Hi Guys,

I'm new on the forum but have just landed myself a well worn (199k's) '99 3.5litre TH Exec 5 speed manual ....... hopefully it's gonna get me to and from Uni for the next little while (as well as going like the hammers when pushed) :nuts:.

The immediate issue for me is that the power steer seems to be leaking fluid, to the ground just off the subframe to the right of centre at the firewall ...... drivers view. ........ any of that make sense? ie: puddles of PS fluid under the car not far from where the drivers feet might be ......... :-) Haven't jacked it all up or pulled anything apart but it seems to me that there are no noises, no shuddering or anything funny, steering works fine ...... just leaks. :kb:

SO, I realise that you can buy reconditioned racks assemblies, BUT it sounds like a bugger of a job ........ Can the end seals and boots and maybe tie rod ends be replaced without removing the rack??

Or am I already off with the fairies ........ ??

In a little while I'll come back and ask if anyone has had much success just rubbing back and re-spraying the clear coat when your car gets a serious case of sunburn ............ :eeek:

Yes, I got it cheap ................. :facejump:

Cheers

The items you list - end seals, boots, tie rod ends - aren't responsible for the leaks, so why replace them? Its harder to replace these on the car than off the car anyway. Do some research and find out where the power steering fluid does its job in a rack. Input shaft is the usual place for them to leak, rather than from the rack ends.

Rack has to come out to fix the problem, no way around this.

PS. Should be due for a cam belt change and new clutch at that mileage.

mines leaking from the same place, after degreasing I noticed the buildup is near the pinion on the rack, im just about to find out how hard these racks are to remove .. wish me luck lol !!..

PS .. does anyone know if theres a Kit avaliable for these racks?, im looking to fix it myself if i can

picking my car up in about 20mins from mits.... for exact same reason....
$700 for reconditioned rack and labor....
mine was leaking from the fittings both boots and the top of the rack. In other words it was stuffed...
i did go to a couple of places to get quotes for resealing but it was cheaper to replace with a reco one....

Rack leaks at the pinion are the more common, as there is pressure there all the time when the engine is on, even when not turning corners. Both my TSs leak from there. lol

Removal - as per manual.

Jack up car, support with stands, remove both wheels,
Remove both chassis members, ie the front aft supports.
Undo rie rod ends, disconnect.
Disconnect steering column clamp after marking for alignment.
[Might be a good idea to spray with degreaser at this stage, if filthy.]
Undo fluid lines. Catch drips.
Undo rack mounts.
Move rack to passenger side, turn/tip, move out driver's side.(not sure, might be in the opposite direction)

Haven't done this myself, but intend to over the next weeks or so, for the same reason.
Don't know if the pinion seals can be removed and replaced without special tools, or if a kit is available.

Recon unit is about $350, approx. Once its out, may not be too expensive to take it in to a pro shop and get yours done.

Update: looked at the manual, I'm not hopeful that this can be done at home.

You may be able to get a good later model rack off Ebay (they're all compatible), with the exception they modified the feel etc... there are other threads about that. I got a TL steering rack off a car that had done 55,000 for around $60 delivered off Ebay, which cost $230 to get fitted. I did buy nolathane steering rack mounts though, which are around $40, so was about $340 in total.

nah its not real fun lol, i have taken the exhaust off, the centre -to front cross member, all the main bolts and lines undone, ball joints undone now I just have to get back down there & actually pull it out, 3.5 hours shed time so far. Repco do have a kit for about $80 retail, will keep you all posted on how i go with this

anyone with leaking steering notice there steering wheel wobbling when your going around smooth corners, or roundabouts.. im wondering if this problem is related to the pressure leaking or something else

Check your wheel nuts are tight..
Has it been aligned/balanced lately?

Sorry I'm off with the fairies today aswell, has it got enough power steering fluid?

@ M@tt:

Third gen is obviously different to second gen.

Ball joints undone? Do you mean tie rod joints?

Do you know what is in the Repco kit?

mmm $80 for a kit, versus $350 for a recon job and another $350 for a Mitsu monkey to install, sure sounds like a solid markup for labour!

yeah alignments good, its done it for 5 years odd, does it when its overfull of fluid and also does it when its low, makes no difference. Hard to explain the exact problem im feeling but hopefully someone out theres had the same problem and knows what i mean, its like it pulses a bit extra steering by its self, or backs off a little by its self, one of the two.. the steering wheel actually moves a bit in your hand, back n forth (ONLY when cornering)

anyone with leaking steering notice there steering wheel wobbling when your going around smooth corners, or roundabouts.. im wondering if this problem is related to the pressure leaking or something else

Both of my TSs leak, but don't wobble (anymore). One did, V6, 240,000 km, turned out to be the tie rods. Easy to check and replace once the rack is out, but you will need a wheel alignment after. Boots perish, and the ball joint at the end of the tie rod - normally under an intact boot - wear out, get clunky and wheels wobble.
Could be worn ball joints, or tie rods, tie rod ball joints.

rod ball tie joints - nice !!.. thanks for that ill chuck some new ones on while im at it, if im going to need a wheel alignment I might as well pop a set of superlows in while im at it :)

rod ball tie joints - nice !!.. thanks for that ill chuck some new ones on while im at it, if im going to need a wheel alignment I might as well pop a set of superlows in while im at it :)

With the rack off, lift the tie rod and let go. If it falls down under its own weight or there is play, it is rooted. New ones are quite stiff.
Tie rods $45 each at Repco, about $13 each for the boots. If your current boots are torn that is probably the problem. Measure the total length, so you can set up your wheel alignment as close as possible.

Of course, if you do go for a recon rack, these new bits are all included.

yeah boots are torn, are those prices retail or trade ?

yeah boots are torn, are those prices retail or trade ?

Normal Joe Blow walk in prices. Your local parts shop may be cheaper.

Does anyone know if the passenger side end of the rack has a removable bush? If it does, check it for wear and replace it if its worn while you have the rack out.
The old Aus built R31 Skylines had a TRW R&P where the actual rack ran straight in the alloy housing. No replaceable bush. I rebuilt a couple of them. involved removing the housing from the steel tube, setting it up in the lathe and boring it out, then machining up a bush and fitting that to the housing. worked real well. At the time (about 10 years ago) a recoed R&P for them was about $600 exchange. supply only.
For those who don't know, when the bush (or housing) on the passenger side is worn, there can be a rattle that you can hear and feel through the steering wheel when you hit small bumps and you can also get a shimmy at different speeds. A shimmy feels a bit like an "out of balance wheel" and again you will feel it through the steering wheel.

bollie7

My rack was pretty stuffed, had been letting water into one of the boots for years I believe thats where I was getting my wobbly steering wheel from, one side ram is all rusty N yucky in there.. So I just bought another rack out of a 2000 model TH for $50, seems to be dry but I dont really trust its going to be dry for long, so now im sitting here looking at it wondering if it would be worth putting the kit through it before I install it OR do I skip the kit incase i stuff something up N just throw it in as it is.. descisions descions !!

How many km on the donor car?

about 150,000.. very dry rack, boots wernt split but i just put new ones on anyway.. I think i have almost talked myself into sliping it straight in coz I dont want to wreck what might be a good thing, I just need to clear up the leak so I can get a roadworthy

all good, no leaks, doesnt wobble around corners any more :) .. just put a bottle of nulons treatment in just to be safe!. Happy

PS .. it seems you dont actually have to remove the cross member, it makes it easier but you dont HAVE to do it.. the exhaust HAS to come off everything else is pretty much clear.

Not the hardest "car job" to do but a bit fiddly - Timing belt next (ouch)

I tackled the timing belt job first, doing the steering rack next lol What is the Nulon stuff you used?

this one.. http://www.nulon.com.au/products/Power_Steering_Stop_Leak_and_Conditioner/

I like it but theres going to be haters out there im sure !..

If the boot is badly split and you have a rusty rack end you will most likely have movement there and you are doing the right thing in replacing the rack. You can put new boots on if you want to while is apart but if the ones on teh new rack are not perished personally I would not bother, same goes with tie rod ends, if tight and boots are ok dont waste your money


@ M@tt:

.......

Do you know what is in the Repco kit?

mmm $80 for a kit, versus $350 for a recon job and another $350 for a Mitsu monkey to install, sure sounds like a solid markup for labour!

You would not buy a complete rack rebuild kit for $80 in a pink fit (and even if you did, racks are a specialist item that no back yarder should touch, I know what I am doing and still will not rebuild a rack), this may be some kit with boots and rack mount bushes I would guess. As for labour, this is the magic thing that keeps workshops in busines, keeps the employees with food on their table, keeps the families housed etc etc. Unlike Myer etc we do not mark up prices over 300% contry to popular belief and then when you also look at the investment in both knowledge and equipment.....

As an example in the last few months I have spent near 5 grand on new equipment, I am a single person operation so this takes a lot out of the money available to live on

Good points Madmagna.

lol yeah Madmagna you better get ready to pink fit then mate, thats $80 retail to (at repco), didnt get as far as asking how much it is trade, Its NOT rack boots & mounts etc, it was a couple gaskets to seal the steering gear, some clips, a big O-ring which is where the input shaft leaks from in most of our cars, some bigger orings that I think were for the rams.. Took the top off the old rack just to have a look & it didnt actually look like it would be to hard to put through, if I didnt score a new rack I would have used this kit no problems, it only had maybe 8 bits in it. most of the stuff in the kit looked like it would go around the pinion area but I wansnt taking this rack out again if I stuffed it up so i decided against it.. I went with if its not broken dont fix it rule!!

Yes the Boots were close to splitting this is why I changed them, and the rodends were like $12 each so I figured if im paying for a wheel alignment just do them now ! + they will look good when i get this roady done next week

Should get the pink slip no worries. Shiny bits impress them.

GROAN Don't tempt Madmagna into having a pink fit pleez! The rest of us can't cope!

LOL ok sorry, I take that warning onboard