New tie-rod balljoint nuts, rack and pinions mounting nuts, intermediate shaft clamp bolt, and line fitting bolt sealing washers will be required on installation. Begin by loosening the front wheel bolts, chocking the rear wheels, firmly applying the parking brake, raising the front of the vehicle, and supporting it securely on jackstands. Remove both front wheels, the screws, and the engine splash shield. Next, loosen and remove the nuts securing the rack and pinions tie-rod balljoints to the steering knuckles, and release the balljoint tapered shanks using a universal balljoint separator. Make alignment marks between the intermediate shaft flexible coupling and the rack and pinions pinion using paint or a suitable marker pen, noting that some models may already have an alignment mark on the pinion flange. Loosen and remove the flexible coupling pinch-bolt. To minimize fluid loss, clamp both the supply and return hoses near the power steering fluid reservoir, mark the unions for correct positioning during reassembly, then loosen and remove the feed and return pipe union bolts, recovering the sealing washers while being prepared for fluid spillage. Plug the pipe ends and rack and pinions orifices to prevent fluid leakage and keep dirt out of the hydraulic system. Loosen and remove the rack and pinions mounting bolts and nuts, then take out the rack and pinions from underneath the car. Examine the rack and pinions assembly for wear or damage, ensuring it moves freely without roughness or excessive free play; if faulty, the assembly must be replaced, although the rack and pinions boots, tie-rod balljoints, and tie-rods can be replaced individually. For installation, place the rack and pinions into position, insert the mounting bolts, and install new nuts, tightening them to the specified torque setting. Position a new sealing washer on each side of the pipe hose unions, reinstall the union bolts, and tighten them to the specified torque. Align the marks made during removal and connect the intermediate shaft coupling to the rack and pinions, inserting the new clamp bolt and tightening it to the specified torque. Connect the tie-rod balljoints to the steering knuckles, install the new nuts, and tighten them to the specified torque. Reinstall the wheels and the engine splash shield, lower the car to the ground, and tighten the wheel bolts to the specified torque before bleeding the power steering system.
Posted by BMWPartsDeal Specialist 
