Citroen XM Forum

Steering rack boots have been causing big headaches for another 2.0i owner. Who has it been able to get a Y to stay put on his rack. I'm not sure what he has done to solve it. It's Rob Draper he is a member on here cxprestegeauto I think is his username.

I had problems with boots and rack on the 2.1td auto S2 2 years ago. In the end as the engine and box was out I simply swapped the rack for another one with good boots but also the pas ram Bush was worn away too..

Rob still has the boot problem..................

Eddie nuff wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 09, 2022 9:45 am

Problem with that is that the engine is seized, locked solid, so therefore the suspension can't raise in order to get the car over the lip at the entrance to the yard. I need to remove the car as the land owner has stated I can't change the engine where it is. So block the rear suspension, skates under the front wheels, remove the front bumper and hope there's enough clearance to get it onto the transporter.

Are the cv boots on the steering rack readily available?

Why is the engine seized?

You know how to raise and prop the rear end, in the subframe tube.
For the front jack the car to maximum height and thread 22x2x1" over the wheel and down onto the anti-roll bar, then lower the car to trap it under the strut top.
Steering is maintained and they will stay there until you jack the car up again.

Steering rack Boots. Genuine Citroen are best, but Sasic seem to be as good.
When fitting they seem to be stiff enough to come unclipped on full extension, just add slim ty-wraps at the clip in points and they stay on.
I suspect they give a little in use, so that issue goes away.

Dieselman wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 10, 2022 6:48 am

Why is the engine seized?

I think it goes back to when I dropped the sump to find the thick. congealed oil. I removed and cleaned the filter but not the oil pump. If that turns out to be the case then it's my own stupid fault. I'll find out when I strip the engine down.

wrote:For the front jack the car to maximum height and thread 22x2x1" over the wheel and down onto the anti-roll bar, then lower the car to trap it under the strut top.

No I didn't know that, thanks.

wrote:Steering rack Boots. Genuine Citroen are best, but Sasic seem to be as good.

Sasic seem readily available. Found this on a very quick search. Is the part number needed to clarify exact size?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174635879730 ... 124cb3fd34

I thought you wanted steering rack gaiters, that listing is for a CV boot, which are for the Constant Velocity joints in the driveshafts.

Steering rack gaiters look like this.



The longer one is drivers side, the two part one is passenger side. They are three different part numbers.

If you are having the engine out change the gaiters, as you should be able to do this with the rack still mounted. Engine in is usually a rack out job.
The drivers side is easy, remove the track rod end and change the gaiter, the passenger side is more difficult due to how the power ram is mounted (hence the split gaiter).
It MAY be possible to install the gaiter over the ram spigot after just removing the track rod from the end of the rack, but I have always completely stripped the rack down.

Maybe the cv boot wasn't the right one to show, as I said it was the first one I came to. Intention is to replace all the boots as I don't see the point of having the engine and box out and not replacing all that is so much easier to get at.

I used to remove the engine and box out the top until having to do it on a more modern car where it can only come out from below. That was the plan here, to remove engine, box, driveshafts, hubs, struts and subframe all in one go. Morning's work! Yeah, right!

Stripped everything from the engine itself with ease as most of it had been replaced over time but one connector on the regulator refuses. Left it with plenty of releasing fluid and hopefully a bit of heat and mould grips or Stilsons will get it. The exhaust bolts are just spinning away merrily and the steering rack and height corrector connectors are solid to the point where, if I continue, they'll round.

So plan b, to take it out the top, leads me to the hubs All bolts seized bar the one holding strut to hub. Caliper seized, nut holding the sensor onto the hub seized, not only the ball joints and track rod end nuts seized but, when eventually removed, the ball joints and track rod ends wouldn't separate even with some serious belting with a 4lb hammer. It took me two days to remove the hubs, a job that should take two hours! Then, to cap it all off, whilst the ns driveshaft came out with ease the os plain refused, leading to me separating it at the knuckle and dealing with the rest when the engine's out, hopefully this week.

And one last point of joy, remember the fun and games I had with the gear linkages, constantly having to fit them back on? Well the brand new ones I eventually found are fitted so well I can't get the damn things off. Such fun!

On the plus side the radiator is in such good condition that it can't be the original.

It's nice to hear you're relaxing and enjoying yourself in the sunshine...

Thanks . . .

Love sarcasm when it's done right.

Eddie nuff wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 17, 2022 10:05 am

Thanks . . .

Love sarcasm when it's done right.

Hahah, was it ?