Steering Rack Play
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 979
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2005 S500 Designo
Steering Rack Play
I'm having trouble with my steering rack, it has a LOT of play, so much so I think it's causing a vibration/wobble on the highway.
I checked and it's not the tie rods that are loose.
I'm trying to levy my options:
1. a low mileage used unit
2. a cheap used unit sent off to be rebuilt
3. a new unit
4. I rebuild it myself???
Are there any places that rebuild steering racks? The part number is: 220-460-08-00-80
MBOEMParts has a reman unit here:
https://www.mboemparts.com/oem-parts...bC12OC1nYXM%3D
For ~$500. What's hte best approach here?
I checked and it's not the tie rods that are loose.
I'm trying to levy my options:
1. a low mileage used unit
2. a cheap used unit sent off to be rebuilt
3. a new unit
4. I rebuild it myself???
Are there any places that rebuild steering racks? The part number is: 220-460-08-00-80
MBOEMParts has a reman unit here:
https://www.mboemparts.com/oem-parts...bC12OC1nYXM%3D
For ~$500. What's hte best approach here?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2012
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From: Ball Ground, GA (N of Atlanta)
2003 S500 2007 GL450
The you-pull-it yard near me charges $35 for a rack and pinion, so I know what my path would be.
http://caglesupullit.com/partprices.aspx
http://caglesupullit.com/partprices.aspx
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,472
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From: Ball Ground, GA (N of Atlanta)
2003 S500 2007 GL450
Every pull-a-part yard that I know of has an on-line inventory of the vehicles that they have on the yard. If you can find such a yard that has one or more W220s in stock, it might be worth driving some distance.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 979
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2005 S500 Designo
$150 shipped on ebay is hard to beat. Saves a lot of trouble. Hope it's good, the seller says it's fine, but I'll know one I get it. It has 75k vs 300k, so it should be good.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 282
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From: Virginia Beach
2005 S600 2005 SL600
The OEM rack includes new tie rod ends, both inner and outer - making it a reasonable deal. I just did the rack in mine - and it was a huge PITA - because of the lack of clearance between the M275 and the subframe. I bought new crowsfoot wrenches and even then, started to round off the lines. Be forewarned, there isn't a lot of room, and it will take a lot of torque to break loose the lines.
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Dec 2007
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2005 S500 Designo
This is the best writeup I could find, but there are flaws (illustrated in the comments)
https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...20_S-Class.htm
https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...20_S-Class.htm
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Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 282
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From: Virginia Beach
2005 S600 2005 SL600
However, the angle, and clearance around the rack itself, and the crankcase on the M275, precluded their use.
I was finally able to get it using the open end on a Stahlwille combination wrench, which I levered using another combination wrench.
It wasn't a shortage of tools, it was a severe shortage of room in which to work, and the resulting inability to get a wrench on squarely.
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2005 S500 Designo
I'm going to look for 17 and 19mm crow-foot wrenches. I already got the 17mm loose. I assume and hope the M113 is a bit better for space.
In situations like this I find it best to go slowly and think before I damage something, but I'll see what else I can find that might work
In situations like this I find it best to go slowly and think before I damage something, but I'll see what else I can find that might work
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From: Ball Ground, GA (N of Atlanta)
2003 S500 2007 GL450
I think that I remember using a stubby combination wrench, with another longer wrench linked in for leverage.
I wonder if some grumpy old Germanic mechanic could show us a quick and easy way to pull the rack...
I wonder if some grumpy old Germanic mechanic could show us a quick and easy way to pull the rack...
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2007
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2005 S500 Designo
I got the 19mm parallel to the steering column broken loose.
I used a crow's foot and fed the 3" extension towards the rear, not through the front. I tried going towards the front with a long extension, but the rack and pinion is in the way so you'll never get the right angle. I also tried with a wobble joint thing, but that predictably also didn't work. If you have a larger crow's foot, you could conceivably go through the front, but I didn't.
Mercifully it wasn't tightened to infinity, moderate torque (guessing <50 ft. lbs).
Going towards the rear made it super easy (also having a 3/8" breaker bar and not relying on a ratcheting wrench).
I used a crow's foot and fed the 3" extension towards the rear, not through the front. I tried going towards the front with a long extension, but the rack and pinion is in the way so you'll never get the right angle. I also tried with a wobble joint thing, but that predictably also didn't work. If you have a larger crow's foot, you could conceivably go through the front, but I didn't.
Mercifully it wasn't tightened to infinity, moderate torque (guessing <50 ft. lbs).
Going towards the rear made it super easy (also having a 3/8" breaker bar and not relying on a ratcheting wrench).
Thread Starter
Super Member
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2005 S500 Designo
Gonna add one more tidbit:
You need two identical o-rings for the power steering lines. They are green with part #:
028 997 32 48
They're about $3 each from Mercedes, but measuring them I got: 11mm OD and 2mm thick (7mm ID).
You need two identical o-rings for the power steering lines. They are green with part #:
028 997 32 48
They're about $3 each from Mercedes, but measuring them I got: 11mm OD and 2mm thick (7mm ID).
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2007
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2005 S500 Designo
New (ebay used but looks good) steering rack installed.
Some quick hints from mercedes:
Power steering bleed procedure:
fill reservoir and turn left/right/left/right a thousand times (mercedes says up to 30). Make sure the reservoir stays full enough, but leave the dipstick open so it doesn't overfill and ejaculate fluid all over the driver's side of the engine bay, INCLUDING into the goddamn air filter intake somehow, and exhaust so when you restart it it gasses you with power steering fluid fumes and also leaks fluid down into the steering rack area where you just dubiously connected the low and high pressure hoses causing any evidence of leaking to be drowned out by the aforementioned ejaculation from the p/s reservoir.
Top up, turn on engine, and do again watching to make sure the fluid doesn't go low. Mercedes says this is a 2-person job, but I did it by myself.
Next step will be an alignment.
This job is properly godawful. It's nothing crazy, no single thing is hard, but there are so many places where you can get stuck and get ****ed. Origami fingers is a must. You're also going to get covered in ****. God this was a goddamn horror. I recommend spending the $500 to get a refurbished one from mercedes, b/c you do NOT want to do this job again.
Some quick hints from mercedes:
Power steering bleed procedure:
fill reservoir and turn left/right/left/right a thousand times (mercedes says up to 30). Make sure the reservoir stays full enough, but leave the dipstick open so it doesn't overfill and ejaculate fluid all over the driver's side of the engine bay, INCLUDING into the goddamn air filter intake somehow, and exhaust so when you restart it it gasses you with power steering fluid fumes and also leaks fluid down into the steering rack area where you just dubiously connected the low and high pressure hoses causing any evidence of leaking to be drowned out by the aforementioned ejaculation from the p/s reservoir.
Top up, turn on engine, and do again watching to make sure the fluid doesn't go low. Mercedes says this is a 2-person job, but I did it by myself.
Next step will be an alignment.
This job is properly godawful. It's nothing crazy, no single thing is hard, but there are so many places where you can get stuck and get ****ed. Origami fingers is a must. You're also going to get covered in ****. God this was a goddamn horror. I recommend spending the $500 to get a refurbished one from mercedes, b/c you do NOT want to do this job again.
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From: Ball Ground, GA (N of Atlanta)
2003 S500 2007 GL450
"...but leave the dipstick open so it doesn't overfill and ejaculate fluid ..."
Sorry - Do you mean that I should have the reservoir cap on or off while turning the steering wheel?
Thanks!
Sorry - Do you mean that I should have the reservoir cap on or off while turning the steering wheel?
Thanks!
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 979
Likes: 224
2005 S500 Designo
I mean the disptick tube.
