Hi Terry, I can’t help on the topic as I’ve never done one.
However looking up at its location it looks like a sod to do
How come you’re changing it out of interest?
Hijack over, please continue.... 😁😁😁
Because the steering doesn't feel right, wanders, unlike any other Omega I have ever owned. The car ( a 2001 2.5 manual estate) is otherwise in excellent condition, with very little rust. I have changed wishbones, track rods and drop links, and achieved nothing. Now I suspect the steering box.
Reading the Haynes guide, job sounds tricky, and there is no forum guide. It will have to serve a bit longer, though, because son Dan rang today and wants to borrow a car until Christmas.
XJAT wandered all over the road when I first bought it, to the point where it was genuinely worrying. It was what led me to this forum, and to the first full geometric alignment I had done, which as I recall basically showed all 4 wheels pointing in different directions. Before embarking on a nasty job I'd be inclined to have the settings checked again. I remember the front springs were getting pretty tired 40K miles ago so unless you've replaced them I wonder if they are now no longer serviceable and are too soft to control the front end of the car properly.
Current Omega tended to wander a bit too. Again full geomtric alignment helped then full Eibach -30s and it is rock steady.
Thanks for that information ajsphead. I did not know the car had a history of wandering. I have your 8/7/2012 Fcm Wheel Alignment report in front of me. They reset front camber a bit, front toe in not at all, and rear camber and toe not at all. Since then I have changed wishbones, track rods and drop links twice, resetting toe in by setting front rears parallel to rear wheels and camber with a camber gauge, wheels supported under wishbones. Not ideal I admit, but it works fine on all my other Omegas. It always romps throught MOT tests. I can find no signs of broken chassis, loose back end, etc. I have not changed the front springs, but they ain't broken. The tyres are 'budget', as on all my Omegas, but no other cars wander.
The car is not the joy to drive that my other Omegas are, so I want to correct the wandery steering. I could have a full alignment set up; I could fit new tyres; I could fit new springs; I could change the steering box. I have taken advice from this forum. As said before, I thought new wishbones and track rods would cure things - they did not. I changed the central track rod, that did not cure it either.
To be more specific, cornering steering wheel effort is more than on other Omegas, and on braking to a standstill steering pulls to the left.