Having just swapped my badly leaking steering rack with the one from my donor car, all is good now. Steering feels considerably lighter as I suspect the old pump was worn having run low on fluid more than once.


I got things set up pretty well and then got the tracking done. The end result of all this fiddling about is that the steering wheel was noticeably out of line.


It may be of use to know that to correct this, it's not necessary to remove the airbag module and the attendant concerns. (Disconnect the battery, leave it for a while and handle with care)


Having to rotate the wheel back and forth to access the little recessed bolts from behind the airbag module means that you can easily "lose" the correct position when refitting the wheel.


A simple approach is to just remove the pinch bolt on the top end of the steering column/shaft. This is easily accessible and you will see it if you just look down into the engine compartment on the relevant side, RHD/LHD.


Once removed, the shaft can be withdrawn, thanks to the flexible/jointed coupling. Rotate the shaft as you watch the steering wheel turning, and once it is horizontal, slide the connector back on to the shaft, replace the pinch bolt and tighten.


This just avoids the need to remove the airbag module and steering wheel, with the attendant issues.

 

I changed the steering wheel on mine this afternoon from a part wood rim to an all leather rim (still Jaguar OE)

I had to disarm the airbags in the usual way by disconnecting the battery and waiting a few minutes.... then carefully disassemble the horn boss / airbag unit from the wheel to access the column centre nut.

It all went together again without problem, but when I went for a test drive the steering wheel was slightly out of line. So a quick restrip was needed to move it one spline then road test again: perfect this time.... I have never really liked the part wood steering wheel on my X300, somehow it reminded me of a boat wheel. Loving the leather replacement, bought from ebay for a fiver! I was the only bidder.

Your tip is a good idea for making those little adjustments in steering wheel alignment.

 

It's all about personal taste and preference. I swapped my all leather wheel for the half wood wheel. I really like the look and feel of the wood, as it matches the walnut interior trim and gear knob. Horses for courses!


If you do take the wheel off to adjust it, it's no harm to mark the wheel at the splined shaft in it's current, pre removal position and also, where you want it to be to get it straight.


I adjusted mine and just like you, it was wrong first time!