Removal and Installation

NOTE: Before proceeding, review SERVICE WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS found under Service Precautions.

REMOVAL






1. Remove the battery ground cable from the ground stud on the shock tower and isolate the ground cable by installing the cable isolator on the around stud.
2. Position the front tires of the vehicle so that they are facing straight ahead.
3. Raise the vehicle on a frame contact type hoist until the front tires of the vehicle are just off the floor. Refer to Vehicle Lifting.






4. Remove caps from both wiper arms at the attachment to the pivots to expose the wiper arm attaching nut. Remove the attaching nut.
5. Remove the wiper arms from the pivots. Wiper arms are removed from the pivots by rocking them back and force on the pivots until they can be pulled off the pivots.






6. Remove the wiper module cover and cowl cover from the vehicle.






7. Remove the 8 bolts, attaching the reinforcement to the strut towers and the 1 bolt attaching the wiper module to the reinforcement. Remove the reinforcement from the vehicle.






8. Remove the in-line resonator and inlet hose from the throttle body and air let hose coming from the lid of the air cleaner housing.

NOTE: When locking the steering wheel, the front tires of the vehicle are to be facing straight ahead.






9. Using a steering wheel holding clamp, lock the steering wheel from rotating.

CAUTION: Before removing the steering column coupler from the intermediated steering shaft be sure the steering wheel is locked from rotating. If the steering wheel is allowed to rotate freely after it is disconnected from the intermediated shaft, the clockspring will be damaged and will need to be replaced.






10. Remove the retaining pin and the coupler bolt from the steering column coupler. Separate the intermediate steering shaft from the steering column coupler.






11. Bend back the retaining tabs on the mounting plate for the tie rod to steering gear mounting bolts.






12. Remove the bolts, mounting plate and washers attaching the tie rods to the steering gear. Lay the tie rods on top of the transaxle bell housing.

NOTE: The following step should be done to prevent excessive spilling of power steering fluid when the power steering fluid lines are removed from the steering gear.

13. Using a siphon pump, remove as much power steering fluid as possible from the power steering fluid reservoir.






14. Remove the power steering fluid pressure hose and return hose from the steering gear.






15. If the steering gear being removed from the vehicle is a speed proportional steering gear, disconnect the wiring harness connector from the solenoid control valve electrical connector located on the steering gear end cap below the brake master cylinder..






16. Remove the 2 nuts mounting the master cylinder to the vacuum booster.
17. Remove the master cylinder with the brake tubes connected, from the vacuum booster. Carefully position the master cylinder in an upright position on the left side valve cover of the engine.
18. Remove the vacuum supply hose to the vacuum booster at the check valve in the vacuum booster. Position the vacuum hose out of the way.






19. Remove the 2 bolts attaching the left side of the steering gear to the crossmember.






20. Remove the 2 bolts attaching the steering gears right side mounting bracket to the crossmember.






NOTE: It may be necessary to loosen the 2 mounting bolts attaching the right mounting bracket to the steering gear in order to clear the air conditioning lines.

21. Slide steering gear and intermediate shaft forward into the engine compartment to allow access to the roll pin retaining the intermediate shaft flex coupler to the steering gear shaft.






22. Using roll pin remover, Special Tool 6831A, remove roll pin from flex joint of intermediate shaft. Roll pin is removed from coupler using following procedure. Remove knurled nut from small end of removal tool. Insert small end of removal tool through center of roll pin and then install and hand tighten knurled nut. Position sleeve of removal tool on flex joint as shown in the image. Holding threaded shaft of tool from turning tighten nut pulling roll pin out of flex joint.
23. Separate the intermediate steering shaft from the steering gear.
24. Raise vehicle.
25. Remove the right front tire/wheel.






26. Remove the nutattaching the tie rod end to the steering arm on the right strut.






27. Remove the tie rod end from the steering arm of the strut using Puller, Special Tool C-3894-A.
28. Remove the tie rod from the vehicle.






NOTE: If the vehicle is equipped with a 2.7 liter engine, rotate the front of the left front tire/wheel as far outward as possible. This is necessary to have the required clearance to allow the removal of the steering gear from a vehicle with this engine application.

29. Remove the steering gear from the vehicle using the following steps.






a. Slide the end of the steering gear through the tie rod hole in the right side inner fender. Steering gear needs to be slid through tie rod hole until about half of the steering gear is through the hole.






b. Lift the left end of the steering gear upward, with the steering gear positioned as shown, between the back of the engine and the front of the cowl.
c. To remove the steering gear from the vehicle, pull the steering gear toward the passenger side of the vehicle out from between the cowl and the engine.

INSTALLATION

NOTE: When the original or a replacement steering gear is being installed in vehicle, be sure the tie rod attachment at the steering gear is in the center of steering gear travel.

1. Install the steering gear in the vehicle using the reverse sequence of the removal steps.

NOTE: If the vehicle is equipped with a 2.7 Liter engine, position the left front tire so it is facing straight forward.

2. Install the right tie rod through the tie rod hole in the inner fender.
3. Install the outer tie rod on the steering arm of the right strut. Install the tie rod to steering arm attaching nut. Tighten the attaching nut to a torque of 37 Nm (27 ft. lbs.).
4. Install the right side tire/wheel.
5. Install and tighten wheel mounting stud nuts in proper sequence until all nuts are torqued to half specification. Then repeat the tightening sequence to the full specified torque of 129 Nm (95 ft. lbs.).
6. Lower the vehicle until the front tires are just clear of the floor.
7. Install the intermediate steering shaft on the steering gear.






8. Using roll pin installer, Special Tool 6831A, install the roll pin in the flex joint of the intermediate shaft. Roll pin is installed in coupler using the following procedure. Remove knurled nut from small end of removal tool. Insert small end of removal tool through center of roll pin and then install and hand tighten knurled nut. Position sleeve of removal tool on flex joint as shown in the image. Holding threaded shaft of tool from turning tighten nut pulling roll pin into flex joint. Roll pin must be equally spaced in flex joint.
9. Slide steering gear and intermediate shaft back into dash panel sealing boot. Align the steering gear mounting holes with its mounting holes in crossmember.
10. Loosely install the bolts mounting the left side of the steering gear to the crossmember.

CAUTION: Tightening the steering gear to crossmember mounting bolts to the proper torque is very important.

11. Install the bolts mounting the right side mounting bracket for the steering gear to the crossmember. Tighten the mounting bolts to a torque of 58 Nm (43 ft. lbs.).
12. Tighten the bolts mounting the left side of the steering gear to the crossmember to a torque of 58 Nm (43 ft. lbs.).
13. If previously loosened, tighten the bolts mounting the steering gear mounting bracket to the right side of the steering gear to a torque of 37 Nm (27 ft. lbs.).





CAUTION: Before installing tie rods on steering gear be sure the tie rod spacer block inside the steering gear bellows (boot) is correctly aligned with the bolt holes in the rack of the steering gear and the steering gear bellows.

14. Attach power steering fluid pressure, and return lines into proper ports of the steering gear. Tighten both power steering hose tube nuts to a torque of 47 Nm (35 ft. lbs.).
15. If equipped with speed proportional steering, connect the wiring harness connector to the solenoid control valve electrical connector.






16. Align center take off on steering gear with the tie rod assemblies. Install tie rod attaching bolts and washers into steering gear assembly. Be sure washers are installed between tie rods and steering gear. Tighten the tie rod to steering gear bolts to a torque of 82 Nm (60 ft. lbs.).

CAUTION: After tie rod attaching bolts are torqued, bend attaching bolt retaining tabs against heads of attaching bolts.

17. Install the vacuum hose for the vacuum booster on intake manifold vacuum port. Install hose clamp on vacuum hose.
18. Install the master cylinder on the vacuum booster. Install the 2 nuts attaching the master cylinder to the vacuum booster. Tighten the master cylinder mounting nuts to a torque of 28 Nm (250 inch lbs.).
19. Install the intermediate shaft onto the steering column shaft. Install steering column coupler pinch bolt and tighten to a torque of 28 Nm (21 ft. lbs.). Install the pinch bolt nut retaining pin in pinch bolt.
20. Remove the holding clamp from the steering wheel.
21. Install the reinforcement on the vehicle. Install the 8 bolts, attaching the reinforcement to the strut towers. Install the bolt attaching the wiper module to the reinforcement.
22. Install the in-line resonator and inlet hose on the throttle body and air let hose coming from the lid of the air cleaner housing.
23. Install the covers over the wiper module and the cowl. Install and securely tighten the attaching screws.
24. Install the wiper arms on the pivots. Install and securely tighten the wiper arm to pivot attaching nuts. Install the caps on the wiper arms covering the pivot nuts.
25. Install the battery ground cable onto the ground stud on the shock tower.

CAUTION: Do not use automatic transmission fluid. Use only the proper Mopar Power Steering Fluid or equivalent when filling the power steering fluid reservoir.

26. Perform Power Steering Pump Initial Operation procedure which can be found in the Power Steering Pump to properly refill and bleed power steering system.
27. Lower vehicle.
28. Adjust front toe. Refer to Wheels, Tires and Alignment for the proper procedure.