Thanks for the reply and pics Neal.  I haven't looked at my PS rack yet to
see if the tab is on the top or bottom, nor do I have a spare to look at
anymore.  I thought I read in previous posts that for PS it is on the
top.  Maybe I will get lucky and it is on the bottom.  I did a search for
tie rod and read all the posts, many replies were about tie rod ends
thought hence my title of this post.

If anyone has anymore info / experience about this please let me know.  It
is raining her in SW Washington and I want to make this repair as easy as
possible since I am working in the driveway until my new shop is built.

On Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:10:02 -0700, neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

>On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 1:22 PM, David Hines <dmh1314@msn.com> wrote:
>
>> My main question is has anyone replaced the whole tie rod assembly
without removing the rack from the van?  I really hate messing with those
PS fluid lines.  I am concerned about bending the tab that keeps the tie
rod from loosening where it connects to the rack (see pic at:
http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/InnerTieRodEndDS.jpg/InnerTieRodEndDS-
full;init:.jpg)  I have read in other posts that the tab is on the top of
the rack and is hard to get to.
>>
>> My thought is to disconnect the steering shaft from the u-joint and
unbolt the 4 bolts that hold the rack to the frame so I can rotate it to
access the bent tabs without disconnecting the PS fluid lines.  Has anyone
successfully tried this before?
>>
>
>
>FWIW, that pic of mine shows a **manual** steering rack mounted on
vehicle.
>
>In picture, "tab" is shown roughly at bottom of steering rack shaft.
>
>I just checked both my *manual* steering racks. Both have the "tab" at
bottom.
>
>If the power steering rack is the same in that regard, I'll bet you
>don't have to remove it from vehicle to remove the tie rod from rack
>shaft. If so, just punch that tab back. Didn't take much effort in
>that regard on mine.
>
>FWIW, a drift, ground square to roughly same size as channel in rack
>shaft, makes locking the inner ball joint tie rod easier. i.e. one can
>do it with more or less one punch. Using a smaller punch might mangle
>it up a little.
>
>http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/InnerEndTieRodLock.jpg
>
>Neil.
>
>
>--
>Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>
>http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
>http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-
engines