Advice for Gen 3 steering rack replacement

[DUK-RNR]

I have read as much as I had time for on how to replace my leaking steering rack on my '97 SR5. I didn't find mention of this.
If you are going to replace your steering rack, TAKE THE CLAMPS HOLDING THE HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE LINES OFF BEFORE YOU TRY TO ATTACH THE HIGH PRESSURE LINE TO THE NEW RACK. Follow the lines down from the PS pump.
There is a clamp under the front center and one on the left side attached to the or cross member. Once these clamps are removed, you can pull the high pressure line to the rear enough to see what you are doing and NOT cross thread the HP line male connector. Otherwise you will try and try to start the HP line into the rack and not know if you've cross treaded it or not, because there is no room to work and you can't see if its straight.
It's easier to connect the low pressure line too. I pulled off the factory hose clamp and put on a geared clamp.
Then you can push the rack up into place and onto steering shaft clamp then bolt the rack on. Put the HP and LP line clamps back on after you've done everything else.
I hope this note will save an owner some time that I wasted finding out.

 

[BrandonF]

I have read as much as I had time for on how to replace my leaking steering rack. I didn't find mention of this.
If you are going to replace your steering rack, TAKE THE CLAMPS HOLDING THE HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE LINES OFF BEFORE YOU TRY TO ATTACH THE HIGH PRESSURE LINE TO THE NEW RACK. Follow the lines down from the PS pump.
There is a clamp under the front center and one on the left side attached to the or cross member. Once these clamps are removed, you can pull the high pressure line to the rear enough to see what you are doing and NOT cross thread the HP line male connector. Otherwise you will try and try to start the HP line into the rack and not know if you've cross treaded it or not, because there is no room to work and you can't see if its straight.
It's easier to connect the low pressure line too. I pulled off the factory hose clamp and put on a geared clamp.
Then you can push the rack up into place and onto steering shaft clamp then bolt the rack on. Put the HP and LP line clamps back on after you've done everything else.
I hope this note will save an owner some time that I wasted finding out.

If there's a good how-to article on here for replacing the rack, you might be better off to paste your comment in that thread so its more likely to be seen by others.