Length: 12:20
Created: May 12, 2021
Is it time to replace your rack? Maybe it’s bent, broken, or just getting some slop in it. SuperATV’s got you covered with our heavy-duty rack and pinion, and today we’re going to show you how to get one installed on this Polaris RZR Trail S 1000. So let’s get right to it.
[00:41] Remove the front wheels and tires.
Then remove the tie rods from the steering knuckle. We’re already running SuperATV heavy-duty tie rods, so we’re gonna take the misalignment bushing and the nut and start it right back on the stud. That way we don’t lose it.
If you’re running factory hardware, you don’t have to worry about this. Remove the tie rod from this side as well.
Remove the pinch bolt from the steering shaft that goes to the rack and pinion. Rotate the shaft to where the hardware lines up.
[01:20] We’re gonna take our wrench—it’s a 15. Get it on the head of the pinch bolt and reach around. If you have someone to help you, it can be easier that way.
Sometimes the bolt will get stuck. I take a Phillips screwdriver or punch or whatever. You just don’t want to hit the threads directly and then tap it out.
Rotate the steering shaft to where you can get it to this point. I take a flathead screwdriver and tap it in here.
Spread it apart. What that’s doing is just making it come off the splines that much easier. If you still have the factory sway bar installed at this point, remove it from both sides.
Remove all of the rack bolts. We got the studs out of the frame. Be a little bit rough with it. Take the steering shaft, and rotate it all the way opposite where it was.
Wiggle it around. Get it to where it clears everything. I have to get a little bit aggressive with it in a few spots. The rack will come right out. It is a little bit of a pain. Move it around a lot and it’ll come out.
[02:57] Whenever you get the rack out of the box, you’re gonna notice it has the boots on it. Pull the boots off, and then we’re gonna make this super easy for you all. .
To center the rack, turn it all the way one way, take a measurement, and then divide that by two. We’ll give you that exact measurement because we have it.
Take a measurement from this point right here on the rack and measure to the face right here. That needs to be 48 millimeters. We’re right there at 48 millimeters, which is exactly where it needs to be for it to be centered.
This side’s a little bit harder to measure, but you can get a tape measure in here. It’s 48 millimeters.
To center the rack, grab the little cap with a pair of vice grips and rotate it.
[03:45] Animation showing how to correctly center the rack.
[03:57] The rack’s gonna be sitting in the machine—just like this. This will be the passenger side. That’s the driver’s side.
This point is visible when looking through. We’re gonna run a line through here (it’s fine if it’s a big line)— just make sure you can see it.
A lot of times I get a little out of hand with my lines, but it makes them nice and visible, so you know when the rack is centered and when it is not. That will be very crucial for the next step whenever we get it installed and lined up with the steering shaft.
Take the boots and slide them over the inner ball and sockets. Slide it through the stud and line it up on the rack.
On the passenger side of the rack and pinion, you will have a smaller boot, and for the driver’s side, you’ll have a bigger boot.
This side will be the passenger side. Make sure you slide the boot up to where you can still get onto that. Tighten the inner ball and socket or tighten the inner tie rod.
Take the zip tie, run it down there, and get it as tight as you possibly can. Do the same thing for the inner. Peel the boot back up just a little bit so you can get on that surface.
Cut off the excess of the zip ties. Do the same exact thing with the opposite boot on this side. Cut off the excess of the zip ties on this side as well, and then we’re ready to get the rack and pinion installed on the machine.
[06:01] Slide this rack in the same way that the factory one came out, except this one’s gonna go in a lot easier than the factory one came out. There’s no fixed studs so it’s gonna slide right in there no problem.
Once you have the rack in place, make sure that the steering wheel is completely straight. We want to verify that the rack is still centered.
Slide it onto the splines of the steering shaft and get it up into position. This parts a little tricky. Line it up. It’s started on the splines. Now grab the rack and slide it into position to where it’s gonna mount.
[07:11] Get the provided hardware out of the kit on the driver’s side. You’ll be running the three long bolts. Take one of the long bolts out of the hardware kit and slide it right through the hole in the rack.
Line up with the hole in the frame, and then take one of the nyloc nuts that are provided.
Continue putting the long bolts in. Fully tighten all the hardware. Reinstall the pinch bolt as well as the sway bar links.
Grab the inner jam nut that you removed off of the inner tie rod and then grab the tie rod. Take this nut and thread this all the way up.
[08:31] Make sure the textured side of the tie rod is facing towards the outside. The smooth side is gonna go to the inside. Grab the right-hand threaded nut and the tie rod end, and thread the jam nut all the way up the tie rod end here.
This is going to left-hand thread into the tie rod. Before you do anything, make sure that the rack’s still centered and make sure that the steering wheel is straight.
[09:23] Once we’ve verified that, grab the tapered stud, and drop it down in the steering arm. Take one of the nyloc nuts and thread it on the bottom. I like to take my tie rod end and get it on the tapered stud. Take the misalignment bushing and slide it on. Then, install the other lock nut.
Grab a 19 wrench and a 19 socket. Tighten it from the bottom and have the wrench on top. Make sure you got them good and tight.
Take the cotter pins and install them. Slide it right through the hole on the tapered stud, and bend that cotter pin away from itself. Repeat the same steps for the opposite side.
[10:20] Reinstall the wheels and tires and lower the machine back down on the ground. Now the machine is back down on the ground and Chad here to help us.
Roll the machine back and forth about five times to settle the suspension and start taking some measurements.
Make sure that the steering wheel’s straight. Looks like Chad’s got it good and straight. So we’re gonna grab the tape measure, take a measurement from the center line on this tire to the front of the tire. Then, we’ll do the backside.
[11:10] It looks like we’re right at 1370 millimeters on the front, and then we’re at 1330 on the back. We’re about 40 millimeters out. Adjust the tie rods 20 millimeters on either side to where the measurement on the front of the tires is the same as on the back of the tires.
If you do need to make any adjustments, grab the tie rod and spin it either way depending on what you need to do. Another little trick is to put a black dot on the inner ball and socket as well as the tie rod. That way, I can keep track of how many turns I’ve made.
[11:43] Once you have it all set, you’ll want to fully tighten these jam nuts down on the inner as well as the outer. Get them good and tight.
Once you’ve got the toe set and the jam nuts tight, that’s all there is to it to install SuperATV’s heavy-duty rack and pinion on this Polaris RZR Trail S 1000.
For more information on this rack and pinion or any of SuperATV’s great products, feel free to give us a call or check us out online. Thanks for watching, and we’ll catch you next time.
