Xantia Complete Steering Rack Removal and Refit

[addo]

My way, for the benefit of constructive criticisms and alternative takes... C'est facile, non?

1. Level park car, crack wheel bolts on front, keep running
2. Jack up, place chassis stands under rear set of front subframe bolts
3. Drop suspension to minimum, open bleeder screw, chock rear wheels
4. Set steering wheel straight ahead and tape in place generously, stop engine
5. Remove road wheels, bottom nut of drop links and tease rack heatshield forward then out
6. Remove felt cover under driver's side dash, exposing relay panel etc.
7. Loosen 13mm bolt on splined clamp of steering column
8. Through offside wheelarch, remove 6mm socket headed capscrew of steering column lower splined clamp
9. Carefully push column lower section up and free of splines; turn inside and out of the way
10. Detach and plug middle thick return hose at LHM reservoir
11. Pop dogbone off anti-roll bar with a flat laded screwdriver
12. Remove rear bolt for both sides lower control arm, and ARB bushing caps
13. Tilt anti-roll bar down to vertical
14. Remove final two bolts from offside lower control arm and prise outwards, leaving balljoint tight
15. Rotate lower control arm towards front of car
16. Detach and plug main hydraulic return hose from pinion valve's outlet tube
17. Detach leakback line from ram collar
18. Loosen and remove 11mm headed flare nut from infeed line
19. Detach infeed line from clips across front of subframe central tie member and tuck line aside
20. Loosen and remove 18mm nuts from steering outer balljoints
21. Free outer steering balljoints from hub carriers
22. Remove steering rack mount bolts, captive washers and shims
23. Tilt whole rack towards front of car, and carefully ease out the offside

RITROR

[KennyW]

Addo,

When i removed my rack I also removed my offside wishbone which makes drawing the rack out a lot easier other wise your instructions/method is fine.

Kenny

[addo]

Different terminology, same part - instruction line 14.

I just didn't see the need for cracking the main balljoint; the whole arm swings away quite happily.

[DavidHolmes]

Hi! Does the steering rack on a 3.0 V6
come out as easily as on a 1.9 diesel?

[CitroJim]

Hi! Does the steering rack on a 3.0 V6
come out as easily as on a 1.9 diesel?

Yes, I can't see any reason why it should be more difficult. In fact, knowing both equally well I'd be inclined to think the V6 may be just be a tad easier as from memory there's a little more space around the pinion valve...

Welcome to the forum David We'd all like to know a little more of your V6 please and what is the problem you are experiencing with the rack?

[DavidHolmes]

Well the rack is out had to remove bottom arm on suspension for it to clear! The V6 Xantia that I've got is a 1998 X1 in silver. Oh and problem with the rack is the 2 pipes on it keep leaking I've tried to fix it without taking rack out. So going to make some new one's up and refit!

[CitroJim]

Ahh lovely and well done on extracting the rack S1 V6s are the very best. Cherish it

I've had two S1 and one S2 V6 in the past and consider the Sthe far superior version..