How long will a leaking steering rack last

[xlt4me]

Has anyone nursed a leaking rack-n-pinion for a couple of years by just continually adding fluid? I tried Lucas and it helped a little but did not stop the leaks at the inner tie rods. I don't feel like putting money in this car if I don't have to. I just wonder how long it will be until it leaks really bad. Right now I have to add about a pint every 500 miles.

 

[HTSS_TR]

If you have to add a pint every 500 miles, it will not lasted very long. My '94 LS400 steering rack has a small leak since 2005-2006 that I need to add about 3-5oz PSF every 500 miles. I tried Lucas power steering stop leak and it did not do much in stopping the leak.

 

[javacontour]

The rack may last a long time. The pump wont if it keeps running out of fluid.

 

[willix]

you might want to work another bottle of the Lucas stop leak in there again it may slow it down more.

 

[dhise]

That's a pretty big leak for the lucas product to stop up. I'm using it in my subaru that had a slight leak, a few drops on the exhuast and no noticeable fluid loss in the reservoir and the lucas stop leak has work so far. I had picked up a used rack to put in but I'll drive it as it is until it starts giving me problems again.

 

[lairdwd]

check out the rackdoctor on ebay. He's got refurbished racks that he refurbishes himself. I've seen some as low as $150. Best of luck

 

[xlt4me]

Originally Posted By: lairdwd
check out the rackdoctor on ebay. He's got refurbished racks that he refurbishes himself. I've seen some as low as $150. Best of luck


Thanks for the tip. I looked at Rock auto and AA and they are about $200+ for a rebuilt. Thing is, I don't want to do it myself because it's a nasty dirty mill car and it looks like it would be a PITA job if the car is not on a lift. I checked one place and they wanted about $700 to replace it including setting the toe. I only plan to keep the car another 2 1/2 years and hate to throw any money at it. It already needs a set of tires so I'm looking at 1100 - 1200 to keep driving it.

 

[onion]

Yeah, but then you'll have a car with good tires and a new rack!

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: onion
Yeah, but then you'll have a car with good tires and a new rack!


Which, if you're shooting for 2.5 more years, is not a bad thing at all. . . Unless you drive incredibly short distances, you're not going to nurse already-bad tires that long. And how much PSF will you dump into it in the meantime?

 

[xlt4me]

Originally Posted By: ekpolk
Originally Posted By: onion
Yeah, but then you'll have a car with good tires and a new rack!


Which, if you're shooting for 2.5 more years, is not a bad thing at all. . . Unless you drive incredibly short distances, you're not going to nurse already-bad tires that long. And how much PSF will you dump into it in the meantime?


Well it needs the tires right now. What I'm really tring to decide is do I just get rid of this car now and start driving my 'other' work car to work. I have an 04 Ranger I bought new and it only has 14,000 miles on it. It's still like new and I'd like to keep it that way since I'll retire in 2 1/2 years. I work in a steel mill and it really messes up a nice car.

 

[eljefino]

Ah, I was wondering the origin of the term "mill car".

I would call a couple junkyards, some do installs and if they have a your-car they might have some mounted/balanced non-bald used tires they can stick on too at a reasonable price.

If you sell the car as-is or give it to a yard they'll slap a used rack and used tires on it and flip it. May work this to your advantage.

If one doesn't have a full alignment rack they can rig something up at home to set toe. I like laser bubble levels.

 

[Tornado Red]

Power steering fluid is fairly expensive, especially if you have to add one of those small cans every day or two.

On the other hand, if the rack is already unrepairable, then you can use ATF (automatic transmission fluid), which comes in quart containers and sometimes you can buy the generic brands for as little as $1/quart. You can add a lot of ATF for the cost of replacing the rack.

 

[JustinH]

You can buy ATF in gallon sizes at walmart. They used to be 10 dollars for a gallon of Supertech fluid, might be more now.

 

[xlt4me]

It uses ATF+ so it's dirt cheap for Coastal at the Zone. I just put new tires on it and found out the right front wheel bearing is shot. Two things weird about that... I didn't hear any howl like the last time it went bad and it's only got about 15k miles on this (Timkin) bearing. RRRrrrrrr!

 

[Tornado Red]

Originally Posted By: xlt4me
It uses ATF+ so it's dirt cheap for Coastal at the Zone.


Yeah, that's the stuff I ran in my old Saab's leaky steering rack for the last couple years before I junked it. It was as cheap as $1/quart, probably more now and more at Walmart etc.

 

[axjohn]

Have you tried adding a little AutoRX in the power steering fluid? Your leak MIGHT be due to some dirty seals. Put it in, drive it, turkey baste fluid out at 500-1000 miles, then don it again. After the second or third time doing this (autorx, fill, drive, turkey baste, autorx, fill, drive, turkey baste, try to drain as much fluid out as you can. Even if you have to buy some extra fluid.

Next, place car on jack stands so there is no load on the steering wheels. You'll need a buddy for this next part. Turn on car, loosen power steering drain line at bottom of car, and pour fluid in as your buddy turns the wheel back and forth several times. Have enough fluid so that you do not run the pump without fluid.

Once you've poured enough fluid to clean out the junk, turn the car off, tighten the lower hose line, and re-fill with a FULL bottle of Lucas Power Steering stop leak additive, then top off with your fluid.

You might be surprised at how well this works.