My power steering wasnt acting right yesterday. I checked the fluid it was a little low. I couldnt remember where it was the last time i checked it so i added some. I drove maybe 10 miles and it started acting up again. I checked it and it was low again. Come to find out it has a leak on the end seal of the rack where the dust boot covers.. Where do I find that seal to replace it? or would it be better to just get a different rack from a junkyard car. or go with a non power steering one. I have the belt off so the pump isnt gonna be burned up.

Thanks..

 

I would get a junkyard one. That's just my way of thinking after owning so many cars that are easily found in a junkyard.

 

Well they arent so much here.. actually rare. Ive seen maybe 5-6 different 7s in the junkyard here, and never see any on the road. Are the s4 and s5 racks different? and i will need a new allignment wouldnt i?

 

the same thing happened to me 2 weeks ago, I just the belt off and said screw it lol. I have the rack already, just too lazy to change it out. Think about doing the whole "depowered" rack thing.

 

thats what i was thinking about too. i might look into it before i go and get a new rack. ima search on here for a thread about it.. i saw one the other day where the guy did it during his rebuild but it didnt get into detail..

 

before you replace your rack.Put a piece of tape on the Inner rods that the Outer tie rods screw to.
that will give you a reference as to how much you have you have to adjust the Tie rods on the new rack.Measure the end of each rod and mark that with tape on the NEW rack.
when you take the rack off.Take it off with the Outer Tire rods on(popping them off the spindles)
count the amount of Turns that the tie rods come off...
then when you replace the Outer tie rods,turn them back on with the same amount of turns and it should snug up against the tape,
This Should give you about the same amount of ALIGNMENT that the old rack had,without actually having to take the car in and getting it Realigned after you have installedthe rack..it saves money!

 

There are a lot of threads about power steering, research research research before you decide.

Steering effort in order from toughest to easiest:
1. Beltless power steering.
2. De-powered rack
3. Manual rack.
4. Functioning power steering.

My personal favorite is functioning S4 (or TII/Vert S5) power steering.

 

I might just go out to the junkyard tomorrow and pick up another power sterring rack and put it in for now. I really dont like driving it like it is. tough to turn sharp and all. Is there a difference between s4 and s5? I have a s4 but there is both out there and also turbo or non turbo? the s4 is turbo and the s5 is not..

 

S4 and S5 racks are different. Theres one with an engine speed sensors and one with a vehicle speed sensor. They are usually referred to as "2 hole" or "3 hole" cuz they can be identified by how many inputs the rack uses.

A remanufactured rack is $155 shipped on ebay. Not bad for a lifetime warranty and fresh boots and seals and inner tierods.

 

I paid 33 for the one i just pulled out of the junkyard. Pulled it this morning and I got off work at 8 got home and changed by 830 and finished bolting everything back except front wheels, and e fan at about 130ish. Oh is it such a pain to remove and reinstall the rack with the engine in place.. Took me forever to get the lines to the rack lined up and started. damn pre bent lines.

 

Haha it's a lot easier if you pull the radiator and fan out. The rack is cake like that. The only part I had a little difficulty with was the cotter pin on the linkage.

 

I pulled it all out.. It was easy to put up and in place jus getting the bajo bolts started in the rack itself. you have to have it positioned just right, and I still had my power steering pump and ac compressor in.

 

Pull the rad out>?..oh,ok!
Undo the Steering Shaft at the Intermediate shaft,
Pop the lines off the rack at the Pump.undo the body bolt that holds the clamp on the lines.
Go down under undo 4 Clamp bolts(frame).
Pop the Tie rods off.Undo the cooler return line,,Voila!
Pulling the rad means you now have to Worry about the cooling system,It is making more work out of a simple job.

 

I tried to pull the rack out with the radiator still in.. it wouldnt fit between the kmember and the rad.

 

It takes like 10 minutes to deal with the cooling system anyway. Regardless it's an easy job, I was a bit worried at the beginning but when I actually pulled the rack it was cake.