First of all, are these two separate parts, or is it one part? I am at the shop getting tires aligned and they are telling me that the rack and pinion might be bad. What are the signs and symptoms of this?

If it turns out to be a back rack, are there any write ups on how to replace, where to get the parts?

Thanks!

 

if it turns out your rack is bad, i know a few websites that have super high quality aftermarket racks for 300. (thats for the 99 stiffer upgraded rack) or 250 for the stock non 95-98 rack. You can replace the the inner and outer tie rod ends on your rack which is in essence is the where the majority of the play comes from. Symptoms of a bad steering rack on a maxima are leaking fluid from the rack, horrible groaning on turns, and the car wandering all over the place.(i mean WANDERING!)

im sure the may be more, anyone else?

 

Leakage from the rack at the inner tie rod boots is one symptom. Poor handling is another.

When I took out my bad steering rack, the lower line going to the rack was loaded with metal shavings. If you can check that, it would give you a definitive answer before the other symptoms show.

Dave

 

did u have physical play in your rack or just the leak and shavings? ie could ucompletely bleed your system with new atf and be ok? assuming there is no play?

 

I did bleed the system to the best of my ability. I think the shavings just don't move.

A bad rack usually does not develop play, it develops leaky seals. The seals usually leak due to particulates in the fluid.

Dave

 

I hit a ditch about 2 years ago. It totally bent the tie-rod and control arm. Replaced the control arm and straightened the tie rod with a torch. It is very possible the steering got a hard hit when this happened. However, up to this point I have not not noticed anything. I replaced the bellows on the tie-rods at the same time. The major symptom now is a little fluid on the boot. The handling is pretty good, not a whole lot of play in the system...

The main reason they think the rack is bad is that I had it aligned and the next day the toe was out more than 3 degrees. But they realigned it and we'll see what happens...

With regard to replacement, does the '99 rack require any mods to fit, or does everything match up perfectly? Is there anything else worthwhile changing while that is out? Or is it just a matter of pulling the one rack out and slapping the new one in?

Thanks for all the help!!

 

Is this easy to check without removing any parts? Where approx is the lower line located? When I disconnect the line, can I expect to lose a lot of fluid?

 

Oh yea, and just for S&G, I had the shop give me a quote to change the rack...they quoted $1600.... ROTFL!!! What a joke!! Said $1200 part, $400 labor...right... If I could easily align and rotate/balance, I would never set foot in a shop!

 

http://www.powersteeringpros.com/par...an/Maxima.html

u can chose which rack u want from there. If your losing toe, wouldn't that be a tie rod related issue? Seeing you wacked it and bent it previously new oem inner and outer rods would probably remedy this, Although that rack is cheap enough.


99 upgraded rack same labor as gxe se models, its just a stiffer sportier rack