steering rack confusion?!?!?!

[speedmaxx]

so my power steering rack is leaking and I gotta fix her up.

is this all I will need? seems odd that oem rack is that cheap, the last one on the list.

https://www.1stsubaruparts.com/partscat.html

I feel like this is not a completle rack, I emailed the company with a response of ''this is a complete oem rack'' so am I missing something?

a refurb rack is $160 so it just seems odd that a oem rack is only $190

thanks

[kimokalihi]

That's a bad link. I'm guessing this is for your 93 L? The correct part number is 34110AA131 and it will run you $675.85 from 1stsubaruparts.com and much more I'm guessing from your local dealer. That's complete with new hardlines that attach to the rack and new boots and new tie rod ends.

[speedmaxx]

Wow that's a ton of dough. I guess I'ma just rebuild my existing rack, thanks for the clarification. By any chance u the know the part numbers for all the seals and such within the rack? Should anything else be replaced internally in the rack whille it is out

[njdriver04]

quicky, anyone know the steering ratio on the oem rack?

[TBFK]

What I did was just replace my sterring rack. I ended up paying less then $260, before an alignment and tie rod ends. But I still paid less the $315! Just call your local parts store, adn ask for a complete steering rack. It's not to hard to replace either.

[speedmaxx]

I was hoping to avoild a remanufactured rack cause I mean when those get sent in as cores there usually shot they just toss in new seals and call it a day. I would rather rebuild my rack then buy a reman rack

Okay so how about this, I'm bot 100% sure it's my rack. But if I park my car over night I have a puddle of powersteering fluid on the ground under the right hand side of the rack, and I have no power steering at all. I already tried a reman pump which worked for like 3 min then I lost power steering, I figured there was air in the system so I just drove her around for a few days hoping it would clear up but nothing.

Anyone got any ideas???

[TBFK]

Do the boots look torn on your rack? have you double checked the lines for and loose or leaky connections? Maybe a cut in one of the lines, or anything like that? Have you traced and Power Steering Fluid back from the puddle to where it's leaking?

[speedmaxx]

umm not really I havent done much investigating, I do no both my boots are torn and have been torn since the begining of the summer (my fault for not using oem boots). I was thinking lines but ill have to double check them. but from what Im reading the rack dosent really seem like the culprit but im not to sure though

[kimokalihi]

The rack shouldnt be leaking from the boots i dont think. The boots are just there to keep dirt out. Rebuild the rac. Muh cheaper. I ordered the seal kits i found in the parts catalog and theres a writeup around here on how to do it. Been waiting two weeks for my parts from subaru. They said they were all out everywhere and a new shipment just came in from japan so they expect to ship my order monday.

[TBFK]

I had to replace my steering rack because my boot got torn on a trail I did. I didn't notice untill I parked my car for a couple hours, started it, and tried turning and my pump started screaching because all my power steering fluid leaked out of my steering rack on the side the boot was torn. I'd feel around inside of the torn boots with your finger and see if their's power steering fluid in them. It could be leaking from their, but it could be from somewhere else.

Is it making any noises when you go to turn?

[kimokalihi]

My boots have been torn for years and it still holds fluid just fine. If you tore it on a trail you probably broke a line or the rack itself.

[TBFK]

My boots have been torn for years and it still holds fluid just fine. If you tore it on a trail you probably broke a line or the rack itself.

Possibly, i'm thinking I might have just got to much debris in the boot and screwed up all my seals. When I pulled my rack, it also had a bunch of metal shavings as well.

[kimokalihi]

Now that I'm at a computer I found the write-up on rebuilding your steering rack.

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic. ... ering+rack

Now, it mentions only 1 seal kit which is strange because the parts catalog lists two seal kits and neither one is the seal kit Bry listed in his write-up.

Seal Kit A - 34128AA050 - GEAR BOX REPAIR KIT C [Superseded by New Part# 34128AA190]
Seal Kit C - 34128AA060 - No longer in the system.
Bry's Output Seal Kit - 34128AA211

I decided to order both the kit that he found and the one in the parts catalog. I don't have a clue how he found it because it's not listed in the parts catalog but perhaps it's the "Seal Kit C" that can no longer be found in the system.

And as I said, something in that order along with a couple other things have delayed my order for over 2 weeks.

[H4_Deucer]

The rack will leak from the boots if the seal is leaking which is where they normally leak from, I have seen the boots balloon up from fluid pumping into them, but normally no, if your boots are just torn it wont leak fluid from just that.

As a side note, make sure you get those seals in perfect if you are rebuilding the rack, I have seen Senior Master Techs rebuild a rack just to have it puke all over the floor first start because the seals were a little crooked.

[kimokalihi]

Alright ill try my best. Is it that difficult?

[H4_Deucer]

It isn't hard, you just have to be very accurate, its the same thing with cam seals, if they get a little crooked they leak, but the power steering rack is under a lot more pressure. We always started the car with the y pipe off for about 30 seconds after putting the rack in just in case it did leak and had to be taken back out. Also, after the seal is in, make sure you dont move the shaft too much and let the serrated part drag over the seal and make sure to mark both the gear and the steering shaft before you split the two, that way it wont be a guessing game when it goes back together. All in all, take your time and be tedious and you will be fine.

[kimokalihi]

Thanks for the tips. They will help.