I've got the steering rack out of my 88 coupe to install Rodney's bronze rack bushing and set the pinion preload so I can get some play out of the steering wheel.
I pulled off the passenger side inner tie rod boot to find this:

Not your normal nylon bushing! I know this isnt aftermarket, because I bought this car from the original owner with 25,000 miles on it.
I pulled the snap ring out that I thought would be all that is holding it in... but I still can't get it out. Any ideas?

I have heard rumors that GM did make some with a metal bushing. I have yet to see one. Maybe this is one of them? Even Ed Parks says he has never seen one. He has seen some with aftermarket rebuilt racks but never a GM metal bushing. I'd be real curious if this truly is and how it was made and fastened in. Plus how the end hits the inner tie rod and where?

It is probably just a tight fit and maybe would need to be pressed out from the inside. That would require the rack to be fully disassembled.

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PLEASE NOTE MY NEW ADDRESS

Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories
7604 Treeview Drive
Caledonia, WI 53108
(262) 835-9575

www.rodneydickman.com

quote Originally posted by Rodney: Plus how the end hits the inner tie rod and where?

I'll take some pics when I go back down there.

How is the steering rack disassembled? Any special tools required?

Is that a set screw or rivet at 2 o'clock?

The rack in my 88 T-Top had the metal bushing, looked like a factory piece to me.

Even though my car is from Florida with zero rust, that bushing was firmly seized in place.

I had to remove and dissassemble the rack to drive it out from the backside.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: Is that a set screw or rivet at 2 o'clock?

No, thats the hole I hit the retaining ring out through. Nowhere else to grab it.

quote Originally posted by jelly2m8: The rack in my 88 T-Top had the metal bushing, looked like a factory piece to me. Even though my car is from Florida with zero rust, that bushing was firmly seized in place. I had to remove and dissassemble the rack to drive it out from the backside.

Thanks jelly... how hard did it come out from the backside? Now that I know its just stuck in there, I may be able to drill it and tap it for screws to grasp it with. Do you think that would work?

quote Originally posted by Steven Snyder: Thanks jelly... how hard did it come out from the backside? Now that I know its just stuck in there, I may be able to drill it and tap it for screws to grasp it with. Do you think that would work?

To tell you the truth, I ended up having to lightly heat the outer end of the rack around the bushing before I could pound it loose.
That was one hard mother to get out of my rack. Weird seeing the original end link bolts were still plated when I dissassembled them.

I'd just try knocking it out from the back side with a heavy metal rod of some sort, you'll get more force on it from driving it out than pulling on it. Use heat as a last resort, and if you do, go easy with it.

BTW, my bushing looks exactly like yours does. I had offered to send it to Rodney in a post about it a few years back, but he wasn't interested in it.

[This message has been edited by jelly2m8 (edited 12-23-2005).]

I may have not been interested because we had no idea that this was actually a GM part or if someone had made it or?? Now that I see there are 2 and they are from GM I am very interested in a used one.

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PLEASE NOTE MY NEW ADDRESS

Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories
7604 Treeview Drive
Caledonia, WI 53108
(262) 835-9575

www.rodneydickman.com

quote Originally posted by Rodney: I may have not been interested because we had no idea that this was actually a GM part or if someone had made it or?? Now that I see there are 2 and they are from GM I am very interested in a used one.

I'm currently dissassembling the rack. I'll send it over once its out along with a bunch of pics.

Just a thought, we should check the production number of the cars with the metal bushings, might be something to work with.

Mine is 203405

[This message has been edited by jelly2m8 (edited 12-23-2005).]

quote Originally posted by jelly2m8: Just a thought, we should check the production number of the cars with the metal bushings, might be something to work with. Mine is 203405

Mine too!

Just kidding ;-)
Mine is 201308.

Well, that was a ***** .

I ended up welding a piece of scrap steel to the front of the bushing and knocking it out. The bushing is dimensionally intact but does have slag on it (as well as my piece of scrap metal). I will grind off my scrap and clean it up some if you still want it, Rodney. Otherwise I'm sure someone else will find one eventually and remove it the cleaner way.
It's seems it was just pushed in and secured with a clip; there is a ledge in the steering rack that holds it in from behind and the ring holds it in from the front.

Here's how the tie rod bottoms out against it.

quote Originally posted by Steven Snyder: I ended up welding a piece of scrap steel to the front of the bushing and knocking it out. The bushing is dimensionally intact but does have slag on it (as well as my piece of scrap metal). I will grind off my scrap and clean it up some if you still want it, Rodney. Otherwise I'm sure someone else will find one eventually and remove it the cleaner way. It's seems it was just pushed in and secured with a clip; there is a ledge in the steering rack that holds it in from behind and the ring holds it in from the front.

I will still take it. Welding would be OK.

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PLEASE NOTE MY NEW ADDRESS

Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories
7604 Treeview Drive
Caledonia, WI 53108
(262) 835-9575

www.rodneydickman.com

quote Originally posted by Rodney: I will still take it. Welding would be OK.

Ok I'll ship it out once I get it cleaned up after I get through this holiday weekend :-)

[This message has been edited by Steven Snyder (edited 12-25-2005).]

According to TSB #88-3-9 dated 1/3/88 "front end rattle fix"

Apparently the first 88gt's and Formulas were fitted with metal steering rack bushings. The metal bushings caused a front end "rattle". Gm switched from using a metal to a plastic one sometime around Christmas 87. Thereafter they only used the plastic bushing. Plastic bushing part# 26010668

I remember reading about this issue in the old FOCOA magazines. All the 88's Gt's that I have owned were made after Dec 87 and have the plastic one.

quote Originally posted by RossT: According to TSB #88-3-9 dated 1/3/88 "front end rattle fix" Apparently the first 88gt's and Formulas were fitted with metal steering rack bushings. The metal bushings caused a front end "rattle". Gm switched from using a metal to a plastic one sometime around Christmas 87. Thereafter they only used the plastic bushing. Plastic bushing part# 26010668 I remember reading about this issue in the old FOCOA magazines. All the 88's Gt's that I have owned were made after Dec 87 and have the plastic one.

That makes sense, my car was built in late 87.
I do have an 88 coupe though, so not just limited to GTs and Formulas :-)

I just read this article tonight in the FOCOA 1st Qtr. 1997 issue. How weird. Anyway, it states that Formulas and GTs built prior to VIN # 203159 and Coupes prior to # 203414 are affected. VIN #'s after the ones listed were corrected by GM at the factory.

I had no idea that they had ever used metal bushings on the 88s. I think it is strange that a metal bushing would rattle after such a short time and the fix was to go to plastic. Rodney's bushings are metal replacements and the don't seem to rattle, maybe his are longer with tighter tolerances?

quote Originally posted by rodmcneill: I had no idea that they had ever used metal bushings on the 88s. I think it is strange that a metal bushing would rattle after such a short time and the fix was to go to plastic. Rodney's bushings are metal replacements and the don't seem to rattle, maybe his are longer with tighter tolerances?

I think steel just makes a poor bushing surface.. Rodney's are bronze

I have taken out several 88 racks and have yet to even see a plastic bushed rack? They have all been metal.

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They're coming out of the walls!

[This message has been edited by Steven Snyder (edited 12-27-2005).]

I wanted to change out the bushing too, but I could not get the metal one out. So I left it in and greased it REALLY good It never had a problem. Turns out that the bush was good and the tie rods were the bad part. Change them and don't touch the metal bushing. See how it feels after the tie rods are installed and the rack gear is greased. I think the metal bushings wont were out unless they go dry? But they will make allot of noise and sound worn out if they are dry. The plastic ones on the other hand seem like they will were out MUCH faster?

[This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 12-27-2005).]

quote Originally posted by Rickady88GT: I wanted to change out the bushing too, but I could not get the metal one out. So I left it in and greased it REALLY good It never had a problem. Turns out that the bush was good and the tie rods were the bad part. Change them and don't touch the metal bushing. See how it feels after the tie rods are installed and the rack gear is greased. I think the metal bushings wont were out unless they go dry? But they will make allot of noise and sound worn out if they are dry. The plastic ones on the other hand seem like they will were out MUCH faster?

You can check the play in the bushing by trying to move the rack shaft up and down. It should not have any play in it (mine did). My inner tie rods were actually replaced only a year ago.. but I could wiggle the rack up and down. Did yours have much rust on it like mine did? As you said keeping it dry and lubricated from the start will make it last a lot longer. Mine must have got moisture in :-(
I got Rodney's bushing in now though, and there is no more up and down play now.

They probably switched it for the quickly (and poorly) designed plastic one when the metal bushings would suddenly fail due to lack of adequate rack lubrication from the factory, causing front end rattle. Or maybe the metal ones were just made to poor tolerances.

quote Originally posted by Steven Snyder: That sounds cool! The rack itself seemed very simple to me when I took it apart. I have never seen the innards of a power steering rack though. Would it be possible to have custom ratios made? If we could just build one with your idea that had a quicker ratio the only mod necessary to install would be adding power steering lines (and pump, if not doing a swap).

The problem with changing ratio is that you need to machine a custom rack gear and a pinion gear to match each other $$$$. Also the change in gear ratio is going to move the center line of the steering spool and pinion gear further away from the center line of the rack gear to accommodate a larger pinion gear. This means you would not only need to machine new pinion gear and rack gear but also weld the rack housing to build up the walls around the steering spool and then machine a new seat into the rack body to relocate the larger custom pinion gear $$$$

I have one also.........???

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/071295.html

Oh crap I still have this thing sitting on my desk. My bad, it totally slipped my mind, I will send it out Monday.