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Cross posting here as this question got buried in the C6 General forum:
Hey everyone. So I’m trying to install the DRM aluminum steering bushing that replaces the stock rubber one on the passenger side of the rack. The car is a 2006 z06.
I have a few questions before I proceed and would love some feedback from those who’ve done it/know:
DRM provides 3 pics as guidance (1-3 below). The first pic provided by DRM shows two bolts to be loosened with nuts on the other side of each. The passenger one (pic 4) is easy to identify, but I’m unclear on which drivers side bolt to loosen. I think the pics Randy provided are from a C5 - a pic of what I see is attached (pics 5&6) Further, of those bolts, how do I get behind any of them to access the nut? Or is that only on the passenger side?
The instructions elsewhere (forget where) say to apply red locktite to the 13mm nut on the steering rack (pic 7). Is that correct/necessary? I feel like I’d regret that if I ever need to service/replace the rack.
I cannot find any info on torque specs for any of the hardware mentioned above. Can anyone advise on what that would be?
The pictures he provides shows the two bolts. But on yours, they’re a little more hidden and buried (behind the ps cooler on the pass side and the abs on the driver’s side. I just did mine.
I wouldnt worry about putting a little loctite on - you’re not welding it together.
a quick google search shows 74 lb-ft.
You will likely have to clearance the hole in the rack a little. I feel like I also clearanced the bushing on the outside a little more than as it came so it could slide all the way in without fouling on the body of the rack. I also had no way to get the sleeve in to clear the tabs on the crossmember. I have no idea how they got it in in the factory but with the motor in, my sleeve was 1/8-3/16” too wide and I could not spread the tabs enough to get it back in.
So so I can not recommend this, but I ground a little off of the sleeve.
The pictures he provides shows the two bolts. But on yours, they’re a little more hidden and buried (behind the ps cooler on the pass side and the abs on the driver’s side. I just did mine.
I wouldnt worry about putting a little loctite on - you’re not welding it together.
a quick google search shows 74 lb-ft.
You will likely have to clearance the hole in the rack a little. I feel like I also clearanced the bushing on the outside a little more than as it came so it could slide all the way in without fouling on the body of the rack. I also had no way to get the sleeve in to clear the tabs on the crossmember. I have no idea how they got it in in the factory but with the motor in, my sleeve was 1/8-3/16” too wide and I could not spread the tabs enough to get it back in.
So so I can not recommend this, but I ground a little off of the sleeve.
Overall not bad.
Hey, thanks a lot for the info. Is the driver's side bolt visible from my pics? I didn't notice any other bolts besides what's shown in those. Also, is there a nut on the backside of it too?
I just did this on C5. The DRM bushing was a VERY tight fit into the crossmember tabs. I had to hammer with wood blocks from side and top after making sure the bushing to steering rack surfaces were mating flush. I think DRM should reduce the bushing shoulder thickness by about 0.2mm from each side.
1. is this the drivers side bolt circled in red? (Pic attached)
2. Is the abs system attached to those two bolts sitting vertically in line with each other (to the left of the circled bolt)? If so, are there more bolts for that bracket before I can move it? Any risk/issues from moving it over (to the lines attached to it)? Haven’t found much info/diagrams on that so I just want to be sure?
Once I get this fully sorted I’ll make a proper DIY guide for it. Seems like that puts a lot of people off from making this mod.
Odd people are having issues with this. Maybe there are discrepancies from rack to rack? I did mine during my cam swap and it slipped in with zero problems or modifications. But I have a C5. Maybe the C6 rack is just slightly different?
Odd people are having issues with this. Maybe there are discrepancies from rack to rack? I did mine during my cam swap and it slipped in with zero problems or modifications. But I have a C5. Maybe the C6 rack is just slightly different?
My C5 had issues with the bushing. Didn't have a lathe at the time, so I shipped it back to Randy and he cut a bit and then it worked.
Thanks for the feedback but I'm back with another question:
Can you tell me what tools you used & what angle you used to successfully loosen the nut circled in red in the pic of the driver's side above?
I loosened the PS cooler and the abs mount as shown in the pics, but I couldn't get a good angle of attack on that pesky nut, mainly because of the swaybar.
- A normal box wrench gets on there (at 7 o'clock in relation to the nut) but not with enough angle to be useful before it hits the loosened abs mount arm.
- A deep 18mm socket will get on there but then there isn't enough room to attach the wrench without hitting the swaybar.
- I tried a u-joint extension with the deep 18 but still same issue.
- A short 18mm doesn't hit the fastener as it bottoms out against the stud itself.
Thanks for the feedback but I'm back with another question:
Can you tell me what tools you used & what angle you used to successfully loosen the nut circled in red in the pic of the driver's side above?
I loosened the PS cooler and the abs mount as shown in the pics, but I couldn't get a good angle of attack on that pesky nut, mainly because of the swaybar.
- A normal box wrench gets on there (at 7 o'clock in relation to the nut) but not with enough angle to be useful before it hits the loosened abs mount arm.
- A deep 18mm socket will get on there but then there isn't enough room to attach the wrench without hitting the swaybar.
- I tried a u-joint extension with the deep 18 but still same issue.
- A short 18mm doesn't hit the fastener as it bottoms out against the stud itself.
Any other ideas?
Pop the 4 bolts holding the swaybar/bushings on and swing it down.
Pop the 4 bolts holding the swaybar/bushings on and swing it down.
Hm. I thought touching them might impact alignment/preload or that the 4 bolts in question wouldn't move the bar at all once loosened.
Thanks, I'll give it a shot tonight!
07-20-2018, 09:58 AM
Help: Steering Bushing (DRM) Questions
