I brought my 01 to the shop because of excessive bump steer. They replaced my two front tires, which seems to have fixed most of the problem. They did, however, also notice the rack and pinion was leaking into the boots. They said I would have to replace it eventually, but not until it starts to leak out onto my garage floor. Is this correct? Do I run the risk of damaging any other parts, struts, tires etc. or any other safety concerns if I wait to replace the rack?

 

had the same thing. dude its going to be a mess under your car if you let it go.... trust me on that. Not only that any rubber it contacts will be damaged with prolonged contact with it.

 

You said they said it's leaking into the boots? Was/Is your PS reservoir fluid level low?

 

Buy a rebuilt rack assy and change out yourself cause it will destroy your LCA bushings, or any rubber items in it's path...

 

aaroneckblad:

When was the last time the PS was flushed, PS systems don't leak if take care of it well?

If it was never flushed, do that first, take off the return line (smaller of the hoses connected to the reservior) and point it to a gallon bucket. Put the vehicle on racks stands and power the PS pump (don't run the car, put the ignition into ACC). Do PS locks, steering wheels left and right, this will pump out all the fluid from the pump and rack till nothing comes off the return line.

Reconnect return line and fill reservior with ATF and doing PS locks till the pump draws the ATF (fill up the reservior to the amt that came out as the pump draws the fluid from the reservior, the PS capacity is 1Q). Then start the car and do 10 PS locks and relive the air in the closed loop system.

Done and see if the seals are happier for a few days.

PM, PM, PM, PM (preventive maintainece) is what is needed. IMHO not doing PM is abuse....

 

With a cold engine, the PS fluid was between the min cold and max cold, but much closer to the max. If there is fluid in the boots, it can't be much.

 

When you say do a PS lock, does that just mean I have to turn the wheel all the way left and all the way right or is there something else I have to do? Thanks.

 

Correct. Power Steering locks is turing the steering wheel all the way to the left and all the way to the right. This will take all the gunky old fluid out and give a fresh lease of life for the o-rings and gaskets in the rack and pump.

 

Hey OP, make sure you post back in like a month...

My car suffers from excessive bump steer and new tires initially tightened the steering up, but it came back soon after.

I'm curious about the leak "into" the boots though; how can you detect this? When I did my inner tie rods, I only noticed black grease over the area the boots protected. My reservoir has never gone low.

 

After a week with new Goodyear tires on the front, it definitely helped, but there is still some bump steer when I brake or accelerate. When we put new tires identical to my old ones on the front and the new goodyears on the back, my problem is worse again. Must just be the brand and style of tire that is causing most of the bump steer. They can not find anything else wrong besides the minor leak in my R&P seals. I am not sure how they detected steering fluid inside the boots. The PS resevoir is still nearly at max full. I am changing the stering fluid and adding some Lucas power steering system stop leak.

 

I read through this thread and others. I seem to be having this same problem...leaking but I think it's the rings. I've been guilty of no pm...going to try and flush the hoses first as recommended. But, if I can't do repair...do you have any idea what it might cost for repair if it is the rings?

 

Well, figured out prob...high pressure power steering hose.