I take apart a broken 2.0 steering rack and discover a broken Broncbuster bushing

Good Evening y’all,

After swapping in my Hoss 3.0 into the Bronco I had a choice. To return my 2.0 rack for a core charge or dissect it for my own education as I’m a noob when it comes to electric assist steering.

I elected to dissect my rack instead and was stunned to discover I had broken my Broncbuster bushing! Now the video is lengthy as I give a pretty (long) intro into how I concluded that I had broken the bushing and show some clips here and there.
I also spent a lot of time going deep into the rack, trying to understand it and show its many parts on video. I found a few things here and there but am honestly surprised at how well it was holding up despite the abuse I had thrown at it (I have yet to see photo evidence of another broken Broncbushing).

Now I talk a lot about Broncbuster in this video and I know a lot of y’all don’t sit well with him, I get it. I’m not sponsored and I try to be unbiased between him and 74weld and show both sides (as shown in previous videos).
However this rack had the Broncbuster goodies installed on it long before 74weld was even talking Bronco stuff publicly.
This is a rack I had and it’s what I’m taking apart, it has Broncbuster parts on it so I talk about those too to show y’all how they held up.

If I could afford it, I’d honestly love to do the same exact 38,000 miles with a stock rack and a 74weld rack and show em all side by side.
Im currently trying to do just that with the 74weld stage 1 (sponsored by the way by 74weld to me for this test) on a 3.0 vs Broncbuster 3.0 (paid for by me) using mine and a buddies Bronco. That video is gonna be a long ways out though as we have to accrue the miles.

Anyways, I know the video is long, thanks for watching it. I love comments (or trash talking) on the video itself as it helps the algorithm. I know, I know… YouTuber here trying to make it in the big world. But I was a wheeler years before I started YouTube so I’m just here learning too.
Subbing is cool too
But seriously, I learned a lot through dissecting this rack on how electric, power assist works so hopefully other nerds will like this too.

After you were done dissecting it, put it back together and send it back for the core.

Do you have plans for the old end cap? I need one for my rack.

ScottyC said:

After you were done dissecting it, put it back together and send it back for the core.

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Exactly! put all the parts in the box and send it in.

So I didn't watch the video yet but I'm very excited to as I love learning and figuring this stuff out. Thanks for doing this! Will watch it afterwork! (or maybe during work.... )

Great video. I have to say that bushing is pretty impressive for taking a hit like that which was enough to break the snap ring.

Great video. Thanks for sacrificing the 2.0 to show us its guts.

So this Data shows 74 weld stage 1, will do, for overland & trails with 37s & 3inch lift.

ScottyC said:

After you were done dissecting it, put it back together and send it back for the core.

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Or does it even have to be together for the core charge? Wouldn't they have to take it apart to rebuild it anyway?

Caleb, you forgot to mention...

FREE PROJECT X Lights!

That pulley/bearing is called a ball-nut. very clever piece engineering (not new by any means). Great way to make an exceptionally low friction lead screw, which is essentially what the steering rack is on these.

The tube with the balls in it is a return path for the balls. You can think of the ball-nut as a ball bearing where the balls travel in a spiral path instead of a circular path. The rack has a matching spiral for the balls/ball-nut to follow or drive.

As the ball-nut rotates, the balls are transferred from one end, up over (through the tube) back to the start again, and vise versa. If you hold the ball-nut laterally in position in the housing, and rotate it, it will thrust the rack in and out depending on direction, and does so with minimal (relatively speaking) friction since it operates like a ball bearing.



RCB steering gears also use this method, but in reverse. RCB=recirculating ball. Think pitman arm steering. In those cases the input shaft from the steering wheel drives the ball-nut in and out, which drives the pitman arm left and right.

Thanks, I learned something new today.

TeocaliMG said:

That pulley/bearing is called a ball-nut. very clever piece engineering (not new by any means). Great way to make an exceptionally low friction lead screw, which is essentially what the steering rack is on these.

The tube with the balls in it is a return path for the balls. You can think of the ball-nut as a ball bearing where the balls travel in a spiral path instead of a circular path. The rack has a matching spiral for the balls/ball-nut to follow or drive.

As the ball-nut rotates, the balls are transferred from one end, up over (through the tube) back to the start again, and vise versa. If you hold the ball-nut laterally in position in the housing, and rotate it, it will thrust the rack in and out depending on direction, and does so with minimal (relatively speaking) friction since it operates like a ball bearing.

RCB steering gears also use this method, but in reverse. RCB=recirculating ball. Think pitman arm steering. In those cases the input shaft from the steering drives the wheel ball-nut in and out, which drives the pitman arm in and out.

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Thanks for this gold nugget!

Shrek27 said:

Caleb, you forgot to mention...

FREE PROJECT X Lights!

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There is that too lol. Thanks

This by the way is the proper way to take the rack apart:

2022 base said:

Do you have plans for the old end cap? I need one for my rack.

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Donated to a friend