the middle position. To do this, turn the drive shaft so that the center of the steering gear nut hole is exactly under the threaded hole in the steering gear cover.
Screw the control bolt into the steering gear cover and fix the middle position of the steering gear nut (see fig. 235).
Pic. 235. Fixing the steering mechanism.
1 - steering mechanism,
2 - steering gear nut,
3 - control bolt.
Connect the steering gear screw to the steering gear shaft so that when the steering gear is in a vertical position, the double splines on the coupling are exactly horizontal.
Turn the steering shaft to the middle position.
Turn the steering wheel so that the steering wheel pad is in a horizontal position. For control, remove the trim and check that the notch on the steering shaft is directed vertically upwards.
If the steering wheel was removed, it is necessary to check that the cam of the turn signal switch on the steering shaft is in the middle of the cutout in the protective cover.
Lower the steering gear down onto the longitudinal reinforcement of the body, screw in new mounting bolts and tighten to 70-80 Nm.
Unscrew the control bolt.
Screw the plug into the steering cover.
Screw a hexagon socket bolt into the coupling and tighten it.
Check the rubber protective caps on the tie rod ball joints. If the caps are damaged, they must be replaced, if the ball joint is also damaged, then it must be replaced as an assembly. Perform a similar check on the ball joints of the steering rods. Install the ball joints of the hinges in the conical holes, wrap and tighten the fastening nuts. When turning the finger in the hole, it must be held with an appropriate hexagon. Fastening nuts must always be new.
After installing the steering rods, check the toe-in of the front wheels, as already described.